Bilkins' Folly
- October 2, 2023
- Webbysoft
Bilikin’s Folly is a jolly adventure across the seas that makes treasure hunting fun, full of tricky puzzles and great characters, and the only time you’ll get frustrated is from your own folly.
Get on Steam"Bilkins' Folly" is a narrative adventure game where you play as Percy, a treasure hunter searching for his missing family while digging up hidden loot. Accompanied by his loyal dog Drayton, Percy must explore the region, solve puzzles, and uncover family secrets. Utilize Percy's cartography skills to customize your map, and rely on your friendship with Drayton to navigate the world's challenges. Some puzzles may require patience and revisiting as you progress through your journey.
Nintendo Switch
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Reviews
- Bilkins' Folly features a charming and whimsical world filled with engaging puzzles that range from simple to challenging, providing satisfying 'aha!' moments.
- The game has a delightful pixel art style and animations, complemented by a humorous and heartwarming story that keeps players invested.
- The developer is responsive to player feedback, frequently updating the game to fix bugs and improve the overall experience.
- Some puzzles can be overly cryptic or vague, leading to frustration without a hint system to assist players when they get stuck.
- The character writing can feel dated and unlikable, which may detract from the overall enjoyment of the game.
- There are technical issues and bugs that can disrupt gameplay, although many have been addressed through patches.
- story41 mentions
- 29 % positive mentions
- 63 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The story of *Bilkins' Folly* follows Percy Bilkins on a heartfelt quest to find his missing mother and grandfather while confronting a family curse. The narrative is enriched with humor and emotional depth, featuring engaging characters, particularly the loyal dog Drayton, and a variety of puzzles that enhance the treasure-hunting experience. Players appreciate the balance of challenge and storytelling, making it a compelling adventure that resonates with both nostalgia and modern gameplay.
“Percy Bilkins is on a quest to find his missing mother and grandfather, and stop the family curse, the eponymous 'Bilkins' Folly', which threatens to end the family line.”
“This was a masterclass in challenging but fair treasure map design, wrapped in an excellently enjoyable, funny, heart-warming, and heart-breaking story.”
“I would describe this game as Monkey Island if the story had less emphasis and focused more on solving puzzles.”
“The writing across the board is solid, with a combination of frequent comedic moments and unexpectedly strong emotional moments that come together to create a wacky yet heartwarming story.”
“This is basically a story-driven treasure hunting simulator: as the narrative moves forward, you collect maps, information, and hints on where to find tons and tons of bounty and secrets.”
- humor18 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is characterized by witty dialogue and charming character interactions, often blending lightheartedness with darker themes. While some players find the comedic style somewhat dated and exhausting, many appreciate the clever writing and delightful animations that enhance the overall experience. The humor complements the engaging gameplay loop of exploration and puzzle-solving, making it a memorable aspect of the game.
“The pixel art and the animations are really nice, the music fits the tone well, the dialogue is funny and witty.”
“There is a fun gameplay loop of exploration and finding treasures and helping random NPCs out, and it introduces new things at a pleasant pace. It has charm, wit, and some nice humor; it almost feels like a Zelda game meets a classic adventure game with a lot of new twists!”
“It's full of interesting characters, it's funny, the animations are just amazing, and the interactions with the dog are so lovely.”
- gameplay17 mentions
- 41 % positive mentions
- 41 % neutral mentions
- 18 % negative mentions
The gameplay is characterized by a series of engaging environmental puzzles that vary in type and difficulty, creating a satisfying loop of exploration and treasure hunting. Players will encounter clever mechanics, such as unique lockpicking and grid-based fishing puzzles, all while enjoying a charming narrative filled with humor and delightful characters. The integration of innovative features, like a musical step-counting system, enhances the experience, making it feel reminiscent of classic adventure games with modern twists.
“The gameplay consists of one environmental riddle after the other; there's good variety in puzzle types and difficulty.”
“There is a fun gameplay loop of exploration, finding treasures, and helping random NPCs. It introduces new things at a pleasant pace, has charm, wit, and some nice humor. It almost feels like a Zelda game meets a classic adventure game with a lot of new twists!”
