Thinking Outside the Box in BoxBoy! – Review

Written and edited by Dan Ciocca of Dan’s Gaming News

BoxBoy! was a surprise reveal at last year’s April Nintendo Direct. We didn’t see it coming and didn’t think much of it since it was just a small eShop exclusive. At least, that’s what I thought, so I didn’t pick it up. I always had an interest in it, but never bothered to buy it because I never felt compelled to. I finally decided to purchase it during Nintendo’s E3 sale this year when it was 50% off, and boy am I glad that I did.

In BoxBoy!, you play as Qbby, a black and white box who can create a set number of boxes at will. You use these boxes to solve many puzzles across the over 100 stages in the game. For example, you can create a hook to pull yourself to a higher ledge, or you can create a platform to walk across a pit.

In each stage there are either one or two crowns that help you unlock additional stages. If you use too many boxes, you cannot get the crowns.

At the end of a stage, a certain amount of currency is given depending on your performance. The currency is used to purchase music to listen to in a sound gallery, costumes that Qbby can wear that may have additional stat boosts, challenge stages, or tips. In addition, if you get stuck on a puzzle, you can use 1 Play Coin to receive the solution so you don’t spend too much time on a single puzzle.

The levels are designed ingeniously to incorporate many different mechanics, such as lasers and conveyor belts. In each world, a new mechanic is introduced. The first puzzle is very simple and just shows you the basics of this mechanic, and you gradually master this mechanic throughout the rest of the world. You must remember how the mechanic works, as there is a strong possibility that it comes back in a later world.

When I first purchased BoxBoy! I thought that it only had 4 worlds, and decided that it was a good value for the approximate $4 that I spent. Imagine my shock when new world opened up afterwards. In all, Boxboy! has 17 main worlds, and 5 bonus worlds (as well as challenge stages and time attack stages). The price per playtime ratio in this game is insane.

Boxboy!’s art style is clean and simple. Though the art style is very uncomplicated, there is a beauty to its simplicity. The music is atmospheric and truly makes you feel immersed in the game.

In conclusion, BoxBoy! is an inexpensive puzzle game by the developers of Kirby that you most likely overlooked. BoxBoy! provides more than enough content for the cost of entry and provides a beautiful experience that makes you feel smart every time you complete a particularly difficult puzzle. With BoxBoxBoy! coming out in less than a week, there’s no better time to buy.

PROS:

-Inexpensive

-Replayable

-Smart level design

-Cute art style

-Atmospheric music

-Great for short, on-the-go play sessions

CONS:

– N/A