In particular, I was impressed with the ability to detach Bulb Boy’s head – which can then be used to possess different stuff and get the job done. The fact that you control a little boy with a bulb head opens up to inventive ways to explore the world and resolve the puzzles. What Bulb Boy lacks in challenge, it compensates in creativity. Consequently, you don’t find the more long and elaborated puzzles that are so common in adventure games. Each area works as a separated level, so every item you find must be used on that very area. The lower difficulty level of Bulb Boy also comes from the fact that it is entirely composed of self-contained puzzles. Instead of simply solving the puzzle for you, the help menu in Bulb Boy gives you a visual hint – refraining somewhat from robbing you of that eureka moment. Even in these moments the game in generous however, and there’s always a help option on the pause menu. The few times I found myself really stuck on puzzles ended up being because I hadn’t found a well-hidden item. There are a few sequences that demand the player to react fast in order to avoid environmental hazards (poor Bulb Boy died a lot on some of those), but the game is very generous when it comes to checkpoints and is constantly saving your progress.

Generally speaking, Bulb Boy is an easy game – and most puzzles consist of simply finding and using items to overcome your enemies. I would say that the game could also benefit with the use of the touchscreen feature, which makes even more sense if you consider it was released on mobile devices too. I must note that there is some unresponsiveness here and there due to the game prioritizing animations over your actions, and as such you may find yourself having to watch little animations repeatedly before being able to do exactly what you want. Similar to other point-and-click adventures, there’s also an inventory at your disposal – accessible with the R and L shoulder buttons. To make it more clear what you can and can’t interact with, a small arrow appears when you’re near something you can use. With the left analogue stick you control Bulb Boy’s movement, and with the A button you can interact with specific objects on the scenario. Your adventure through this neon world takes place in a very standard point-and-click style. The game’s illumination also has an important role, as Bulb Boy’s house has all the sort of shadowy places as you walk near them, things are lit by the boy’s luminous head. The color palette helps a lot in that regard, because most of the time the world is entirely green – as if illuminated by one of those old neon lamps. Still, there is an uneasy feeling that is perpetuated through the entire game. Those strange little details adds up when creating a compelling horror atmosphere – though you aren’t likely to be actually scared, nor you will you feel surprised by jump scare style moments. From time to time you get to play through memories from Bulb Boy’s past, and you see curious stuff like giant frogs, instant-growing plants, or mothdog – whose ears are actually little insect wings. Not only are there a good number of different creatures (each with unique and creative visuals), but even the more banal aspects of the game’s universe seems to follow a strange and bizarre inner logic. The art style is a perfect match to the craziness of Bulb Boy’s world. The most obvious comparison would be with something from Tim Burton, as the characters are both creepy and cute at the same time. To add to this charming design choice, everything – from the characters to the world you walk through – is drawn in a stylish 2D art style. You hear the gibberish from the characters, but only get a hint of what they mean with small illustrations shown in speech bubbles. The game’s narrative (including the dialogue) is told entirely without the use of words. Undoubtedly, Bulb Boy’s presentation is its superior aspect by a mile.

Alone and scared, Bulb Boy has to do what he must in order to find and rescue his beloved family. The boy, his grandpa, and his adorable mothdog are having a good time together – but then sleep time comes, and with it invades a myriad of nightmarish creatures. The surrealist adventure of Bulb Boy starts after a short sequence in which you meet the members of the titular hero’s family. Although not perfect, Bulb Boy features all of those characteristics, and performs in an overall outstanding way. Many adventure games are also well known for their charming art-style and charismatic characters – such as Day of the Tentacle or Broken Age. Lone Survivor, Home, and Cat Lady are just a few examples of how exploration and puzzle solving can blend well with a scary setting.

Historically, we have seen some adventure games flirting with the survival horror genre.

Bulb boy full game