Relaxing amusement—humor and story for young adults and up, but gameplay complexity suits ages below.
After a long day at work, Turnip Boy greets me with a big office no-no—tearing up a tax notice! Very satisfying and a great introduction on what to expect. Expectations were made for rebellion, cutesy humor, and document ripping, and Turnip Boy delivered.
At first, tearing up documents felt like an exhilarating gimmick, but as I left their tattered remains in my wake, it became like a staple. Hunting for them for the tearing ritual was a reward in itself.
Movement was remarkably smooth for a pixel-art based game. The GUI mainly consisted of clean flat vector art which moved and shook and kept the animated vibe going. The two art styles complimented each other very well, from the fluid animation to the saturated color palette. Pixel art game with regular non-pixel fonts and yet looks great! My eyes are appeased.
To note, Turnip Boy’s art style is more cheeky than cutesy. Rounded shapes and softened features for the most part, with some ruff-tuff wrinkly characters here and there. When there is a very cute character, it either naturally is so, or has a small laugh at its own existence. Quite a handful of these sentient edibles tout believable personalities and stories. Some still deserve all annoyance and hate… Overall, they’re well designed.
And the game has quite a cheeky humor to match, spiced by a few 4th wall breaks. Presuming the meme expert worked in the pop culture references, the mix was just right and never felt try-hard or a trend attempt. And yet it still lends well to the story, the comedy never taking center stage.
Behind all the errands and rampant deer lie an oddly deep backstory. It’s actually nice to find that there’s a bit of lore here and there for players to stumble on. And it’s quite the dark tale too.
Their approach to dungeons is quite a staple, with some areas requiring a different approach when passing through them a second time. They wind, but not overlong, with opening shortcuts as the deed is done. Revisiting NPCs doesn’t feel like a drag, and the combination of puzzles and mobs keep them from feeling too short. Just right.
Some areas evidently remain locked until the right tool or weapon is obtained, really tickling one’s explorer side. The maps are organized, with characters and elements spaced from each other without being overwhelming. Details always enhance a story or environment, and never cloy on the eye.
Mobs and all combat involving them are mostly very simple, but the item/gear progression was refreshingly unique. Most of the gameplay really suits the story, not mentioning the significance of a few of the items obtained. Compliments to the map designer! They’re found in quite intuitive places.
The bosses bring no new mechanics to the table, with easy patterns to memorize. However, they do combine boss mechanics and arenas in ways to keep me on my toes, both in reflexes and quick puzzle solving. As someone who doesn’t play this genre often, I felt challenged enough but not defeated. A casual level.
Having mentioned that, they do keep the game open for those in the accessibility community. In the options provide a multiplier for player strength and a god mode, for those who are stuck or are having trouble. A win for accessibility, though it may be noted that story is being prioritized over gameplay here.
Replay value isn’t much, with only the Limitless Line and a few achievements to complete after the final final boss, but it’s fun. Unlockable after the main story is completed, the Limitless Line focuses on the combat from train car to train car, with mob difficulty ramping up as you progress.
This mode becomes very challenging after a round and a half, but with its difficulty mechanics only involving random mobs being given buffed traits. You get nice hats though!
As seamless as the UI is, there are flaws that bruise this beaut.
The system for quick switching tools and weapons is convenient when solving puzzles, but hassle my fingers when in a boss fight. The right bumper has a quick switch mechanic that is real handy—except it cycles through the tools instead of a swap between the two latest. I want to be able to switch a selected tool and a weapon without accidentally splooshing them with the watering can!
Exit dialogue. Why isn’t it there? Why?
Limitless Line’s visual rattling can’t be lessened by the screenshake option.
And in the bigger picture… Turnip Boy is understandably focused on its story and content. I can’t state with all the sureness in my heart that they meant it to be relaxing. If they do, then all is forgiven and loved.
All that said, the mobs and puzzles present themselves as oddly simplistic, suited for preteens and as an introduction to puzzle games for a non-gamer. Some of the tax humor certainly float over a teen’s head, and a number of decidedly dark concepts lurk behind the game’s cheeky surface. For those who have been around different sorts of games, the gameplay could be much much better. There’s certainly an allowance for it to be less forgiving, given the god mode options.
The game is woefully short. There are some short games that wrap up nicely, like a short film. But this is not one of them. It is somewhat satisfying yet doesn’t complete. I’ve defeated the big bad guy, what then?
Overall, a sparklingly witty short game built by clever design and heartful characters and environment, but falls behind in gameplay and leaves you wanting more.
Game Version 1.1.1f1