Buoy Boy Review

Developer: Headup Games GmbH & Co KG
Price: $0.99
Version Reviewed: 1.2
App Reviewed on: iPhone 5

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Overall Rating:

Buoy Boy feels a lot like an endless game from a few years ago. Touted as the first "endless floater" (which I’m not entirely confident of), it’s kind of fun at times but it’s frequently (almost unfairly) tricky and lacks the ‘one more go’ factor.

You’re floating your way up through various deep sea obstacles. Controls are a matter of tilting your device or tapping in order to jump up a little bit. Hit the bottom of the screen and it’s game over. Similarly, hit anything like another fish or a spike, and it’s game over.

Sometimes, it’s easy to see when you’re about to collide with something but other times, a fish will appear at speed from off-screen and easily take you out. That rarely feels particularly fair, especially in a game that’s otherwise quite serene.

You can pick up coins and gems along the way, with the former used to unlock power-ups and the latter used as a form of continue. That adds some longevity, although the game is pretty stingy with dishing out gems. Other than that though, Buoy Boy isn’t that gripping. It sounds fun, and it looks ok, but it’s all too forgettable. There are better endless games out there.