With its stunning, cartoon graphics and adorable voice acting, you would be forgiven if you were to think Togges is a children’s game. However, it doesn’t take long to realize that that’s far from the case. Carefully concealed by the easy-going facade is a game full of complex puzzles, that, at times, had us scratching our heads in both despair and confusion.
Togges – A Platformer with a Difference
When it comes to storylines, Togges isn’t going to win any prizes. In fact, we’ve seen deeper plotlines in the likes of Paw Patrol. In a nutshell, you’re tasked with helping an eccentric king in his plot to take over the world (cue evil, maniacal laughter).
Of course, in this weird and wonderful world, nothing is within the limiting confines of normality. This comes to light when you find yourself controlling none other than a Roomba. Rather than performing regular Roomba-y duties, however, you use your vacuum cleaner superpowers to manipulate little living blocks called ‘togges’.
Coming in a variety of different colors, these cute cuboids can be stacked within the togge’s stacking limits or layed out side-by-side to create a chain. Fruits can be stacked upon, sometimes unlocking different colors of togge to help you progress through the game.
Togges Demands Out-of-the-Box Thinking
As simple as this sounds, here is the catch: togges can only be placed adjacently. This means, you need to create a chain of them in your wake, everywhere you go. Furthermore, having a limited supply of togges makes this far more difficult than you would imagine.
Thankfully, seeds can be collected as you go, giving you a handful of togges every time. The puzzle element of the 3D platformer comes when you as tasked with navigating the map while leaving the chain intact. Various obsticles such as spikes, rotating segments and impassible gaps.
It’s refreshing to see a puzzle game that lives up to its genre and.. well… puzzles. The seemingly simple facade quickly gives way to the real head-scratchingly perplexing heart of Togges. It’s a game that demands some hard thinking but, hey, isn’t that what makes puzzlers fun? Besides, the tougher the puzzles, the greater the reward of satisfaction on solving them.
Unlocking different Togges
The standard red togges aren’t enough to get you very far. By collecting fruit you can unlock different colors of togge, each differing in size. We’re unsure of how many colors there are but in our play time we managed to unlock larger yellow ones and gargantuan green togges. To overcome the many puzzles of Togges, you’re going to need to use them all and shrewdly.
Togges – Graphics
While Togges isn’t going to win any awards in the graphics department, it is presented in a colorful, vibrant and welcoming setting. The game’s graphics lack any real detail, but in a way this adds to the charming world in which Togges takes place.
The brother and brother indie team behind Togges, Regular Studios, have clearly gone for simplicity and style over intricate detail and realism. It’s a style that perfectly fits with the friendly tones of the game.
Togges – Summary
On the surface Togges is a gentle game, awash with welcoming colors and charming, wholesome sound effects. The bizarre world of the game is not unlike that seen in We Love Katamari and just like the ball-rolling masterpiece of yesteryear, its full of surprises. Togges is one of those games that’s first played to pass half-an-hour and ends in countless lost hours and, at times, headaches and frustration.
Togges is coming to the Xbox X/S and Steam on December 7, 2023.