Pile up! Box by Box game review

Pile Up

Pile Up! Box by Box is a puzzle platformer from HandyGames where you play an adorable box that uses other boxes to complete puzzles.

HandyGames is back with another family friendly title, Pile Up! Box by Box, a platformer where collecting boxes and keys are your goals. You play as a box that navigates a world of water and cardboard to solve puzzles. Visually the world looks very similar to that of Paper Mario and there is nothing that would make me question if my children should be allowed to play it.

Puzzles are quite simple in the solutions but trying different approaches makes them more worth it. One of the levels has a puzzle that requires moving four boxes from one area to another and each area has bomb boxes. Picking up bomb boxes cause them to explode but if you nudge them you can get them into place without having to find all of the intended boxes. There does not appear to be a story for the game outside of the quests you must complete per level but those are more of a guided objective. Controls are easy to pick up but hitting the wrong button at the wrong time is always a concern. I found the game to be quite enjoyable and I am looking forward to sharing this with my family!

Little Big Workshop ~ a miniature industry game

Little Big Workshop

Little Big Workshop is the builder that allows you to build a manufacturing business from the ground up with the appearance of it miniaturized.

This title from Handy Games is all about industry on a miniature scale. Little Big Workshop focuses on automation and planning ahead. Aimed at all ages it seems to miss it’s mark. Cute animations and characters do not make for a child friendly game. You start the game simple enough, build a workbench,  then make and ship a couple gnomes.

After this first task thinks get much more difficult as you find yourself not only trying to build a bench but pre-plan multiple tasks. Many of these tasks don’t even link properly and required rebooting the game several times to finally get it to complete. For a tutorial that is require to play the game you would think it would be a little easier to navigate and no require the finesse of multiple reboots to complete.

With Little Big Workshop I would have thought it would be right up my alley with the fact that everything is miniaturized but it feels more like a tedious snooze-fest than an exciting game even without the numerous glitches I encountered.

Through the Darkest of Times ~ game review

Through the Darkest of Times

Through the Darkest of Times is a strategy game based on one of the world’s darkest periods in history- the rise of Nazi Germany.

Through the Darkest of Times by Handy Games is a historical strategy game that puts you behind the resistance movement in hopes of preventing Hitler’s rise to power. When I started this game I knew that your goal would fail but figured I’d stick it to every Nazi I could along the way. Little did I know how close the game would hit to home. Not only did it give me a reality check but it literally made me nauseous. It wasn’t the graphics or video quality that did it either.

Within a couple game days I noticed a sickening trend, how much the rise of the Nazi party mirrored our own country’s politics the last couple of years. The things Nazi sympathizers would say would mirror almost word for word things I have heard and read said by Trump supporters. Whether this was intentional or not I have no idea. This wouldn’t be the only time I’ve compared the rhetoric to Nazi Germany and certainly won’t be the last. I just hope that the current election woes will pass soon and we can return to making our country a better place, without the need of war and outside interference.

The game itself plays similar to games like the original Where in the World is Carmen San Diego and it’s many sequels but instead of quizzing players it allows you to turn the populace towards revolting against the regime. Visually the graphics would fit well with the late 80’s computer games and it feels like that was the goal, aiming for some semblance of nostalgia. The gameplay however is mind numbing but interspersed with tidbits of story to keep you curious. If you want to watch a resistance movement like a fly on the wall, observing the plans and the results only as the members return to headquarters then you will enjoy this game. The story is fascinating and disturbing in equal parts and worth the play for that alone but don’t expect much in terms of excitement.