Boxville Review

Game: Boxville
Genre: Adventure, Puzzle, Indie
System: Nintendo Switch (Also on Steam (Windows, macOS & Linux), Xbox One/X/S, PS4/5, Apple Store & Google Play)
Developer | Publisher: Triomatica Games
Age Rating: US 10+ | EU 3+
Price: US $9.99 | UK £8.99 | EU € 9,99
Release Date: June 1st, 2023

A review code was used, with many thanks to Triomatica Games.

Set in a city of cardboard boxes, populated by old cans of all shapes and sizes, Boxville is a story about searching for a lost friend. The protagonist, Blue Can, discovers that by helping others, others help him find his best friend.

Will Boxville be puzzling heaven, or will it be a pile of recycling?

Boxville Opening

Inside a house made from a cardboard box, Blue Can is peering under the table at a squat orange can which acts like a dog. Published on: LadiesGamers — Meet Blue Can and his best friend.

You play as Blue Can, a blue drink can with wire arms and legs. The artwork is stunning. The hand-drawn graphics, with realistic perspective and shadows, make it an absolute joy to look at.

Within the house, there is a white outline showing that the the created mop should be moved to the floor to mop up the mess. Published on: LadiesGamers — OK, so I need to mop up the mess.

Boxville starts with a short cutscene. An earthquake causes a stool to fall over and the adorable orange tin dog to have a little accident. What follows is a tutorial in a guide and play manner.

First, you are guided to select the overturned stool, and when you click on it, Blue Can goes to the stool and puts it upright. Then, you are guided to pick up the mop stick, and when you click on it, Blue Can pick it up and store it. Next, you’re guided to open the sink cupboard for a cloth, and again Blue Can will store this. Then you are shown that items in the inventory can be combined, and moving the cloth onto the mop stick creates a working mop. You are then guided to use this mop on the spillage, and by doing so, Blue Can cleans up the mess.

Outside the cardboard house on the balcony, with a chair, barbecue and plants. There is a yellow ball on the chair. Published on: LadiesGamers — What’s that yellow thing?

You are then left to work out how Blue Can will get his tin dog out from under the table. With nothing else in the house to click on other than a light switch, it’s time to venture outside and see what Boxville has to offer. In doing so, you might also find out what is causing the earthquakes.

The Puzzling World of Boxville

Cartoon story strip, which shows a drink can picking a four-leafed clover and then winning on the slot machines. However the clover leaf gets blown out the window and the drink can is upset. Published on: LadiesGamers — How can Blue Can Help?

There are no words in Boxville, back stories and requests are shown via cartoon style pictures. Throughout the game, it’s necessary to interpret the cartoon stories shown and try to help. So finding and giving a four-leafed clover will result in the slot machine player rewarding Blue Can. However, to find and get the clover leaf will require other puzzles to be completed.

Blue Can trying to reach a fishing hook at the bottom of an empty water fountain. Published on: LadiesGamers — Blue Can needs longer arms!

There are two main types of puzzles. There are the kind which make you think: How do I get the fishing hook out? I wonder if it floats? How do I get the water fountain working?

Sometimes, I found myself knowing what I needed to do but not sure how to achieve it. Generally, wandering around revisiting areas and making sure I’d clicked on everything fulfilled the task. What is helpful in Boxville is that once you have finished using an item, it will go from Blue Can’s inventory, either lost by completing the task or given as a gift.

Various cogs on a pinboard, which need to be placed so that they all touch. Published on: LadiesGamers — Where do the cogs go!

Then there are mini-game puzzles, like 6 in a row, connecting pipes, or sliding blocks. You need to complete the mini-game to progress the adventure. None of the mini-games were overly difficult, although some required a more trial-and-error approach than others.

Boxville is relatively short, so I shall refrain from sharing any more of the plot. It took me about 4 hours to complete it the first time. However, if you solve the puzzles straight away, it takes about an hour.

Gameplay

Although the controls are straightforward, it requires a steady hand, at times, to get the pointer into the correct position. Boxville does not support a Pro Controller, which is surprising since it supports Xbox controllers in Steam. Generally I played in docked mode with detached Joy-Cons, but it was slightly easier to move the pointer in handheld mode. However, there is no touchscreen functionality.

There are limited options in Boxville, just volume controls for sound effects and music. The save is automatic, but there is manual save option in the pause menu. It’s also possible to reset progress, to enable another playthrough.

There is no passage of time within the game, but at times, the environment is quite dark.

Conclusion

Boxville is a short but wonderful puzzle adventure about friendship. For me, the lack of Pro Controller use just dipped my overall enjoyment, but if handheld (or mouse via PC) is your preferred gaming style, then Boxville is a great game to play.

The graphics are fantastic, and although a couple of the puzzles were a little challenging, I thoroughly enjoyed my time with Blue Can and his tin dog in Boxville.

Final Verdict: I Like it a Lot