Hiveswap: Act 1 is a point-and-click PC puzzle game, developed by indie developer What Pumpkin Games. Receiving a massive $2.4 million dollars when it was originally crowdfunded on Kickstarter back in 2012, after five years, the game is out and despite a fraught development, it mostly lives up to expectations.
The year is 1994, and 14-year-old Joey Claire and her younger brother, Jude, are home alone when monsters attack. Playing as both Joey and her brother, the player must explore the large manor they call home, and try to find somewhere safe for Joey to hide. Of course, it’s never that simple, and the plot soon grows to a cosmic scale, as Joey finds herself transported to an alien world by a strange device in her attic.
The game’s writing is jam-packed with charm and humour. Every character in the game has their own unique voice and personality, and while switching between the three playable characters (Joey, Jude, and an alien, Xefros), one never feels like certain characters are just pointless fillers. Every object in the game has its own unique flavour text, and every item can be used with any other to produce an original joke written just for that combination.
The game also pleases aesthetically. The soundtrack is fun and bouncy, serving as catchy background music that doesn’t distract from the flow of the game. The hand drawn art style is beautiful, from the animated cutscenes to the gorgeous backgrounds, which effortlessly convey the atmosphere of the current location — be it a strange alien kitchen, or a dark, creepy, trophy room.
That being said, the gameplay leaves something to be desired. The majority of the game’s puzzles are quite easy, and the ability to use any item on any other means that oftentimes the player may find themselves solving a puzzle unwittingly when they were just in search of a joke. Even the fights against the monsters invading Joey’s house are disappointing — they’re structured more like puzzles, with no way to lose them.
Because of this, it’s difficult to recommend the game to anyone looking for difficulty. Similarly, if you’re not a fan of excess reading in your games, it won’t suit your tastes — the game lives and dies on the quality of its writing. However, for those looking for a short 3-4 hour game with clever writing, funny jokes and beautiful music and art, it’s hard to go wrong with Hiveswap: Act 1’s €7.99 asking price.
Rating: ●●●●○
