App Army Assemble: Boxville 2 - "Is this point-and-click a worthy successor to the excellent original?"

Longtime readers might recall that a few years ago, our App Army spent some time in Boxville. Having enjoyed their trip, it only made sense that we sent them back for the sequel, simply titled Boxville 2, to see if the old place still has the same charm.

Here's what they said:

This is another good-looking puzzler in the series. Really nice animation and graphics, and quirky characters- but to be honest, I found it quite difficult, even with the hint system, to get through even the beginning puzzles. And that, unfortunately, put me up against a frustration wall pretty early. Which led to me looking for walkthroughs on YouTube. Very early on. And that early level of difficulty is something that doesn’t encourage me to keep going. I love the graphics and characters, and the puzzles are interesting, but just beyond my skill level, I think. If you love these games and you really love the challenge, you’re probably going to enjoy it. Because it’s really well-made. But it’s just not for me.

Boxville 2 is a silent storytelling, hardcore adventure puzzle game. Before the game starts, we don't know anything about the story. Our main goal is to fix things in the game world, and there is no hint system. The hand-drawn graphics are great, the sound effects are few, and the touch controls can be strange at times because they don't always hit the right locations. There is a demo for Android, so test it out to get a feel for it. If you like puzzle games, you have to play it because you'll enjoy how it feels when you solve puzzles and connect to different parts of the game.

Simple, lovely, minimalist story, cute main character that reminds me of the Coca-Cola tin can from the movie The Golden Child, and overall everything has a very nice design and looks. I would say that this is a point and click game meant for 90s gamers, in the way that there is no hint system. This is something that gamers from that time were quite used to. To get frustrated with some of the puzzles, you would have to call your friends, or wait for the next computer games magazine that would come with a walkthrough or a cheat code to get past those pesky puzzles. So, even though there's a lot of variety to the puzzles in this game, and I really like the difficulty here, I would like a simple optional hint system would be present here for some of the puzzles.

Sometimes, just a hint pointing us in the right direction on how we are supposed to tackle the problem would be useful. Add this to the loads of running around you do searching for a puzzle to solve, could be off-putting for some. Putting that aside, this is such a lovely game, with loads of puzzles to solve, that when they do click, it is very satisfying. I really enjoyed this game, but I had to open a walkthrough for 1 or 2 puzzles that had me clueless.

Boxville 2 is a point-and-click puzzler in a strange, abstract world. I am used to puzzlers having a story and quite clear goals. Boxville 2 is more of an exploration game where you have to find the puzzles and how they are connected.

I like the graphical style, and the quirky characters grow on me despite a lack of dialogue. I have a harder time with randomly walking about, clicking everything, trying to find out what I am supposed to be doing. Without a hint or highlight points of interests, this can get a bit tedious.

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Boxville 2, like its predecessor, is a charming point-and-click adventure. You play as Red Can, who must rescue Green Can after an unfortunate accident with a large firework that leaves Green Can stranded on a desert island. You pick up items and solve puzzles to get further items that allow you to progress in the game.

Graphically, the hand-drawn art is a delight, and the animation is well done. The puzzles can be hard, though, and I was stumped several times. There is also a battleship game that you play to get past a sailor, which I found frustrating. The game is short (about an hour), and once completed, there is not much point in playing again. Recommended.

I remember playing the original Boxville a couple of years ago, and this chapter in the series has the same feel and gameplay as before. The actual gameplay is easy to use, and the hand-drawn graphics are cute and quirky. Puzzle games are my favourite genre, and this has puzzles at its core, but I have to admit that I did find myself struggling more than a few times. There is a lot of going back and forth on different levels, to get items to complete tasks, which can be a bit confusing, and held up the gameplay as I searched. It’s definitely a challenging game, but if you have the time and patience, it may be right for you.

Boxville 2 thankfully carries on much of the same warmth and charm of the original. Triomatica has crafted such a visually stunning world in Boxville; I’ve long remembered it ever since my first playthrough. Boxville 2, like a wordless picture book, creates its story with the help of excellent animations, along with great sounds and a wonderful score. This breaths life into the dialogue-less characters you meet, and the main role you play as a red can.

You’re on a mission to rescue your friend after a celebratory firework event goes terribly wrong. Trust me, it all works here, and it’s really quite adorable! The only downside, at times, is the higher degree of difficulty you may run into when the solutions just don’t stand out. However, with some patience and perseverance, your efforts will soon pay off. Easy recommendation!

Boxville 2 is a fantastic adventure point-and-click puzzler. The visuals and sound of the game are fantastic. The whole team of Triomatica Games has done a great job. Puzzles are so amazing and balanced. I have played many games where I get frustrated and never want to complete them. This game is different from those. Overall, an amazing experience and I'm still playing the game.

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Boxville 2