Block City: Bus Edition Reviews

Very satysfying gameplay with one bus, few blocks, and a funky soundtrack. :D

Who said that tight buses can't be fun, hahaha, at least around here it is!

This is a very good Bus Simulador! Teaches a lot about being in a crowded bus hahaha. Really fun game!

Fun sokoban with a good variety of mechanics. I recommend!!!

A great sokoban game variation. I really liked it! It reminds me when I took a full bus and had to dodge everyone to get out at my stop.

a very fun game, with this incredible theme that makes you remember real life and how difficult it is to get out of a crowded bus. loved the game.

a different way of playing sokoban with a context that added a lot to the gameplay, the music and art work very well with the level design, the game has potential, waiting for a sequel

I don't usually play sokoban, but this game caught my attention for its art and proposal, the difficulty progression is balanced, which makes the game very challenged

A great and original idea from a classic sokoban game, very interesting to push a series of blocks lol I like that all blocks were happy when I finally got off the bus kkkk

"Sokoban". What? No, I'd never heard of it, either. So, this review will be using only words which all of us are familiar with. [h1]Overview[/h1] You play as a character (portrayed as a green block) on his way to work on a crowded bus, and your challenge is to get off the bus without getting beaten up, robbed, or trapped on board. You do this by pushing either single or rows of other passengers (yellow blocks) into empty spaces to make room for you to move. A straightforward enough concept with 80 levels of increasingly challenging puzzles to demonstrate that simple doesn't necessarily equate to easy. [h1]Gameplay[/h1] Initial levels guide you in gently with uncomplicated buses containing regular passengers and some pensioners (whom you are obliged to respect and therefore not push about, so you have to find ways around them). As you progress, new mechanics are introduced, some which help - like "jump" squares >> which enable you to skip over another passenger without moving them; and some which hinder, such as lurking thieves who will mug you if you move next to them, and immediately bring your attempt at that level to a conclusion. As this becomes more involved, you will have to spend much more time thinking ahead rather than just seeing a likely route out and going for it. As the global achievements list suggests, the opening 20 levels or so are not too taxing, so you're likely to be able to get some way into the game before finding it's a little more fiendish than you may have initially expected. The difficulty starts to ramp up during the 20s, and although there are subsequently some easier levels thrown in intermittently to keep you motivated; any thoughts you might have had about this bus journey being a free ride, are going to get squashed. [h1]Positives[/h1] - An enticingly easy start. - Well graded difficulty curve, ensuring you're increasingly challenged without it ever becoming impossible. - Developer's reaction time to resolving any issues. - A jaunty accompanying tune which, whilst appearing to be quite short, doesn't become repetitive or annoying. - Very quick load up and exit. - Instant access from the menu to your last reached level or any previously played. - An achievement for every 10 completed levels. - Simple one-handed control system. Play and drink tea/eat cake (or both) at the same time! [h1]Negatives[/h1] Honestly, not much to put here. - Absence of some instruction within game. Yes, game play is obvious, but some important info is missing. Never mind, if you're interested in the game, here it comes: - To restart a level when you can see that you're going to become stuck, press R. - To go back a step, press B. You'll need this one! There is a back step icon from the in-level menu (the horizontal lines at the top right of the screen), but at time of writing, this was not functioning. - Note that using B [i]only[/i] pushes back the player character and regular blocks. It will not calm down a raging angry thug, for example. Experiment with this to discover what it will and won't reset from your current level. - In later levels, there are teleportation discs. A quick caption only is displayed before their first appearance (which I missed from glancing away, and then thought there was a bug as they didn't function automatically). When on one of these, press P to activate it and jump to another disc of the same colour. [h1]Verdict[/h1] [i]Block City: Bus Edition[/i] is absolute proof that you do not need ultra high resolution detailed graphics to have an enjoyable game. Those who would dispute this must have had a very deprived childhood, board games when I was little were hugely character forming and a lot of fun - and rarely, if ever, featured intensely detailed pictures. To get the most from this offering, you will need to possess the patience to pause before making a rash or ill-considered move; and you will need to enjoy the challenge of planning ahead. If those attributes fit you, then you will be rewarded with satisfaction for your efforts. My overall playing hours may be slightly skewed to the high side (but only by a couple of hours or so), as during my time playing, there was a bug present which meant that some of the jump (>>) squares were not functioning, so I spent [i]ages[/i] on one level which turned out to be impossible at that time. I would reassure anyone reading this, that this bug has been remedied. I generally won't write a review until I have played a game right through. Value for money terms - this could well be the best value game I have played on Steam that cost anything at all. It is outrageously underpriced, and (not that you'd need it), seems to be on sale often too. Fancy a logic puzzle? Want to challenge yourself without the extra stress of having unwanted level time limits imposed? Here's your answer. Buy it. [quote] Please follow our curator page, [url=https://store.steampowered.com/curator/4680120/]Otome Lovers[/url], if you'd like to see more reviews like this one! [/quote] [b]Update:[/b] The developer advised during the week that the "back button" in the menu has been fixed, and I can confirm that this is now working correctly :)