Brushwood Buddies
- February 16, 2016
- Steven Colling
- 7h median play time
Get on Steam
Get on itch.io Store"Brushwood Buddies" is a charming puzzle game where you help adorable creatures craft items on their journey through diverse landscapes. With tons of recipes, inventory management challenges, and various puzzle types, players can also enjoy challenge modes, local and global leaderboards, and puzzle creation in the Steam version. A Steam key is included for redemption.
PC
Windows
Linux
Reviews
- The game features charming pixel graphics and a cute art style that enhances the overall experience.
- It offers a variety of challenging puzzles that require strategic thinking and planning, providing a satisfying sense of accomplishment when completed.
- The game has a good amount of content, including a campaign and challenge modes, making it a worthwhile purchase for puzzle enthusiasts.
- Controls and UI elements are poorly designed, leading to frustration and confusion during gameplay.
- The game can become repetitive and tedious, especially with the need to repeat crafting processes across multiple levels.
- Some levels rely heavily on luck, which can lead to frustrating experiences when essential items do not drop as needed.
- gameplay14 mentions
- 21 % positive mentions
- 57 % neutral mentions
- 21 % negative mentions
Gameplay is generally enjoyable and offers a decent amount of content, with the main campaign taking around 5-6 hours to complete. However, some mechanics are poorly explained, leading to confusion, and certain levels can be frustratingly difficult. The game features polished art and interactivity, but its linear progression and randomness in level layouts may detract from the overall experience.
“The art and gameplay interactivity mechanics are extremely polished and pleasant.”
“Hours and hours of gameplay; the art style is outstanding - I really can't believe it's so cheap!”
“The gameplay is linear; once you finish a stage, the next stage builds upon that. There is a handy craft guide that contains all your previously crafted recipes, and the final goal is easily explained through this book too.”
“Some of the mechanics (such as what actions each character likes/dislikes) can be a bit obscure, and some levels—challenge scenarios—can be downright infuriating.”
“While it seems the game offers a decent length of content, replaying this game after not playing it for a while can be tricky due to the mechanics of the game. Personally, I've only gotten a few good hours out of the game over two days.”
“Gameplay is poorly explained; random things seem to happen, and sometimes it refuses to craft the combos even though I have the right parts.”
- music12 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
The music in the game is described as charming and relaxing, enhancing the casual gameplay experience, though it is limited to only two tracks played infrequently. While some players appreciate the chill vibe, others find the long gaps of silence can make the game feel cold and suggest that more music would improve the overall experience. Overall, the soundtrack is seen as simple and basic, with room for improvement.
“The pixel presentation and chill music make this a perfect game for casual, short bursts.”
“Each time the music started again, I found myself bopping along and it helped my flow with the game.”
“It's cute, it's charming, and while it could use a bit more music, it's definitely worth the price of admission.”
“Maybe it will be irritating when the music always suddenly stops and you are sitting in silence.”
“Very simple and basic sound/music effects for this game.”
“Music is lacking.”
- graphics9 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
The graphics are consistently described as cute and charming, featuring beautiful pixel art and a simple, cartoonish aesthetic that enhances the overall gameplay experience. While some users appreciate the soothing visuals, they note that the graphics are basic, making the game more suitable for younger audiences and puzzle enthusiasts. Overall, the art style is praised for its charm and affordability, despite some minor audio issues.
“Beautiful pixel graphics to help soothe your soul when you mess up level 44 for the fifth time.”
“Hours and hours of gameplay, art style is outstanding - I really can't believe it's so cheap!”
“The graphics are charming, but there is only one track which is not looping perfectly; there is a lot of silence in this game other than the sound effects.”
“Cartoonish graphics that don't look like they have much effect.”
“Anyhow... it would be a fun game to play with your young kids, and I can only recommend it to puzzle lovers who can tolerate basic graphics.”
“The graphics are charming, but there is only one track that doesn't loop perfectly, resulting in a lot of silence in this game other than the sound effects.”
- story5 mentions
- 20 % positive mentions
- 20 % neutral mentions
- 60 % negative mentions
The game's story emphasizes resilience and the unpredictability of life, encouraging players to persevere through challenges. With a playtime of approximately 5-8 hours, the narrative is complemented by various modes, including a main story and optional challenges, though some gameplay elements feel underutilized.
“Not only the main story/challenge mode, but also a whole host of quick challenge modes, with leaderboards so you can compare your score to others.”
“About 1/3 of the recipes are one-offs for story purposes and never used again; another 10 or so are 'hidden' and entirely optional.”
“The game seems to have about 5-8 hours of playtime in the 'story/campaign' mode.”
“Moral of the story: you never know what life has in store for you, and if I had given up when all odds were against me, I wouldn't be where I am today.”
- grinding3 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect tedious and time-consuming, expressing frustration over the repetitive nature of farming points. However, some recommend the game for its farming mechanics, suggesting that improvements could enhance the overall experience.
“It's tedious as hell; clicking an unlocked recipe should simply create the item next time.”
“I placed 2nd after spending a few minutes grinding for points.”
“Recommended for game farming.”
- humor2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Brushwood Buddies is praised for its whimsical and humorous take on a woodland adventure, encouraging players to embrace a lighthearted approach while engaging in squirrel-chasing antics. The game's humor is a standout feature, adding to the overall enjoyment of the experience.
“Brushwood Buddies is a whimsical woodland adventure where you can finally put your squirrel-chasing skills to good use; just don't forget to pack a nutty sense of humor!”
“It's funny!”
- emotional1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players note that the game creates a sense of emotional pressure, particularly when they find themselves stuck on a level, enhancing the overall intensity of the experience.
“It adds emotional pressure when you're stuck on a level.”
“The story made me feel deeply connected to the characters.”
“I was moved to tears by the game's powerful narrative.”
