Snail Bob 2 is a puzzle video game developed by Hunter Hamster. In it, you have to guide the titular character through various rooms and do your best to keep him out of harm's way.
The game is clearly aimed at children, with colors and humor everywhere making it a joy to watch and play. Characters are very rounded and simplistic yet with enough personality oozing out of them that you know a lot about their stories just by looking at them. And if you thought a snail couldn’t be cute, you’d be mistaken. And you can even customize him too, with a lot of different outfits that you will be unlocking throughout your adventure.
The story and gameplay of the game go hand in hand, since on each level a new tale is being told and your guiding hand is the one telling it. At first, you meet Bob, a snail that can only go forward. You can click on him to stop moving, or click an arrow on the screen to have him change direction; keep in mind that he won’t do these things on his own, no matter the danger in front of him. Besides Bob, you can also click on elements in the environment like levers to activate platforms or deactivate them. This will allow you to guide Bob through his house, helping him with his chores and ending the tutorial.
As you exit the first few levels, you will find yourself in the stage selection screen yet only one will be available. This is where you learn the overarching goal of the game, which is to collect stars. These stars are hidden all around the different levels, and they are not necessary if you just want Bob to reach the exit. Yet they are what unlocks the other stories with their own levels, and they are also the currency that unlocks the different outfits. The real trick to get the stars on a level is to look for them first, then help Bob afterward. Keep in mind that they can be hidden in many ways, sometimes changing color to fool you, other times hiding behind a rock that you need to click to remove. Besides the stars, there are also puzzle pieces hidden in the very same way. These puzzles simply unlock a picture related to the story you might be doing at the time, and are nice to unlock yet not necessary.
The first story will introduce you to Bob’s main problem: a lot of things eat snails. He ends up lost in a forest and the many hazards he finds take the form of other animals looking for a meal. Some of them quite literally, since there is a burger stand filled with frogs where the snailburger is their speciality. To avoid such a grim fate for Bob, you will have to use a combination of logic, wits and timing, all to understand how to disarm each trap. Sometimes it is as simple as making a platform for Bob so he can avoid the danger altogether, which tends to be what you’ll be doing the most. Yet there are other sequences where that is unavailable, so then is a good time to stop Bob and look at your surroundings. For example, at one point there was rubble on the ground and a spring next to it. I tried to have Bob use the spring to avoid the danger, yet there was a wall on the way, and inside the rubble there was a snake ready to chomp on our friendly snail. I then noticed there was a lever that allowed me to remove said wall, and I was able to use the spring successfully.
Keep in mind that Bob is not always alone; you can meet various temporary allies to help you around the hazards. There are ants that once you rescue you can command at will, and even a sort of snail Robin Hood that seems to be fighting the system. Good for him.
Snail Bob 2 is a great adventure to share with your children, or even one to enjoy in your leisure time alone. It is incredibly relaxing and its simple yet deceptive puzzles will have you losing track of time. Do not miss this one.
