BoxBoy!

Genre: Puzzle-Platformer

Players: 1

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Review:

BoxBoy! Is a family-friendly Puzzle-Platformer released on Nintendo 3DS in 2015. This is the first game in the BoxBoy! series, which revolve around the titular BoxBoy (his actual name is apparently Qbby), who can grow boxes out of his body and use them to hit switches, create bridges and staircases, and shield himself from danger.

The gameplay here is extremely straightforward as Puzzle-Platformers go, but it’s not bad. The puzzle design here can get pretty good… at least, after a while. The first hour or so of the game is terribly simple, to the point where you’ll wonder if you’re playing Baby’s First Puzzle-Platformer, though things do eventually pick up some.

Along with the simple, straightforward gameplay comes a simple, straightforward presentation, with monochrome visuals that are nearly line art in their simplicity – BoxBoy himself is literally a featureless box with eyes and noodly appendages. However, there’s still enough decent animation here that it’s clear that this wasn’t out of laziness, but a deliberate design choice. These simple visuals are backed by a light synthesized soundtrack that’s nothing special, but seems fitting for this minimalist game.

Despite this simplicity that permeates through the game, it is still an enjoyable minimalist experience, the puzzle design is good, and it even has some decent personality, in its own way. This was never going to be a huge genre-changing experience, but for the low $5 asking price it’s well worth snatching up for Puzzle-Platformer fans. Just be prepared for the opening hour to drag some.

tl;dr – BoxBoy! is a Puzzle-Platformer starring a character who can grow boxes out from his body to help him get past obstacles and solve puzzles. This is an extremely minimalist experience all-around, but not a bad one, and there’s even some good puzzle design here. This game is definitely worth the low $5 price tag. Just be aware that the first hour or so is really slow and simple.

Grade: B-

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