Thursday, June 4, 2015

IOS Review #94: Sproggiwood

Title: Sproggiwood
Developer: Freehold Games
Platforms: IOS Universal, Android, PC, Mac, Linux
Price: $9.99
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Mobile has quite the repertoire of roguelikes. From original titles like Hoplite and Auro to excellent ports of games such as FTL and Desktop Dungeons, the genre has thrived on the platform. Sproggiwood continues that trend, offering a charming roguelike with accessible gameplay and tactical depth.
The story is simple; doom is destined to ravage the land and a powerful forest spirit tasks you to defeat this coming evil. You start as a mere farmer, with a small village, but progressions unlocks new classes to choose from and new buildings and denizens to expand your home providing various buffs and support throughout your quest. Sproggiwood is not as obtuse or incredibly challenging as your typical roguelike; the game is divided into distinct randomized stages (each one a set of floors, with a boss to defeat) rather than a sprawling overworld, and permanent upgrades and unlocks persist across playthroughs.
But this accessibility doesn't mean Sproggiwood is an easy stroll through the forest. Armed with various weapons, special abilities, and armor, you face a plethora of enemies, each with their own unique quirks and attributes. Some charge at you sight or explode into flames upon death or unleash ranged attacks. All this information is at your disposal, giving Sproggiwood more of a puzzle game vibe; you must plan out movement, attacks, and ability cooldowns around your knowledge of how enemies will maneuver and react. Different classes, such as the sneaky thief and ranged archer, as well as powerful weapons, expand your tactics with various starting stats and attacks, and the Savage difficulty introduces new enemies and new behaviors to learn. All in all, there's a sizable amount of content, challenge, and replayability beneath Sproggiwood's colorful veneer.
Sproggiwood is available for $9.99 on IOS and Android ($14.99 on Steam/Humble)

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