LogFAQs > #975513377

Game #2 Complete! Casual Birder

Final Thoughts: This immediately jumps to the top of the list because it is 1) a full game and 2) that's it that's all it takes at this point.

I think this is a solid enough adventure game and it is on the verge of being a genuinely good one with a few little twists. One thing I really liked is that we essentially have a mini-open world adventure. Think Mario 64 but instead of getting stars you're taking pictures of birds. Outside of the first one, there isn't a specific order for things and you're free to just sort of explore and poke around. I really like that sort of format for games like this, and it works here. "Go find 27 birds" the game says, and then just sort of sits back and peaks over your shoulder to provide hints. There is some linear puzzle solving, sure. You need to solve certain roadblocks to access more of the map. But there is a lot of openness here and I think that really works in the games favor. I went past a scene with a bird in it that I just couldn't find like twenty times without even knowing it was there. I like that. I like the sort of open puzzle of knowing there is this thing you need to find but not knowing where it is or how to get to it.

And the game certainly is charming. It is just funny enough to get a passing grade. Like there is this sort of humorous undertone throughout the entire game and I was smiling at the silly bird names and bits of weird dialogue. It has personality and a bit of humor, and honestly sometimes that's enough for an adventure game like this. I've always been a fan of more lighthearted adventure games, and you don't get much more lighthearted than "an evil group of bird photographers is terrorizing the town".

But nothing about this game really gets to any sort of higher level. It is all just "pretty good". The game is funny-ish but not what I would call actually laugh out loud funny. Most of the characters here have one line and then that's it. There is a little bit of interesting world building, but you aren't getting a lot out of the story or the characters. In a game like Monkey Island you have these big bold personalities and laugh out loud lines and characters with arcs and personalities, and you just don't have this here. It is all scaled back. A miniature adventure for a miniature system.

Same is true for the puzzles. There's some stuff I like here. I like when the game is like "hey show this person a picture of their true love" and then doesn't say who that is. You can piece it together through two different lines of dialogue from two different characters, and that sort of stuff is fun. But a lot of these things are the simplest form of puzzles. Hey these people need their clothes and a towel and you can just go back and find some clothes and a towel. That sort of stuff is less good, the most basic of basic adventure game puzzles.

And that's sort of the same problem you run into with the birds. I like the underlying design here and the mechanic is sort of fun and unique too of using the crank to get your pictures in focus. But out of the 27 birds, I feel like there are really only ten or so that require any level of puzzle solving. A lot of birds are just there. Wander onto a screen, see a bird, snap its photo. Occasionally you get a puzzle where you need to get someone to throw out garbage and that's great. I just wish there was more of that sort of stuff, more actual puzzles and more meaty ones with what is there.

It is very basic and I worry that's sort of all I'll be getting out of this system. Your favorite developer isn't making games for this, so its a lot of small indie projects. And you know what? Casual Birder is a very solid 3 or so hour game made by a very good indie developer. But it also feels very indie, very small, and missing some of those elements you find in bigger, better adventure games.

Should You Play It? Yeah, sure. It isn't the best adventure game but it is a breezy, enjoyable adventure that you get week 1 with the Playdate anyway. Might as well!

Final Score: I want to say 6/10. Almost a 7. Could've been a 7 or 8 if it was just a bit more substantial.

Games Completed: 2/79

Game Rankings:
2) Whitewater Wipeout
1) Casual Birder