Review: Badland

I attended an indie launch party hosted by Threaks in Hamburg recently. Their extremely fun game Beatbuddy (which I wrote about here) was officially launched on Steam on the 6th of August and you should be checking it out right now. Also, keep your ears open for the soundtrack which has an amazing list of collaborators and very catchy beat-bopping booty-shaking tracks from start to finish.

While I was there, I got some lengthy hands-on time with a game called Badland and got to speak to the sound master behind the game.

It’s currently for iOS and in its most simplistic description, you play as little fuzzy balls and must help them get from one end of the level to the next, but not how you would usually think.

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Game-play, to the uninitiated, takes a few tries to figure out. For instance, I thought I had to continuously poke the screen to keep my fuzzball character afloat and moving forward, but then realised it’s about timing and keeping your finger on the screen for most of it.

• Developer: Frogmind
• Publisher: Frogmind
• Reviewed on: iOS
• Release Date: Available Now

There’s a lot of levels, called Days, and each one increases in difficulty. Like Super Meat Boy, the game can make you frustrated as you get stuck in crazy obstacles – but you don’t hate it, you want to prevail and when you figure out the best tactic of means of traversing the screen with your finger, the satisfaction of completing the level has you fist-pumping the air. The design is a fusion of foreground shadows and wonderfully painted bright backgrounds, many looking like a sunset.

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BRB-Score-5

The game offers something I don’t see often in this sort of game, especially on iOS – and that’s multiplayer. Hooking up your iPhone or iPad to a large screen and crowding together creates a fun competition and if you all hit little multiplier blocks then the screen is just full of multicoloured, multi-sized fluff-balls. Sound works really well with music and action noises integrating well with your actions.

Smooth gameplay once you figure it out
Rewarding feeling when a Day is completed
Beautiful visuals and charming character design
Frustration that comes from failing a level due to some dodgy screen responses

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This is Frogmind’s first game and it’s a great title that can be played on the move (if you don’t mind public displays of comedic rage) and can also be played with friends at home. It’s a simple, perfect combo of what makes a neat, innovative, catchy indie game.

Review copy provided by Badland Game
Official Game Site

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