In Brazilian Portuguese, the expression “Bem Feito” can mean two things. It can either mean “well done”, as in, something had been done properly, but it can also be used in an ironic, derrogatory way, in a “serves you right” manner, after you’ve suffered the consequence of having done something you shouldn’t have. I had to start off this review by mentioning this in order to give non-Brazilians some context on what to expect from QuByte’s latest indie title, the titularly named Bem Feito, which doesn’t do a particularly good job at localizing its expressions, jokes and vibes to anyone not born between the states of Roraima and Rio Grande do Sul.

Bem Feito is a game with a pretty intriguing premise, but shoddy execution. In essence, this is a “game within a game”. You are playing a simulator of an emulator of a console that has never existed, if that makes any sense. You are given control of an emulator of the long-lost (and fictional) Brazilian portable called JoGaroto (it’s a pun on “Jogo”, which means “Game”, and “Garoto”, which means “Boy”, a Game Boy) and its only commercially released title, the titular Bem Feito.

The in-game Bem Feito is essentially a simple farming simulator, not unlike Stardew Valley, Harvest Moon or Story of Seasons. You control an obnoxiously happy kid called Reginaldo, and you need to do some chores each day before going back to bed. They range from the usual “mow the lawn”, “water crops”, and so on, to more, uh, “unusual” tasks that will make you question the game’s true intentions. You will quickly realize not to take first impressions as gospel, as there are deep and dark secrets behind Bem Feito, the emulator, and the company behind it.

I won’t dive into spoilers in order not to ruin what little this game has to offer in terms of shock value, but yeah, you’ve seen this kind of subversion of expectations before. It’s Undertale. It’s Doki Doki Literature Club. It’s Inscryption. The difference between Bem Feito and those iconic games lies in the former’s complete lack of subtlety. In a title like this, you want to start off slowly, build up tension, and then deliver a pay off. In Bem Feito‘s case, there is a background premise, but a brisk payoff with no buildup, which keeps on going and going until the game ends a mere hour later.

Sadly, once the mystery is solved, the game is pretty much done. You just gain some info, but the game is over. Sure, you could try for a better ending, but it is not worth the hassle. You will most likely get a “bad” ending on your first run, due to how the game coerces you to basically sin in its universe, but that’s it. Some creepy crap will appear onscreen, but nothing that would ever be considered scary or unsettling.

It doesn’t help that the in-game ROM of Bem Feito isn’t that exciting to play. As previously mentioned, it’s a simplistic farming sim with poor controls and a shoddy collision detection. You are done with its chores in just an hour. There isn’t a lot to do outside of the ROM either. The emulator and the OS powering are super limited in tools and scope. There is a small email inbox, some files to decrypt with four-digit codes, and that’s it. Oddly enough, whilst exploring files in the fictional OS, the B button confirms. Whilst playing the game of Bem Feito, A confirms. I have no idea why the button placement for a confirmation is inverted in these situations.

What we have here is a game full of good intentions but shoddy execution. It doesn’t look exciting from a visual standpoint, it sounds dated and repetitive (though I did like the dialup modem sound effects), the plot twists can be seen from a mile away, and there’s little payoff. Bem Feito tries to be one of those games that want to subvert your notions on following rules and whatnot, but it’s not subtle at all, nor scary, and even less thought-provoking. I appreciate the attempt, but this game needed some extra time in the oven, as well as more meat in its bones in order to actually become memorable and engaging.

Graphics: 6.0 Occasionally charming, never actually creepy. Still, there was a bit of creativity put into the art design, so it’s still the game’s highlight.	Gameplay: 5.5 The controls whilst doodling with the emulator are simplistic but serviceable. Oddly enough, the button mapping for the in-game, uh, “game” is the complete opposite, resulting in some occasional confusion. The responsiveness and hit detection are also a bit shoddy.
Sound: 5.0 Not a lot that can be considering interesting. Sound effects are limited, the soundtrack is repetitive, and whatever can be considered a “creepy sound clip” came and went like an unremarkable thud.	Fun Factor: 5.5 Whilst there is a bit of creativity in Bem Feito‘s premise, it is not fun to play and experience, nor is it creepy enough to feel memorable. Good intentions do not overcome an underwhelming execution.
Final Verdict: 5.5

Bem Feito is available now on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series S/X, PC and Switch

Reviewed on Switch.

A copy of Bem Feito was provided by the publisher.