Craftimals: Build to the Sun (XBLIG): "A Creative & Simple Building Experience"

I was recently contacted by 'Roppy Chop Studios' about doing a review on their latest XBLIG creation 'Craftimals: Build to the Sun'. I do realize it's been quite a while since the game was released, but the chaos that is my life has put me behind in my reviews. I'm a man of my word though, and I promised the developer I would review their game once I got caught up. The terrific news is that today is that day! With all of that aside I went into this game not really having a clue what it was about. All I new is that it had something to do with building blocks, and square animals. I was educated fairly quickly when I started up the game though, and ultimately realized the vision that the developer had for this particular indie game. It was brilliant to say the least, simple but brilliant.

I have boasted many times before that a review I'm doing would likely be the shortest one yet, but as I have learned that is not always the case. It may not be the case for this game either, but that has yet to be seen. I love to cover as many details about a game (even if it's small) as possible without presenting the review as overkill. I will attempt to cover the necessary details of the game in this review as well ...

Craftimals is a simple 2D game based on simple things. The odd thing about that though is that the developer has designed this game to be as grand as the gamer's imagination is. The developer presents you with a selection of playable critters (frog, raccoon, pig ...), and two carts full of infinite blocks (with different color choices) with which you can build your way to the sun. You can build until you're content with whatever you've created within the game (pictures, art, retro video game images ...), or shoot for the surprise that the sun holds. The possibilities are literally endless if you have the imagination to carry them out. If you shoot for the goal of reaching the sun you will be rewarded with special powers, and hats for your Craftimal critters as you pass checkpoints. The choice of what you wish to do is ultimately up to you. The good thing though is that you can play 2 player co-op, and share the experience with a friend.

The controls in 'Craftimals: Build to the Sun' were a little odd to me, but not overly complicated. You'll find that a lot of the actions done use the movement of the (Left Thumbstick) in combination with the (X/B) buttons. You basically move your Craftimal with the (Left Thumbstick), as well as position the blocks with it. To set the blocks you use the positioning axis provided by the (Left Thumbstick), and press the (X) button when you have it in the place you want. To remove blocks it's basically the same concept only you'll move a cursor on top of the desired block, and press (B) to remove it. To make your Craftimal jump in the game you simply use the (A) button. I know I probably confused the heck out of you with my explanation of the controls, but the game does an excellent job of explaining how the game works.

In conclusion I found this game to be interesting. I'm not one who would spend msp/money on a game like this, but if you have a good imagination you could do some pretty cool things with this game. Like I mentioned before this game is simple in design, but can be as grand as your imagination allows. In that respect I think 'Roppy Chop Studios' created something really cool. I haven't seen this approach to block building before, unless you count the theoretic building method of the Egyptian Pyramids or the building of the Tower of Babel (couldn't resist ^.^). For $1 (80 msp) you do get your moneys worth, but how well you enjoy the game will greatly depend on how artistic/creative of a person you are. The younger gamers would also likely be the age group that's more suited for this game.