Boots Quest DX

boots quest

the game is Good. i don't want to give any examples of what happens, as the surprises you encounter across the world map are a big part of the fun, but i can tell you it's quite smart, funny, and a little bit melancholy. the art style really grew on me during my playthrough (which by the way, was *absolutely* longer than 0.4 hours - what's going on there??). initially, i felt it was an unavoidable symptom of a tiny budget - acceptable and understandable, but not phenomenally interesting, but thanks to the tone of the game's music and dialog and a few surprises, it really grew on me and now i see it as an charming and immutable part of the experience. i took like 15 screenshots lol. F12 did not work though, and i had to use window's snipping tool, which was weird. combined with the play time being way off, i feel like there may be some connectivity issues with steam. that music is uhhhhh Real Good. aesthetically it's (mostly) a lo-fi bedroom indie thing, which is not entirely unique in these vaguely yume/mother-inspired kinds of games, but obviously it's more about the 'how' than the 'what'. the dev plays enjoyably loose with meter, the instrumentation is all interesting, and there are some really nice surprises, like the eerie synth-droning piece that sometimes plays in the snowy caves. like the dialog, it's smart enough and heartfelt enough that it stands out. i looked up the dev's band Dragon Warrior, and i'm gonna give the spotify a try. this dev is less interested in mechanics than in letting you participate in a little adventure. and less interested in blowing your brains out with a plot twist than tossing you a little tchotchke of tone or memory or something like that. it's a real chill time, and it's 100% worth an hour or two of your afternoon. the price is also fair, though i wish i could've paid in futility.

This video game is a delight. It has a lot of personality: it manages to do "melancholic but self-deprecating" in a way that feels fresh and even insightful. I think that's because the creator's touch is light and a little goofy. It is a video game--nobody is banging you over the head with The Point, but there are things to look at and think a bit about. Like Gremlish stew. I am not a gamer, and I found the puzzles engaging. I got stumped occasionally (indeed, I am stumped right now--I think I need to find a lemon). I love the hats and the music and the fake library books. It is a really nice game.

A lovingly crafted short game with great writing, a detailed open world filled with interesting and funny interactions and a surprising amount of thematic depth. Where other AAA fill their massive open world with by-the-numbers content, side quests or soulless content; Boots Quest takes its cues from games like A Short Hike to make it's world feel alive. Every centimeter of this game's world feels purposeful and alive, leading to interesting characters, dialogue and fun side-stories and quests. It's bare-bones gameplay and mechanics might seem a downside but they play off well with it's general deconstruction of the RPG and Open World genres and tropes. They're truly a red herring for what Boots Quest really is: an open world puzzle game in the vein of classic point & click titles but with intuitive and simple puzzle design. It's not a challenging game by any means, but I don't think thats the point or necessary (or the devs intent for that matter); it wants to tell a story of purpose, desire and self-fullfilment and it does that beautifully (and with a great deal of quips and comedy). I sincerely recommend it and am looking forward to more games from this developer after what is a great and promising start.

This is one of my favorite games of all time.

i'll admit, as soon as i heard the music start to play in the video trailer, i was already set on buying this game. the art is a charmingly minimalistic, the writing is a delight, exploring feels satisfying, and the music might make me a top listener to harrison lemke's dragon warrior songs on spotify this year lmao. at the time of writing this, there's room for the game to get small quality of life updates, and there are some things you might accidentally miss on your first play-through that you'll need to start a new game for, but i find it's not detrimental to the overall enjoyment. i highly encourage giving the game a try! it's perfect for a lazy, lazy late afternoon :)

I mean, listen to that song in the trailer. How could you not buy this game? If you're looking for a simple good time, Boots Quest DX is a 2-3 hour experience packed with charming dialogue and subversive mechanics, before finishing off with a subtle but impactful ending. But if you're looking for something to 100%, the game has unexpected depth in their puzzle solving, more than you would expect from the simple 3x3 map you're given at the start. And while you're following the tangerine breadcrumb trail, you get to enjoy endearing graphics and the wonderful soundtrack that is the highlight of this game. Seriously! Sometimes I would wander around before entering a house just so I could listen to the whole song.

I was pleasantly surprised by this little game. It's heartwarming and funny. I had fun exploring the world and talking to all of the characters. Can't wait to play the new game plus and look for more boots.

The reward is the boots we made along the way

You think you know what this game is going to be (a fun small cheeky indie) and it is those things but by the end they pulled something special off. The key to getting the most elevated experience is patience and giving yourself over as immersively as possible which sounds funny given the first impression you will get from the resolution and aesthetics when you first boot it up. Get a big screen, sit close to it with a big sound bar. The music sneaks up on you and is essential to the experience. I spent just under 3 hours in a single sitting to finish the story without rushing. Very rewarding. Very charming. Excellent work. You'll know very early from the humor (the extended joke when you go to view the controller options in the menu had me rolling) whether the game is for you or not. But like I said, it rewards your time even if it's not giving you constant dopamine and is worth finishing.