In Short:
Try the demo, if you like it, buy it. It's $13, and it's precisely the sort of game I'm happy to pay that for.
In Long:
Chop Chop is a game I've tabbed back into between other games when I just want to chill, so if a simpler sim like game that still has a constant stream of objectives you can tackle as you like with a humor based narrative is what you're looking for, just do it or at least try the demo they're gracious enough to provide. Thus far (and I haven't finished the game but I don't imagine there's a ton more to go) what you see in the demo is about what you can expect. I put two hours in their demo chopping trees and making bookshelves, so they can gladly have my money and I'm genuinely intrigued for how it all goes.
It's an indie that doesn't take itself seriously, and has what I'd say is just the 'right' amount of quirky tongue in cheek humor. The sort you can chuckle at for being outlandish or clear references, but not the sort that beats it's jokes to death. It's world is also the sort of quirky you'd expect from N64 era games, not entirely unlike Conkers.
It's a game that's designed to be silly and fun and not overstay it's welcome, and I appreciate that sort of throwback when so many sandbox sims with no personality have flooded the scene.
Perfect little time waster, totally happy to support more like it, and that's the best personal recommendation I can make.
SUGGESTIONS FOR THE DEVS:
All that said, as a note to the devs who humbly requested this review, Some suggestions, in order of personal importance:
- Please give a settings toggle to just auto pick up items. There's no inventory limit that I've encountered and having to click every piece of lumber is a real wrist killer when you're already clicking so much of that sweet sweet wood.
- The inventory also sorely needs a sorting feature, which I half suspect will be in the upcoming QoL updates.
- Also if possible, being able to use ESC to get out of the pause menu would be awesome. It's so common in other games it always surprises me to not work in this one. Not a deal breaker, but it'd be nice.
- I'd complain more about enemy hit detection, as the striking dummy enemies or bees seem to hit me no matter what I do, but you included a toggle to just turn that off which I accept as an olive branch. Enemies and what amounts to combat are definitely the weakest part of the game, enough I'd almost hazard it to be possible to remove entirely. Still, far from a deal breaker with the toggle I'm choosing to ignore, and I'm willing to accept an amount of indie game jankiness at the price point. Do with it as you will, I trust the vision. But if you'd wanted to do more with it, it would definitely need improvements. Maybe a block. Something. Enemies currently are either, I kill it in one blow far enough back it doesn't hit me, or I just accept I'm eating damage getting anywhere near this thing I don't actually need to deal with at all because they don't give me anything.
Outside of that? Fun game, perfect price point, solid balance of tedium to progress as in, nothing really gets too stale as you can always pivot to exploring over crafting and meter that experience out on your own. I'm really surprised how much went into the crafting component and that's got to be one of the unique points to this game. Simple as it is, there's something charming to simplified building.
I look forward to seeing what you guys do next! :)
