Oct 9, 2025

SOPA – Tale of the Stolen Potato Review

Rabiya Rizwan

You may have played several games as a child protagonist, but only a handful of them feel really special. Not many go into the aspects of looking at the world from the perspective of a young mind. Kids are trying to understand a lot about what’s going on around them, and little tasks can feel like an adventure to them. SOPA: Tale of the Stolen Potato highlights this greatly through the journey of Miho, who finds himself in a fantasy land to get a potato for his Nana.

In our SOPA: Tale of the Stolen Potato review, we look into the themes the game tries to explore and the gameplay mechanics to see why the game feels so special.

For more information about the entry, check out the Steam Page.

There is a great attention to detail, which you will notice as soon as you start playing. If you bump into objects, your Nana will scold you just a bit. Interacting with other NPCs can also get very silly, and they have a lot to say about some social issues, like being overworked.

The game also highlights how Miho imagines the items around himself. For example, he views a plant pot as a boat, which he used to traverse across the fantasy world. You will be assigned various objectives, which you will complete by finding these items. Guessing what item could help Miho is another fun and challenging aspect of the gameplay.

You need to be thorough in exploring the world around you to figure that out. This really gives you an incentive to go out and explore around. The art style of the game is great, so you will also feel immersed in that. Although there are only a couple of locations you will actually visit, you are kinda left wishing for much more when the game ends. Otherwise, the game does a good job at world-building in those areas; it even solves the complaint of walking too much by introducing a secret passage to navigate across the largest area in the game.

The game has several puzzles, but nothing too hardcore. It’s not a mystery game, so they are simple enough for you to figure out, even if you tend to struggle at them. SOPA: Tale of the Stolen Potato does test your creativity, and that’s part of why handling troublesome situations became so fun in the game. You do need to be perceptive if you think it’s too difficult for you; a lot of characters will just give you a hint if you interact with them.

The first place Miho visits after crossing the river and water is The Black Market. Surely, this place is a bit too mature for a child his age. You will find several busy adult frogs here trying to sell their wares. As you try to get your Potato here, there will be many problems to solve. The game tests your wits in these areas, and you also need to be very observant.

The frogs here are often sly, and you will also find some comedic relief here, as Miho tries to learn more about negotiating and how the adults handle their businesses. It’s refreshing to see social aspects of real life through the imagination of a child in the game, and you will find several such moments. You will also meet some quirky humans along your journey, whom Miho needs to deal with as well.

As you keep playing, you will witness many heartwarming moments like Miho cooking the soup with his Nana. He also has a friend named Miguel, and you will plant a tree with him. The story may feel like a slow burn, but it has great symbolism under the guise of fantasy. The ending is touching, and it conveys the message of the story in a unique way.

SOPA: The Tale of the Stolen Potato is highly recommended if you like Latin American settings with a touch of fantasy, or if you perchance like Ghibli movies, where kids are involved in different worlds, trying to overcome challenges.

Developer: Studio Bando

Country of Origin: Brazil

Publisher: Studio Bando

Release Date: October 7, 2025 (Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series X and S)