Is This Seat Taken? Review

Title

Platforms

Developer

Publisher

Release Date

Is This Seat Taken?

PC, Nintendo Switch

Poti Poti Studio

Wholesome Games Presents

7 August 2025

Picky sitters rejoice! As someone that used to use public transport a lot, I know full well that getting that perfect seat (or at least one I definitely don't want) is the dream type of commute. Well in Is This Seat Taken?, you get to help a bunch of fellow, picky sitters get to there desired seats in a variety of different locations and scenarios. With a casual story and simple artsyle - this is a light, puzzle adventure that might be exactly what you're looking for.

Is This Seat Taken? may not be a story focused game, but there is a light narrative throughout focused on a few recurring characters you will be seating. You follow a rhombus called Nat, an aspiring actor, as she makes her way across multiple countries on her journey of finding her acting, rhombus idol. Along the way, she will meet a few other recurring characters with her best friend Alexis. It's a story that won't set the world alight, but it's charming enough for the short puzzle game to pull you along.

Spanning a few different countries, each with a number of levels to play through, Is This Seat Taken? tasks you with placing numerous people into seats according to their personal preference. Some might like a window seat, others might not like strong smells or sat next to children. Designed on a sort of grid-based system, you can grab and place people with ease.

Later on, you will have new mechanics involved to keep the gameplay fresh, from interacting with the space to turn air-conditioning on/off according to what people need, and placing other objects near spots on each level. While the game does a decent job of adding new bits at a steady pace, it still doesn't prevent Is This Seat Taken? from becoming a bit stale halfway through the short runtime. However, I still found enjoyment throughout in figuring out the best placement for the crowds of people to appease them all.

The game's cartoonish visuals really lends well to the quirky premise and its shaped inhabitants. It's clean and easy to distinguish between the different people and small visual tells for certain preferences. Likewise, its simple music works well to match the chilled vibe of the puzzle experience.

All in all, matching the colourful, collection of characters to their suitable spot quickly becomes a therapeutic experience to wind down to. It's certainly not flawless, where the gameplay loop can become tired before long, despite attempts to inject new ideas into the formula. However, Is This Seat Taken? offers a good amount of fun, together with its simple story to keep those puzzle-lovers occupied for a handful of hours.

Score = 6/10