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Bugsnax

Shacknews is finally allowed to talk about Bugsnax. Just how great is this highly-anticipated PS5 launch title? Find out in our review.
86%Game Brain Score
story, gameplay
grinding, stability
98% User Score Based on 10,648 reviews
Critic Score 76%Based on 44 reviews

Platforms

Mac OSMac OSNintendo SwitchNintendo SwitchPCPCPlaystation 4Playstation 4Playstation 5Playstation 5Steam DeckSteam DeckWindowsWindowsXbox OneXbox OneXbox Series X|SXbox Series X|SPlayStationPlayStationXboxXbox
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About

Bugsnax is a single-player Mystery Action game with an intriguing story set on Snaktooth Island, where you hunt and capture half-bug half-snack creatures. Discover the truth behind the explorer Elizabert Megafig's disappearance, and the island's secrets while experiencing marvelous gameplay, amazing graphics, and a sensational soundtrack. Customize your quirky companions, and enjoy the very funny and highly emotional adventure with lots of grinding to capture 100 different Bugsnax species.

Genres & Tags
Play Modes
Bugsnax screenshot
Bugsnax screenshot
Bugsnax screenshot
Bugsnax screenshot
Bugsnax screenshot
Bugsnax screenshot
Bugsnax screenshot
Bugsnax screenshot
Bugsnax screenshot
Bugsnax screenshot
Bugsnax screenshot
+5

98%
Audience ScoreBased on 10,692 reviews
story1.1k positive mentions
grinding66 negative mentions
  • The story of Bugsnax is surprisingly deep and engaging, blending whimsical elements with darker themes and featuring well-developed characters and humorous dialogue.
  • The gameplay mechanics are fun and engaging, allowing for creative strategies in capturing the adorable Bugsnax, while the charming visuals and catchy soundtrack enhance the overall experience.
  • The game successfully balances humor with emotional depth, creating a unique comedic experience that resonates with players of all ages.
  • Some players find the gameplay to be repetitive and tedious, particularly when aiming for 100% completion, which can detract from the overall enjoyment.
  • The game's performance and optimization receive mixed feedback, with some experiencing significant issues, particularly on high-end systems, leading to frustration.
  • While the story and characters are praised, some critiques mention a lack of depth in certain characters and a finale that feels unsatisfying or out of place.
  • story
    2,444 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The story of Bugsnax is surprisingly deep and engaging, blending whimsical elements with darker themes, including body horror and emotional struggles. Players take on the role of a journalist exploring Snaktooth Island, uncovering the mysteries behind the titular creatures and the lives of the quirky inhabitants, known as Grumpuses. The narrative is enriched by well-developed characters, humorous dialogue, and a variety of quests that enhance the overall experience, making it a memorable journey filled with unexpected twists.

    • “The story of bugsnax is surprisingly more complex than it appears on the surface, and even has some shocking twists along the way, with a lot more depth and character development than you would typically expect from a game that looks the way that it does.”
    • “The characters are adorable and relatable, the bugsnax are delicious and cute, the game mechanics are fun to combine and experiment with, and the story is wonderfully disturbing!”
    • “The story is surprisingly deep for a game where you’re literally 'catching' bite-sized creatures, with emotional moments hidden behind the goofy exterior.”
    • “The story i thought started off fine and near the end i thought it might actually get interesting with a big twist, but the finale was so meh and out of the blue that it didn't even manage to land that right.”
    • “The game isn't actively unpleasant or bad to play so this is a worthwhile cheap on-sale pickup, just to mess around in the sandbox and to rocket through the very short, very straightforward story.”
  • gameplay
    1,113 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay in Bugsnax is characterized by its engaging creature-catching mechanics, which blend puzzle-solving with exploration in a whimsical world. Players enjoy the variety of strategies required to capture the adorable bugsnax, although some find the gameplay can become repetitive over time. Overall, the game is praised for its charming characters, humor, and the balance between simplicity and challenge, making it accessible and enjoyable for a wide audience.

    • “The gameplay is enjoyable, and the story adds more depth than expected.”
    • “The gameplay itself is amazing, even at my second playthrough and 100%ing it I still found the bug catching mechanics very fun, you'll find yourself trying different (often scuffed) ways of catching these critters, it maintains a good amount of difficulty without being too annoying -- sometimes.”
    • “The gameplay loop is fantastic.”
    • “The gameplay is somewhat lacking in difficulty, it's decently repetitive, and the level design is just barely good enough to not be actively bad.”
    • “The core gameplay loop is pretty tedious and unfun to me because the controls feel very clunky.”
    • “However, after you play for a while, the gameplay starts to become a bit annoying, as the later half of the game often has you catching bugsnax you've already encountered in order to complete some quest for an npc.”
  • graphics
    480 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics of Bugsnax are widely praised for their charming, cartoonish art style and vibrant colors, which create a delightful atmosphere that contrasts with the game's darker themes. Players appreciate the creative character designs and the overall visual coherence, noting that the graphics are not only appealing but also run smoothly on various hardware. While some reviewers mention that the graphics may not be technically advanced, they effectively contribute to the game's unique aesthetic and engaging storytelling.

