Physics-based games are all the rage right now. Actually finding a well-executed physics-based game, on the other hand, is a different story. A successful physics-based game provides a genuinely weighted feel to its gameplay, from moving, to jumping, carrying objects, accelerating, and stopping. Bug Academy, from developer Polish studio Igrek Games, succeeds on all fronts, creating a charming game that doesn’t set the physics-based genre on fire, but provides plenty of fun and colorful challenges.
Buggin' Out
Bug Academy drops players into a 2.5D world that features challenging puzzles and goofy looking characters. Players control bugs that can fly around and lift objects from one place to another, such as delivering refrigerators and washing machines to specific rooms, or corraling escaped cows back into their pen. More often than not, more than one bug - be it a fly, firefly, bee, or another unlockable insect type - is needed to carry the heavier objects effectively. More insects can be found scattered throughout the levels and added to the swarm, with larger swarms making it easier to grab things.
The controls and overall physics-based movement of the bugs are spot on. There is a reasonable weightedness to the playable insects, especially when picking up items or sprinting in flight across the screen. Insects can’t necessarily get hurt (from, say, running into a wall), but the impact of hitting something is still greatly felt in the controls.
Of course, there are more game modes than just moving items around. Some of the most fun levels include an Angry Birds-type of level in which cows with weapons are slingshotted into a block fortress with the goal being to dismantle as much of the fortress as possible in the least amount of shots. Another notable level features cows being launched for distance; the further the distance, the better the score. Each insect type features a different skill, so while many of the levels are similar in nature, the different insect types allow for different types of challenges. The variety of Bug Academy’s challenges helps to keep the gameplay fresh with each level, of which there are plenty.
This also speaks to the replayability of Bug Academy. While the game features single-player only gameplay, online leaderboards allow for players to compete against each other. Speedrunning and getting higher ratings and scores lends itself nicely to being able to keep coming back to the game. The levels and challenges are pretty intuitive, but more often than not, provide a surprising degree of difficulty. Practice makes perfect with Bug Academy in this regard, but the levels are also simple enough to be able to zone out and play a few rounds when you only have a few minutes to kill (and don't care about your score). That balance allows for gamers of all skill levels to get in on the fun, from newbie to veteran speedrunner.
Buzzing Through My Head
The art and sound design of Bug Academy add to the wackiness of the game’s vibe. The goofy, ever-smiling characters are easy to chuckle at, as are their facial expression and mannerisms (the mushrooms are probably the most hilarious). The game’s music can get redundant if you’re taking too long to finish a level, but still adds a certain catchy charm that makes the overall experience that much more enjoyable and light-hearted.
Ultimately, Bug Academy succeeds in its physics-based gameplay and is a charming little game that is good enough to keep coming back to every now and then after the first playthrough. It may not stand out as a must-own title, but its overall gameplay is well worth the $10 asking price on Steam. That said, the game will likely be equally as successful on the Nintendo Switch when it releases later this year. Bug Academy seems like a perfect game for the portable console and should be just as fun - if not more - than the PC version.
A PC copy of Bug Academy was provided to TheGamer for this review. Bug Academy is available now for PC, and will be released on Nintendo Switch later this year.
Bug Academy