Smile for Me Review: You wanna see my grill?

Hey, you! Yeah, you, with the frown-y face! Did you know that it takes more muscles to frown than it does to smile? Did you also know that frowning is definitely illegal in these neck of the woods? I suggest you come stay at the one and only Habitat. It’ll turn that frown upside down in a heartbeat, no problem! Oh, it’s no trouble at all, I insist you come stay here! …no, really. You cannot refuse. You will not refuse. You will smile for me. You WILL smile.

: – )

…whoops! Got a little intense there, my apologies! It’s just that Smile for Me has that kind of effect on people. In fact, I just finished playing this first-person point and click only hours ago and my skin still hasn’t stopped crawling! But that’s part of what makes Smile for Me so damn good — and now that it’s been ported from PC to console, more players can see for themselves why Smile for Me is a game that cannot be missed… under any circumstances.

Smile for Me has players taking on the role of a seemingly mute florist as they run around an all-inclusive, no escapes-made resort in an attempt to make everyone happy. Everyone — and I do mean everyone — is shocked by your uncanny ability to know exactly what any given person needs to turn their frowns upside down, which gains all sorts of attention from all kinds of folks. The more people you help, the more attention you receive… and the more you start feeling like you should be packing your bags and leaving the Habitat as soon as you can before something wipes those hard-earned smiles from everyone’s faces…

Controls in Smile for Me are completely remappable, which is great as the default ones are a little hit or miss depending on the action. Nodding and shaking your head to agree or disagree, respectively, is controlled via the trigger buttons, which was a most excellent idea, but opening up your item bouquet to equip something and pulling off spectacular stunts like the high score in whack-a-molar were good in theory but difficult in practice. Again, controls are completely remappable and the dev team did the best they could, but some tasks are simply easier on a PC and Smile for Me had its fair share of those.

I said earlier that Smile for Me is a first person point and click, which is basically a fancy way of saying it’s a fetch quest game. With that being said, it is undoubtedly one of the silliest, creepiest, and most creative fetch quest games any of us will have the privilege and pleasure of playing. So much of Smile for Me’s charm resides in the fact that we’re only scratching the surface of the world’s logic — if we dare to ponder further on literally anything, we’re in for a major headache. Why do I have to equip a hand to be able to interact with things? Why is a werewolf trying to prove vampires exist? How do the paper people function? Why do I feel dizzy every night at the same time? Why do creepy movies get played every night if I break curfew? Why am I being restrained? Can I go home now? Please?

Mysteries of the world aside, what really brings Smile for Me to life are the 20+ characters that all have different wants, needs, and backstories to learn about. One oddly chipper character is stuck inside a wall so you’ll have to communicate via a tiny crack, while a depressed dimepiece blocks the way to the rooftop until you can guarantee she’ll receive the fame and fortune she seeks. Then there are some more questionable characters, including the aforementioned paper people and an uncomfortably flirtatious comfortable bed. For an enclosed Habitat, the place sure is bustling and busy thanks to its sad-turned-glad inhabitants!

Smile for Me has a pretty straightforward ending with few surprises to its overarching narrative (as long as you’re exploring every possible nook and cranny), so I don’t want to give anything away in terms of story spoilers. What I will say is that its “guessable” ending didn’t stop me from feeling sufficiently creeped out at every turn. Don’t get me wrong — Smile for Me is not a scary game. But it is (excuse my French) fucking creepy. That creepiness ebbs and flows depending on player pacing, so it never truly crescendos or climaxes in a way that courses logically; instead, that disturbing feeling tingles at random, like a barely audible whisper or movement in the corner of your eye. In fact, at one point my smart watch told me I was too stressed out despite the fact that there’s nary a jumpscare or truly frightening moment to be had. If you’ve ever wondered if a cute game can creep yourself out so badly that your watch tells you to calm tf down, the answer is “yes” and the game is Smile for Me.

I am having a tough time picking my favorite thing about Smile for Me. I loved the fact that characters that are “done” still have new dialogue options and can help you further other characters’ arcs. I enjoyed how random and unique different requests were, including catching a “y’owl” or distracting a photographer with a dead fish hanging from the roof so I could snap a pic of her booty (at her request). I thought it was clever that characters would give you hints about their needs over the course of several days if needed, allowing time to figure out a solution without becoming too stuck. Even the puppeteering was a fascinatingly on-brand choice. And the fact that some puzzles have multiple answers to them allows players to flex their own brand of creativity, which is such a cool cherry on top of an already remarkable sundae of a game. There’s more — so, so, so much more — to love about Smile for Me, but the game is short and this article is long, so if you’ve come this far, you may as well just play it already ; – )

I’m not sure if I’ve ever played a game like Smile for Me before; I’m equally certain I don’t want to play another one like it ever again. My skin has not stopped crawling since putting down the controller, and I know there are some key moments from Smile for Me that will randomly haunt me for years to come. For a game that isn’t scary, Smile for Me is incredibly creepy in all the right ways; with that being said, it’s somehow still alluring — even welcoming. If you’ve chanced upon a frowny face in the mirror recently and believe a smile will cure what ails you, consider checking into the Habitat — Smile for Me might do the trick (for better or worse)!

Final Verdict: 4.5/5

Available on: PC, XBox One, XBox Series X|S, PS4, PS5, Switch (Reviewed); Publisher: Serenity Forge; Developer: LimboLane; Players: 1; Released: April 24, 2023

Full disclosure: This review is based on a copy of Smile for Me provided by the publisher.