“Practically every mechanic revolves around a puzzle of some kind: lockpicking is done through tetromino block puzzles, fishing involves a sort of grid-based movement puzzle, and every main and side quest will have you either solve a riddle or locate a hidden object to progress.”
“Practically every mechanic revolves around a puzzle of some kind: lockpicking is done through tetromino block puzzles, fishing involves a sort of grid-based movement puzzle, and every main and side quest will have you either solve a riddle and/or locate a hidden object to progress.”
“I'm not necessarily saying the gameplay is similar, but oh boy does it ever make my brain itch in that same beautiful way.”
“Worth mentioning is the clever integration of step counting, essential when having to walk x steps north and y steps west: you hold the space key and a rising musical cue for each step helps you count, but without an on-screen counter, so you get some help, but it's not super mechanical and a nice natural solution for a game that isn't built on a grid.”
- graphics10 mentions
- 80 % positive mentions
- 20 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game features a charming pixel art style that, while simplistic at times, is rich in detail and showcases fluid animations. Reviewers appreciate the delightful visuals and engaging character designs, which contribute to an enjoyable exploration and puzzle-solving experience. Overall, the graphics are praised for their care and creativity, making the game visually appealing to players of all ages.
“The exploration and puzzle solving is quite fun and the game has a nice pixel art graphics style.”
“The pixel art style is very simplistic in some regards, yet full of little details showing that a lot of care was put into every aspect of the visual design.”
“While the relatively laid-back and plodding pace likely won't be for everybody, it's fair to say that Bilkins' Folly represents an almost perfect storm of engaging characters, gorgeously framed visuals, and refreshingly non-combat focused adventuring that gamers of any age can fully enjoy.”
- music10 mentions
- 40 % positive mentions
- 40 % neutral mentions
- 20 % negative mentions
The music in the game, composed by Jamal Green, is highly praised for its ability to complement the game's tone and enhance the overall experience. Reviewers appreciate the clever integration of musical cues for navigation, which adds a unique and natural element to gameplay. Overall, the soundtrack is considered a standout feature, contributing significantly to the game's charm and enjoyment.
“It's yet another great soundtrack from him, and he's quickly turning into one of my favorite game composers in recent memory.”
“The soundtrack stems from the mind of Jamal Green, who also composed for other games like 'Sizeable' and 'Toem'.”
“Worth mentioning is the clever integration of step counting, essential when having to walk x steps north and y steps west: you hold the space key and a rising musical cue for each step helps you count, but without an on-screen counter, so you get some help, but it's not super mechanical and a nice natural solution for a game that isn't built on a grid.”
- emotional8 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game is praised for its touching and heartwarming story, blending humor with unexpectedly strong emotional moments. Reviewers highlight its challenging gameplay and solid writing, which together create a memorable and wholesome adventure experience.
“It's a really touching story, and the challenge of it really reminds me of an older style of game.”
“This was a masterclass in challenging but fair treasure map design, wrapped in an excellently enjoyable, funny, heart-warming, and heart-breaking story.”
“The writing across the board is solid, with a combination of frequent comedic moments and unexpectedly strong emotional moments that come together to create a wacky yet heartwarming story.”
- atmosphere2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is highly praised, with users highlighting its engaging writing and well-developed characters that enhance the overall experience.
“This is a great puzzle game with a wonderful atmosphere, writing, and characters.”
Critic Reviews
Bilkins’ Folly Review – Treasure hunting weighed down by technical hiccups
Bilkin’s Folly is a game that I could recommend to almost anyone in the mood for a treasure-hunting adventure. Its tone and characters highlight the experience and make the longer-than-expected time sail by, whilst its puzzling is largely engaging if drawn back by more obtusely difficult puzzles and some technical hiccups that will surely be fixed in short order.
70%Bilkins' Folly Review
Bilikin’s Folly is a jolly adventure across the seas that makes treasure hunting fun, full of tricky puzzles and great characters, and the only time you’ll get frustrated is from your own folly.
85%Bilkins' Folly Review - A Light-hearted And Charming Puzzling Pirate Adventure That Everybody Should Play
While the relatively laid-back and plodding pace likely won't be for everybody, it's fair to say that Bilkins' Folly represents an almost perfect storm of engaging characters, gorgeously framed visuals and refreshingly non-combat focused adventuring that gamers of any age can fully enjoy.
90%
