Growbot is an effective outdated point-n-clicker within the traditional fashion: screen-sized scenes to be pixel hunted, every one offering some mixture of puzzles, gadgets for fixing puzzles, world-building, and story development. The loop is “clear up puzzles, unlock extra puzzles”, with the added pay-off of the explorable world rising as you accomplish that.
The world in query is a robo-horticulturalist crystal area asteroid kind of jam, with a little bit scuttler referred to as Nara being the chosen hero, saving the universe regardless of the uncertainties of youth
Growbot does all of the fundamentals, following the long-established routine of cursor-pointing, stock cataloguing, and dialogue choices. Its little improvements are the clear division of your stock into “keepables” and “consumables” – which supplies some construction to assist minimise the try-everything-with all the things moments – and a colour-coded cursor that neatly exhibits whether or not one thing’s interactive or whether or not the sport is busy for the second.
Verbs are maybe a relic of these outdated post-Zork hangover days now, and Growbot is one other sport the place you simply click on away, and “do the factor with the factor” is the one verb you could have. In idea that’s positive, however in observe it contributes to the sense that you simply’re simply clicking to show the web page of a narrative with the “flip web page” button in a special location on every display. This isn’t helped by the truth that a lot of Growbot’s puzzles contain bringing collectively made-up gadgets, outlined solely by their interplay. As an illustration, an early puzzle has you place some jam right into a teleporter so {that a} “holoprism” is distributed again out of it. You then insert some “mild pollen” into that holoprism and… we suppose Bob’s your uncle?
But when there’s a stability to be struck between puzzles, gadgets, world-building, and story, Growbot is aware of the place it’s placing the emphasis: a main, music-based puzzle kind and a world dropped at life virtually solely by the sport’s artwork. The writing is usually baldly practical, getting proper to the purpose of what merchandise is required with out faffing round with character and dialog. The visible artwork and sound and music, although, are joyful and seize the creativeness. It’s sadly superficial, however it nonetheless has some surprise about it.
The musical puzzles, in the meantime, stir beautiful recollections of Loom, the progressive gem from Lucasfilm Video games that did lots to arrange the 2 Monkey Island masterpieces. Nara collects new notes that may be performed by way of an interface referred to as the “flower arranger”. Keys wanted to progress at sure instances may be made by constructing a observe sequence that matches the “defend” that blocks your path. It’s uncomplicated however works easily, asking for one thing of a musical ear however not a lot else.
One problem for the graphic journey has at all times been find out how to meld puzzles, that are basically summary snippets of logic, with telling a narrative, which basically must circulation, with out stopping to do sudokus ‘spherical each nook. Growbot makes its most typical puzzle a part of the world, with its flower-based music mechanic, and the artwork makes all the things appear to be there’s a narrative behind it. Sadly, that look of story is simply skin-deep, and the puzzles dangle oddly on the naked body of a plot. Exterior the musical sequencing, there are some infuriating blockers – particularly when doing contrived issues with contrived gadgets for contrived causes. That Goldilocks candy spot of issue that makes the participant really feel in management proves too elusive, however there’s melodious, mechanical enjoyment available right here when you’re not fussed about story.
