{
  "$type": "site.standard.document",
  "bskyPostRef": {
    "cid": "bafyreibol5qco4dgjz7bqffmj7qmwyajnixiye4meduzuchyljwrrd5fem",
    "uri": "at://did:plc:52y7jjkxefk27acx6vrn6f53/app.bsky.feed.post/3mjmhuvbqqpr2"
  },
  "coverImage": {
    "$type": "blob",
    "ref": {
      "$link": "bafkreih4slsqpotd5gpnqb6q4j7cmro6x7o36wb6df32nujmfta7e6kdqe"
    },
    "mimeType": "image/jpeg",
    "size": 69859
  },
  "description": "The cute story of a young boy's first love",
  "path": "/reviews/the-day-i-became-a-bird-review/",
  "publishedAt": "2026-04-16T13:00:47.000Z",
  "site": "https://gamingtrend.com",
  "tags": [
    "Review Guidelines"
  ],
  "textContent": "We've all experienced our first crush. That cute girl on the bus with the cool backpack, the boy you saw across the playground playing tag with his buddies, or the kid who dumped sand down your shirt that you just couldn't stop thinking about. _The Day I Became a Bird_ is the story of Frank, an elementary school student, and his efforts to connect with Sylvia, a new girl with an affinity for birds.\n\nSylvia loves birds, and Frank desperately wants to get her attention\n\nWhen I first saw footage for _The Day I Became a Bird_ , all I could think of were games like _Last Day of June_ that were meant to be tear-jerkers, so I steeled myself. Thankfully, Frank's journey is one I think we can all identify with without it causing too much distress.\n\nFrank is just your average boy. Each morning he has to feed the dog, grab his stuff, and head to school. On his way there one day, he gets distracted and crashes his bike… but this gives him time to take note of the pretty girl in the park that's singing to the birds. As time goes on, he can't get his mind off her, so he hatches a plan to have her take note. He decides to create a bird suit and get close to her.\n\nWe'll be walking in Frank's shoes (and eventually, bird feet)\n\nWithout giving away too much of the specifics (the game was less than 90 minutes, including time to get every achievement), I'll just say that you get to experience each step of Frank's journey towards achieving that goal. From the school to the park and beyond, you'll get to overhear Frank's friends and classmates weigh in on things as you take control to see his vision come to life.\n\nOn top of your average day-to-day activities, you'll be required to complete increasingly complex jigsaw puzzles after each event. This is particularly notable for me, as my wife is a huge fan of puzzles and works several a day. That, combined with the young-love-based nature of the narrative, had the mechanic land at a special place for me.\n\nYou'll work increasingly complex puzzles between levels\n\nAesthetically, like its gameplay mechanics, _The Day I Became a Bird_ is a bit on the simplistic side. It has elementary 3-D models and adorable hand-drawn art that feels like it belongs in a children's storybook. Consequently, the game _is_ based on a children's book of the same name by author Ingrid Chabbert which has a similar art style—an apt decision. Whether the game interests you or not, I would encourage everyone to check out Chabbert's work at your local library.\n\nWhile the game is largely straightforward in its presentation, there are a couple of levels that alter the gameplay experience from isometric navigation to 3-D on-rails segments. These moments present an interesting shift in perspective, but they also suffer from some awkward visualization issues. I found myself struggling to pick up collectibles due to the items path in 3-D space being hard to identify.\n\nFrank's class is full of rambunctious kids ready to talk\n\nMechanically, there really isn't a ton going on here. You'll walk around, talk with people, collect some items, and work some puzzles. Each step gets you closer to seeing how Frank and Sylvia's story culminates. It's a short experience that knows what it's trying to portray.\n\nThe journey doesn't end when Frank achieves his goal\n\nThat said, _The Day I Became a Bird_ feels like it was designed to be played as a sort of \"my first game\" experience. All the gameplay mechanics are hyper simplistic with little-to-no consequence for failure. If you're expecting a mature, challenging experience, you're going to be disappointed. It just doesn't have the hooks to keep adults engaged after a cursory playthrough (or, for that matter, children who are used to the heavy stimulation of a Fortnite world).\n\n\n    Review Guidelines\n  \n\n70\n\n### The Day I Became a Bird\n\n#### Good\n\nThe Day I Became a Bird is a short, cute story-driven game you can finish in a single sitting. While it's on the shorter side, it tells an adorable story of young love I think almost everyone will identify with. That said, outside of a companion experience for the book or simplistic children's game, I can't see this appealing to many.\n\n* * *\n\n##### Pros\n\n  * Slice-of-life story we can all identify with\n  * Cute, simplistic visuals\n\n\n\n##### Cons\n\n  * Some minor annoyances with perspective when navigating certain levels\n  * Lacks depth as a gameplay experience\n\n\n\n* * *\n\nThis review is based on an early PC copy provided by the publisher. The Day I Became a Bird comes out on April 16, 2026.",
  "title": "The Day I Became a Bird review",
  "updatedAt": "2026-04-16T13:00:51.751Z"
}