LogFAQs > #977288391

Game #18 Complete! The Lushes Land

Throw This Quote On The Back Of The Box: Zelda Minus Zelda

Final Thoughts: Can you make a game for the Playdate that doesn't use the crank? Absolutely! Should you? Probably not. Because if you do and your game is just generic mush, you get this. This is absolutely the kind of game you would see on itch.io that comes bundled with 18 other games for 57 cents but here they're asking four dollars for it.

The Lushes Land is essentially an NES Zelda game for a person who's favorite part of an NES Zelda game was wandering around without a clear direction. You have a decent sized map to explore but absolutely nothing to find in it. There are three dungeons, and that's it. You don't pick up extra items you need or find secrets or Easter eggs or anything. You just wander around, fighting the same four different enemies which honestly might as well be one enemy because they're all exactly the same other than the sprite. You get no clever puzzles in the dungeons or interesting enemies to fight or whatever the hell Tingle is supposed to be. You get methodical map checking for about an hour and a half and that's it.

It just feels like one of those nothing sort of games you get from novice indie developers. "I want to make a game" "Ok what do you want to do?" "Well, I really want to make a game" "Uh huh but what are you trying to say with it or what do you want it to be?" "Well I want it to be a game that works". That's this. That was the design philosophy behind this game and hundred of others rotting in the depths of the itch.io catalogue. It is boring and generic and just generally uninteresting. I'm ranking it above Hidey Spot only because I at least sort of like wandering around a map like this, even if there's nothing to do there.

Should You Play It? No way. Play any one of 100 better games with a similar concept instead.

Final Score: 3. Just barely a 3. Functional (except for when it isn't) and short. Do you want functional and short? Aspire to more in life.

Games Completed: 18/118

Game Rankings:
18) Boogie Loops
17) Hidey Spot
16) The Lushes Land
15) A Joke That's Worth 0.99 Cents
14) Whitewater Wipeout
13) Snak
12) DYG
11) Lost Your Marbles
10) Grand Tour Legends
9) Demon Quest '85
8) Flipper Lifter
7) Questy Chess
6) Echoic Memory
5) Omaze
4) Sasquatchers
3) Casual Birder
2) Pick Pack Pup
1) Crankin's Time Travel Adventure