Togges

(Note, I'm only about halfway through the game at time of writing) Game looks like a platformer, has a wonderful whimsical feeling to it. But don't be fooled to thinking this is a platformer. Instead it is a fairly easy exploration game in which you don't so much platform, as you spend time trying to build a trail to where you want to go. There are light puzzle elements with which colour to build a trail and how to get to a place you want to go, but not something leaving you scratching your head. If you just want a vibrant, whimsical exploration game where you'll be thinking more about the landscape than how to jump somewhere, you will likely enjoy this game. There are elements that feel very inspired by Super Mario Galaxy in style and colour palette. But unlike the plumber's usual adventures, this is a lot more relaxed affair, for better and worse. I would've liked a bit more challenge, might show up in later levels, and maybe a bit better camera for getting the lay of the land, but other than that, this is a great game to put on when you just want an explosion of colour to relax in without too much challenge.

Togges isn't platformer at all. Not even stackforming adventure, as the second trailer advertises. I'd say it's a trailblazing puzzler. Something new under the sun. Finally! It's also a collect-a-thon - though not in the sense of Mario and the likes, to which it gets constantly compared. Yes, the aesthetics do remind of Mario Galaxy, and yes - there is some jumping involved. But that's pretty much where the similarities end. Your character is a Roomba ... uh, 'scuseme ... TOOMBA vacuum cleaner. And though it can indeed vacuum, it's primary task is quite opposite: s#itting bricks, called Togges. I kid you not. Your job is to lay a trail of Togges to seemingly unreachable places. Each colour has its own dis/advantages: red survive fire, blue water, black survive everything, green are bigger, yellow conduct electricity, white stack without limit... Trick is, you start each level with one colour and have to unlock others one by one. And you can lay a Togge only next to one with the same colour - meaning you can change to another colour only at some predefined points, which you have to reach first - over different obstacles. Some of these puzzles are simple, some really difficult. Most require observing and thinking, not reflexes. And you don't need to solve them all to finish a level. It's perfectly playable with mouse/keyboard, or with a game controller, but there are some minor issues with controls. Not much, but in those few parts, where where speed and reflexes are indeed needed, such issues (esp. if your moves are a bit imperfect) will require you to repeat the task ad nauseam, causing unnecessary frustration in otherwise relaxed, stress-free game. Because of this and of some other bugs I docked a star. (There were game crashes, getting stuck in the air etc. - fortunately not much progress is lost at each game restart.) Otherwise it's a lovely, quite relaxing, yet addictive time-sink, based on a fresh idea. Suitable for kids just as well as seasoned gamers.