    • “Bugsnax is a well-made game with great visuals and creative designs for both the characters and the Bugsnax themselves.”
    • “The colorful visuals, cheerful soundtrack, and lighthearted tone create an atmosphere that’s perfect for a chill gaming session.”
    • “Bugsnax features surprisingly good visuals with rich colors, models, and even textures which I didn't expect from such a cartoony-looking game.”
    • “The graphics aren't impressive, but the plot is interesting, the characters are well-written, and finding a way to catch every kind of 'bugsnax' is very satisfying.”
    • “Considering this was a PS5 launch title, I'm surprised the PC port doesn't give the user options to increase the resolution scaling or other graphical options to improve the visuals.”
    • “My main complaint would be the occasionally iffy performance, which really isn't justified by the game's graphics.”
  • humor
    456 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The humor in Bugsnax is widely praised for its quirky, whimsical nature, blending lightheartedness with darker undertones, resulting in a unique comedic experience. Players find the character interactions, clever dialogue, and absurd creature designs to be genuinely funny, often eliciting laughter through both intentional jokes and unexpected moments. The game's charm lies in its ability to balance humor with emotional depth, making it engaging for both children and adults alike.

    • “The characters are amazing, and the bugsnax are funny.”
    • “This game is hilarious and disturbing.”
    • “The humor keeps things light, and the game is full of laughter, both from the creatures and the grumpuses.”
  • music
    432 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music in Bugsnax has received widespread acclaim for its catchy and diverse soundtrack, which complements the game's whimsical and lighthearted tone. Composed by Seth Parker, the soundtrack features a mix of genres, including electronic and acoustic elements, enhancing the overall experience and atmosphere of the game. Many players particularly enjoy the inclusion of a song by Kero Kero Bonito, which adds to the charm and memorability of the game's audio landscape.

    • “The music in Bugsnax is also a highlight, with a catchy and memorable soundtrack that perfectly complements the game's lighthearted and whimsical tone.”
    • “The soundtrack is amazing and the voice acting is top tier.”
    • “The colorful visuals, cheerful soundtrack, and lighthearted tone create an atmosphere that’s perfect for a chill gaming session.”
    • “The music feels way too generic, not a single track stuck with me; most sound like elevator songs you'd just forget as soon as you hear them.”
    • “I cannot really say anything too special about the music; in a way it has its charm, but it’s honestly long and drawn out - it’s like modern 1950s grocery store music that just becomes a part of the ambiance.”
    • “The music and atmosphere are not anything that left an impression on me.”
  • emotional
    292 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    "Bugsnax" is praised for its surprising emotional depth, blending humor with heartfelt storytelling that explores themes of relationships, mental health, and personal growth. Players often find themselves unexpectedly attached to the quirky characters, experiencing a range of emotions from joy to sadness, particularly during poignant moments in the narrative. While some critiques mention a lack of depth in certain characters, the overall consensus highlights the game's ability to evoke genuine emotional responses, making it a memorable and impactful experience.

    • “The story is surprisingly deep for a game where you’re literally 'catching' bite-sized creatures, with emotional moments hidden behind the goofy exterior.”
    • “I cried multiple times while playing the game; I felt genuine joy, fear, surprise, sadness, and anger. This game literally brought out every emotion I could feel.”
    • “Come for the cheerful visuals, fun creatures, and catch-em-all gameplay; stay for the shockingly deep and emotional stories of these strange muppet creatures as you gradually learn of the sadness that pervades their lives.”
  • character development
    110 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Character development in "Bugsnax" is widely praised for its depth and complexity, often exceeding expectations for a game of its style. Players appreciate the engaging storylines, unique character designs, and the emotional arcs of the characters, which are enhanced by high-quality voice acting and clever writing. The game successfully combines charming visuals with a narrative that includes surprising twists and realistic character growth, making it a standout experience in the genre.

    • “The character writing, dialogues, and character development of the cast beat most of what you find in games of this scope and much of what's beyond!”
    • “The story of Bugsnax is surprisingly more complex than it appears on the surface, and even has some shocking twists along the way, with a lot more depth and character development than you would typically expect from a game that looks the way that it does.”
    • “From the gameplay to the character development, this is an incredible experience.”
    • “Only complaint I can think of off the top of my head is the transformation mechanic (where the villagers change attributes based on the snax you feed them) can't be undone, so character designs get thrown out the window unless you restrain yourself from feeding them snax.”
    • “If it wasn't for the character development, I don't think I'd be recommending this game because the main arc and the gameplay really aren't that interesting once you get over the whole 'they eat bugsnax and it changes their bodies' concept.”
    • “This game is kind of a mixed bag for me, but overall, I'd recommend it for anyone more interested in story-based games and character development.”
  • grinding
    92 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The grinding aspect of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players finding it tedious and repetitive, especially when aiming for 100% completion. While some appreciate the manageable amount of grinding for main quests and enjoy the exploration, others feel that certain side quests and challenges become overly tedious and detract from the overall experience. Overall, the game is seen as enjoyable for casual play, but those seeking to complete every achievement may find the grinding to be a significant hurdle.

