Growing upNup with Bugsnax - Great Nutritional Values
It was easy choosing which game to sit down with my 6-year-old son to talk about for our first Growing upNup review. I couldn’t be happier that the first game he ever beat completely by himself was Bugsnax the second game created by Young Horses, the small developer who also brought you the cult favorite Octodad: Dadliest Catch.
“For kids and Adults: Empathy and good humor for all.” they prominently display on their website and for a good reason. While watching my son play this quirky game I was humbled by how well they told stories of joy, loss, love, hate, greed, humility, and perseverance, all while keeping the game light-hearted, fun, and engaging with a gentle learning curve.
In Bugsnax you take on the role of a nameless newspaper reporter who is invited to mysterious Snacktooth Island by Lizbert the famed adventurer and one of the many colorful muppet-like characters you will meet known as Grumpuses. Upon arriving at the island via an airship you soon stumble upon Filbo Fiddlepie, the self-appointed & in over his head mayor of Snaxburg. Throughout the game, you will meet other Grumpeses who, due to a variety of reasons, have ventured out on their own after the mysterious disappearance of their leader Lizbert. It is your goal in the game to bring the band back together, helping out with quests, rebuilding the town, and catching a variety of the titular characters: Bugsnax.
Dad: “Who was your favorite character in the game?”
Son: “I liked Chandlo the best!”
Dad: “And why is he your favorite?”
Son: “Because he is super strong and he protects others… like you”
Dad: *wipes tear
Chandlo is the brawny bodybuilder yet surprising spiritual “bro” of the Grumpus community. He loves the outdoors, sports, and is the engineer of the buildings in Snaxburg - the evolving hub world. Chandlo takes the role of the overprotective guardian of his life partner Snorpy, the brilliant yet paranoid introvert character. Chandlo’s assumption that his partner constantly needs protection emphasizes their lack of communication with each other. During quests and dialogue eventually, you will help the two overcome their insecurities and build a stronger relationship than before.
I bet by now you are saying, “I thought this game was about catching bugs made out of food?” Well, it is and yet it isn’t. The BugSnax purpose other than being the fun game element and being absolutely adorable is used as a metaphor for overconsumption and social vices. In the case of Chandlo, he believes that they are the key to finding his body’s true strength. However, he also has reservations about eating them due to other Grumpuses addictive tendencies towards them in what he refers to as “Hitting the Bugsnax.” This is the running theme for the game, the Bugsnaxs become a symbol of their hubris and insecurities. Some are looking to relive their glory days, one believes it will bring them closer to enlightenment, others abstain from them fearing their effects and they even become a wedge between a married couple. While these topics can be perceived to be very mature by adults they are discussed appropriately and with care. The characters express clearly how they are feeling and why they feel this way. In the end, you will help all the Gurmpeses with their shortcomings, and eventually, rescue them all from Snacktooth Island and even from themselves.
As for the gameplay, it took my little apprentice gamer a bit of time to learn the controls and mechanics of each one of the eight field tools available to him throughout the game. Luckily the developers introduce the mechanics at a good pace allowing him to get used to each one before adding the next. By the end of his first playthrough (which there have been many more since), he was combining traps, luring bugs, and collecting every one of the 111 different species. Each area of the game is presented as a puzzle playground where you search and scan the different bugs, learning their likes and dislikes, and through research and a bit of trial and error, you can Snax’Em All.
Dad: “What Bugsnax did you have the hardest time with?”
Son: “Troficabug. He’s a scorpion.”
Dad: “Which one is that? (Looks up) Do you mean Tropicabug? He’s an ant buddy.” (made out of Hawain shish kebabs)
Son: “WHAT?! Well, he was the hardest to catch. As soon as he sees you he gets scared SICK! Then he will hide in the bushes for FOREVER!”
Son: “Daddy, who is your favorite?”
Dad: “HAHA, I think I like the Praying Picantis the best.” (a praying mantis made out of Mexican cuisine)
Son: “Oh YEA! He’s a good one!” (proceeds to position his arms like a praying mantis and runs off)
Along with the small bugs that litter the landscape, there are several set pieces squaring you off against massive boss Bugsnax. These boss fights present no real danger as there is no game over screens in this adventure. They are however a spectacular culmination of using certain skills tools and strategies. The boss fights also apply the right amount of rising difficulty and involve usually two or more phases of increasing complexity. The developers will ingeniously use the environment or have companions give subtle hints on what to do mid-fight. Other than maybe one or two bosses, he was able to beat them all on his own eventually.
