Boxboy Reviews

Boxboy is ranked in the 79th percentile of games scored on OpenCritic.
60%
Jul 13, 2016

BoxBoy! would have a lot of replay value if I thought it was worth playing in the first place.

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80 / 100
Feb 18, 2016

BoxBoy doesn’t set the world on fire, but it might be the best game ever that sold on launch day for just $4.99. The puzzle platformer provides a challenge with an interesting aesthetic and plenty of game to warrant the purchase. Must have for 3DS owners.

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3.9 / 5.0
Dec 8, 2015

BOXBOY! is an outstanding puzzle game that utilizes an original and creative idea, resulting in some of the most well-designed challenges seen on Nintendo 3DS.

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Cubed3
Top Critic
9 / 10
May 31, 2015

BOXBOY! is a real winner for the eShop. Its simple design and perfectly-balanced difficulty level mean that it's sure to resonate with players of all skill levels, and whether it's being chipped away at during morning commutes or digested in its entirety over a weekend, Qbby's tale shows that a minimalistic game can be just as satisfying as a triple-A title.

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8 / 10
May 7, 2015

This 3DS game's disarming simplicity is a ruse that hides an addictive depth.

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IGN
Top Critic
8.2 / 10.0
May 5, 2015

It might not look like much, but BoxBoy is one of the cleverest puzzle platformers I've ever played. The constant variety gave me dozens of uses for Qbby's simple-to-learn self-replicating abilities. Coupled with great pacing and level designs that encourage and reward experimentation, I just couldn't put it down until I'd cleared the 18-world campaign and put some time into the delightful side challenges.

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Game Rant
Top Critic
May 4, 2015

'BOXBOY! 'is Nintendo's latest unmissable eShop exclusive, mixing puzzles and platforming to produce a wholly original and entirely compelling experience.

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3 / 5.0
Apr 28, 2015

Box Boy is a charming game that can provide a nice challenge and is affordable to boot. If you like puzzlers and subscribe to the philosophy of gameplay over graphics, you'll want to give this game a look.

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8 / 10
Apr 22, 2015

Boxboy is a fun and addictive puzzle game that is certain to keep players around it for some time, not just because of its mechanics but also because it introduces new ideas and challenges at a very high pace. It only suffers from its washed away visual style, which could have used more work, even for a game of this genre.

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8.3 / 10.0
Apr 15, 2015

Boxboy finds a good balance of difficulty with puzzles that challenge, but never get too complicated or difficult

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Guardian
Top Critic
Apr 13, 2015

This simple-looking title in which players make shapes with boxes is the equal of Hal Laboratory's more celebrated games

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Unscored
Apr 12, 2015

My BoxBoy review code sat in my inbox for about a week. It's not that I didn't want to play it, but the end of March and even the beginning of April was filled with a ton of games that demanded more of my attention. Not knowing what BoxBoy was, I looked up some gameplay videos, and wasn't taken by what I saw. Something about a boy that looks like a box and there are a lot of puzzles involved. I figured, passing on the review at that time was OK in lieu of bigger, more time consuming titles. Now that the storm has calmed, I was ready to finally dive into BoxBoy. After just beating the first world, which took me all of probably 5 minutes, I saw the immense potential. This was a game that isn't gaining any favors through gameplay videos. It's a game you have to play to "get." And it's oh so delightful.

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80 / 100
Apr 10, 2015

At $5, it's hard to find more puzzle content than what is available in BoxBoy. That's not always a good thing, as it feels scared of asking players to learn something new without making them study it for three too many puzzle rooms. But the harsh art design and excess gameplay fat don't do enough to negate the thrill of figuring out a solution or the charm of watching your little square friend celebrate. BoxBoy is a welcome, easy-going new entrant into puzzlers that deserves more attention than it will likely get on its current marketing trend.

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80 / 100
Apr 10, 2015

BOXBOY! is a fun puzzle platformer that gets a lot of mileage with a simple concept.

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Apr 9, 2015

Boxboy! is confident, assured programming. It's brave to make a puzzle game in which players control a box with two little slits for eyes. It requires the confidence of the entire development team that they're going to be able to imbue character into the experience despite the minimalism, and that the level design and puzzles would be interesting enough in their own right to maintain the player's interest. HAL has succeed in doing just that, and the Boxboy! development team was justified in their confidence.

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Yes
Apr 9, 2015

It's a masterfully-designed sidescrolling puzzle-platformer based on a brilliant combination of Mario and Tetris.

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Recommended
Apr 9, 2015

Behind the stylish black and white art is a puzzle-platformer that really wants you to enjoy yourself.

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7.5 / 10.0
Apr 8, 2015

A decent puzzle game that doesn't overstay its welcome. For the price, it's highly recommended.

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Apr 8, 2015

I honestly have no real complaints about BOXBOY! It kept me playing practically non-stop, and I loved every minute of it. The only aspects of it I didn’t experience were the Demos and Hints. The Demos let you send a free taste of the game to those you StreetPass with. The Hint system lets you spend Play Coins to help you get past levels if you’re stuck. I’m too much of an stubborn old school gamer to ever give up and use a hint. Overall, I was very, very pleased with BOXBOY! For $4.99, it offered over seven hours of gameplay, and that’s not even counting the Challenge Stages or the Bonus Worlds that opened up after I beat the Story Mode. BOXBOY! is not only one the best new IPs HAL Laboratory has come out with in years, it’s my favorite new 3DS eShop game. If you like puzzles or old school video games, go buy it.

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8 / 10.0
Apr 7, 2015

While not a thoroughly outstanding game, BOXBOY! is an eminently pleasant, breezy little puzzle-platformer that offers some moderate challenge and focuses more on just having a nice time. A fuss-free, no-pressure adventure that takes a plain gimmick and showcases just how versatile it can be. And it's just too damn darling for its own good.

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