    • “Challenging but not tedious.”
    • “Necessary grinding.”
    • “Necessary grinding.”
    • “The core gameplay loop is pretty tedious and unfun to me because the controls feel very clunky.”
    • “As much as I enjoyed the game, it felt very repetitive and tedious getting to that '100% achievements' finish line.”
    • “The gameplay loop can be tedious at times, but the characters and story make it worth the effort.”
  • stability
    56 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's stability has received mixed feedback, with many players reporting minor bugs and glitches that, while occasionally disruptive, do not significantly hinder gameplay. Some users found the glitches amusing and part of the charm, while others experienced frustrating technical issues that required extensive troubleshooting. Overall, the game runs well on various platforms, including the Steam Deck, but players should be prepared for some instability.

    • “I just finished a second playthrough on Steam Deck (runs great) after originally playing elsewhere before the free expansion update.”
    • “This game runs great on PC and continues to be one of the most charming and creative games I've played in the last year.”
    • “Runs great on Steam Deck.”
    • “I really wanted to enjoy this game, but the amount of tedious troubleshooting I've had to do just to get it to function has left a very, very bad taste in my mouth.”
    • “Same with the game, on the next launch I couldn't hear a thing, even though it was in the same track as audio from other applications that I could hear. At this point, I'm through with it; maybe I'll give it another try in a little while, but this has taken entirely too much troubleshooting for me to want to continue.”
    • “The environmental areas were buggy and glitchy in parts; I was always getting stuck in ridiculous ways.”
  • optimization
    40 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's optimization receives mixed feedback; while many players report excellent performance on platforms like the Steam Deck and PC, with no noticeable stutters or dips, others experience significant issues, particularly on high-end systems where frame rates can drop below 5 fps. Overall, the game is praised for its charm and voice acting, but some players feel that the optimization does not match the graphical demands.

    • “Also really well optimized, never noticed a single stutter on the Steam Deck.”
    • “It's also great on Deck and PC, I didn't have any performance issues whatsoever.”
    • “That is all though performance-wise, this game runs very well and the optimizations that you can do in the options are plentiful.”
    • “I will say this game is very poorly optimized, but when it works, boy does it work.”
    • “For a game that looks like it could run on a PS2, it is poorly optimized and constantly dips below 5 FPS on a Ryzen 9/RTX 4070 build.”
    • “My main complaint would be the occasionally iffy performance, which really isn't justified by the game's graphics.”
  • replayability
    36 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's replayability is a mixed bag, with some players finding it highly engaging due to branching narratives and multiple endings, while others feel it lacks significant replay value after the initial playthrough. Many appreciate the opportunity to explore different outcomes based on choices, but some describe it as more of a puzzle game with limited replay appeal. Overall, the experience can feel fresh for those eager to uncover all secrets, but not all players are inclined to revisit it.

    • “It's so replayable while still feeling fresh.”
    • “The game's replayability is further enhanced by the branching narrative paths, which provide different outcomes based on your choices, inviting you to embark on a second playthrough to uncover all its secrets.”
    • “The replay value is also very high, with multiple endings and a lot of collectibles to find.”
    • “There isn’t much replay value in it, it’s more a puzzle game than a creature collector.”
    • “The game is also not really replayable.”
    • “Garbage kids game with no replay value.”
  • atmosphere
    36 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its vibrant charm, whimsical visuals, and cheerful soundtrack, creating a relaxing and immersive experience. Players appreciate the unique environments, engaging characters, and the balance of lightheartedness with subtle darker themes. Overall, the game's atmosphere is described as stunningly beautiful and well-crafted, making it a delightful setting for exploration and puzzle-solving.

    • “From the moment I dove into the vibrant world of Snacktooth Island, I was captivated by its unique charm and whimsical atmosphere.”
    • “The colorful visuals, cheerful soundtrack, and lighthearted tone create an atmosphere that’s perfect for a chill gaming session.”
    • “The soundtrack fits the atmosphere of this game very well, and so many other factors come together to wrap up this package into a wonderful, delightful game.”
    • “The music and atmosphere are not anything that left an impression on me.”
    • “Not really a game that I feel I can go on forever about because so much of it is purely based on the immaculate atmosphere and vibes, but it’s an incredibly strong recommendation nonetheless.”
    • “The game has a light-hearted atmosphere while also tackling heavier relationship problems.”

76%Critics’ scoreBased on 56 critic reviews

Buy Bugsnax

24h Median play time
43h Average play time
13-38h Spent by most gamers
*Based on 42 analyzed playthroughs

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