Dad: “Which boss would you say was the most fun catching?”
Son: “MEGAMAKI!”
Dad: “And what is that?”
Son: “It’s a Bugsnax, he might be a worm, or a snake.”
Dad: “What kind of snack is he?”
Son: “He’s made out of sushi, you fight him at Boiling Bay.”
Dad: “Is that a beach?”
Son: “Yeah it has a volcano so the water boils. *TSSSSSSsssss”
Dad: “How does one catch a Megamaki?”
Son: “Well… you use a tripwire, and when he runs into it he flies up and BURSTS! then all the Minimakis splat and start running around and you catch them with a net. But guess what? Megamaki’s head chases you and tries to stop you!”
Dad: “And why is he your favorite?”
Son: “Because he goes *deepvoice “MEGAMAAAAKIII!”
The game also received a huge FREE additional content patch titled “The Isle of Bigsnax” or as my son called it the entire game “Giant Bugsnax Island!” This FREE (applause) content contained a brand new island, challenges, decorations for your hut, and a dozen new Bugsnax. This became my son’s white whale for the entirety of the game. He actually ended up beating the game without finding it the first time. Luckily the game lets you step to the left and do the time warp back to the moment right before the EPIC conclusion. Once he found it though screams of excitement filled the house. The main gimmick of the DLC is that many of the previously seen Bugsnax are now towering behemoths with all new tricks that need to be discovered to capture them. It was a beautiful bow to put on top of this already wonderful gift of a game.
Dad: “So what was your favorite thing about the Game?”
Son: “I love that there are tons of bugs that are snacks.”
Dad: “HA! I think you can do better then that.”
Son: “Some are the size of a house and some are the size of a… mouse?… a computer mouse! There’s even GIANT Bugsnax Island and you have to shrink them down!”
Dad: “Would you think your friends would like this game?”
Son: “Yeah it’s fun! All the bugs have googly eyes.”
Dad: “If you had to give this game a score on how good it is what would you give it?”
Son: “INFINITY PLUS FIVE!”
Overall Bugsnax was a game my son immediately gravitated to. Three weeks prior he reminded me every chance he could of how many days till BugSnax released. It was a game we took turns playing, a game that was enjoyable to watch and even more fun to play. Thanks to a stellar writing team the game can be appreciated by all generations. There are a few lines of dialogue that can be a bit adult at times but these jokes will go over the heads of most kids. The game contains potty humor but never resorts to punch down jokes and contains no profanity. It offers multiple endings that can change based on performance and/or preparation meaning any player regardless of skill level can obtain the best ending as long as you complete all the side quests of a specific character. This will ensure the best ending no matter how well the player does against the final stage, a gauntlet of tasks and mini bosses. Without trying to give much away the ending can get a bit intense and at times be scary and also very sad, especially if you don’t get the best ending, which is why they included the replay finale option, another example of Young Horses accessibility and understanding of their audience. BugSnax is a special game, something unique and endearing and well worth you and your childrens time.
BugSnax
Developed by Young Horses Games
Release date: November 12th 2020
Platforms: Win/Mac - Xbox One/X/S & GamePass - PlayStation 4/5 - Switch
Pros: Fun and simple Gameplay, A Variety of colorful characters with unique personalities, Adorable creatures to collect, Customizable home, Replayable Ending, Well written. No Game Over screens.
Cons: The ending ramps up quickly and can be intense and overwhelming the first playthrough.
Playtime: 12-15 hours completed over several weeks. The Story is broken up into 100+ quests averaging around 5-15 mins each making it easy to break up play sessions.
Online: No online components
Microtransactions: None
ESRB Rating: E10+ (Animated blood*, Crude Humor, Fantasy Violence, Suggestive Themes) *Not actual blood, some Bugsnax contain chocolate, ketchup, or other sauces inside.
Kid’s Score: Infinity + 5 out of 100
Parents Score: 93 out of 100
Extra Credit: This game consumed my child’s imagination and creativity for weeks and in between play sessions he spent his time creating new BugSnax of his very own. Going so far as to include even their likes, dislikes, and where they live. Here are some of my favorites:
Growing upNup is a father and son take on video game reviews. Ty aka “SkimmilK” and his son “Bo” sit down and talk about age-appropriate games in an interview-style format. The review portion touches on topics like difficulty to play and finish, ESRB ratings, story dialogue, and overall “fun-ness.”