itch.io

I liked the goofiness and the way combat was more than selecting attacks or items. If one wants old-fashioned combat, they can still use balloon swords, but the bubble wand doesn't break and can do much more damage, which incentivizes using the more interesting of the two combat mechanics. I have an appreciation for any game which adds more interactivity to turn-based combat. The strategy is surprisingly deep for such a simple game. A lot of turn-based RPGs end up being "attack until enemy dies and heal when health is low," so defensive items and both attacks actually being useful adds an interesting layer to things. However, the game is very easy and I was never in any real danger of dying. My main two criticisms would be the jumping and the way light works. The jumping and landing animations go on a bit long so if one jumps continuously, Boxman's feet may never touch the ground despite jumping multiple times. Also, the grunt is played when hitting space even if Boxman is in the air and doesn't actually jump. Since the jumping doesn't do anything useful, it could probably be removed. The lighting feels wrong in a way I'm not sure I can fully describe, but I think part of it is that the whole world seems to get darker depending on where you are or what you are looking at and very slowly gets lighter when that stops. This is especially noticeable when the dragon breathes fire and in the area to the right of the item shop. These are minor technical nitpicks, though, and don't detract from the experience. I would have liked to see it go on a little longer and have some challenge besides in clicking the bubbles, but overall it is a goofy and charming diversion.