SOPA – Tale of the Stolen Potato Xbox Review

A cosy adventure that speaks to your inner child

There’s something special about a game that can make you feel like a kid again without ever feeling childish. SOPA – Tale of the Stolen Potato pulls that off with surprising confidence, delivering a short but heartfelt adventure that feels tailor-made for cosy game nights and nostalgia-fueled smiles and its even good for a cheeky amount of Gamerscore.

A review code was provided by the publisher. SOPA was played on the Xbox Series X!

The Setup

This game is developed and published by StudioBando a team that I was never familiar with upon stumbling across this game. To start, SOPA opens with a deceptively simple premise. You basically play as Miho, a kid who really doesn’t like soup and unfortunately for him, Nana loves soup and she needs potatoes from the pantry. That’s when a shady purple frog decides to steal said potatoes, flipping Miho’s evening (and reality) completely upside down.

Miho gives chase and finds himself in a magical, imagination-fueled world filled with talking frogs, carnivorous fish, and a cast of characters so charming they immediately earn emotional protection status. The character like Celia the cow are delightful, and even Jellyman—who lives inside a talking fish—is… something. I don’t know what he is still to this day but I would protect him with my life.

The story honestly feels like a classic Pixar film as its very simple on the surface, but with deep emotional roots. At its core, SOPA is about unconditional familial love and how it changes as you grow up, how traditions get passed down, and how those bonds quietly shape who you become. It isnt the longest game by any means but it does a great job at tugging at those heart strings.

Gameplay & Design

If you grew up playing the old school platforming adventure games, SOPA will feel instantly familiar just modernized and far more streamlined for todays modern consoles. The puzzles are logical, but not always adult logical, and that’s very much by design as you can see this was aimed at a younger audience.

For instance, there’s a moment where Miho needs to reach something that’s just out of reach. My adult instinct was to grab a chair and stand on it. But the game has already established Miho as clumsy and uncoordinated, breaking things left and right in the opening scene. Having him climb furniture would be a recipe for disaster and the game knows it.

Once you start approaching puzzles the way kid-you would have, everything clicks beautifully.

The level design is genuinely impressive. Every area feels intentional and polished, with a level of care that’s hard to miss. My favourite section overall was easily the cave inside the fish as its a wildly creative idea that was executed flawlessly. If anyone from the studio is reading this, please take your level designer out for dinner. They earned it.

Accessibility is also a nice touch, with full support for both controller and keyboard and mouse play. It’s a small detail, but it makes the experience that much more welcoming.

Visuals, Sound & Storytelling

Visually, SOPA is stunning especially due to those Pixar Style Animation Vibes. The art direction feels like a living storybook, bursting with colour and personality. The storytelling matches that confidence perfectly and its never overexplaining, never talking down to the player, and always trusting its characters to carry the emotional weight.

Miho’s growth over the course of the game is subtle but deeply satisfying. He starts off afraid of just about everything, including that purple frog. By the end, there’s a quiet confidence to him that feels earned rather than forced. When the credits rolled, I was left feeling warm, fuzzy, and more than a little nostalgic.

I will say, I did have some issues at times with the visuals when it came specfically to the waterfall segments or being in a boat. There was a lot of glitching and artifacting as it seems the camera struggles to keep up with Miho. Its not game breaking but it makes the experience feel a lot less premium and did somewhat take away from my enjoyment.

The Price Question

SOPA clocks in at around four hours of gameplay, with a $19.99 price tag and I do feel a little bit mixed about that due to how much your getting here.

Is it fun? Absolutely! it meaningful? Without question.

But whether or not it’s worth the price will depend entirely on you. In today’s economy that’s not an insignificant ask for a short experience. SOPA feels premium in presentation and emotional impact, but it’s still a brief adventure and some players may want to wait for a sale. Of course it is available on Xbox Game Pass and thats probably the best way to experience an indie gem like this without breaking that bank

Final Verdict

SOPA – Tale of the Stolen Potato is short, sweet, and overflowing with heart. It’s a cozy, family-friendly adventure that works just as well for kids as it does for adults who miss the magic of their childhood imagination. Its greatest strength isn’t just its gorgeous visuals or smart puzzle design, but the way it captures unconditional familial love and the quiet power of traditions passed down through generations.

If you’re on a tight budget, waiting for a sale makes sense or just play it via Xbox Game Pass but if you’re looking for a warm, memorable experience that feels like a hug wrapped in a storybook, SOPA is an easy recommendation!