You Must Build A Boat

About

"You Must Build A Boat" is a match-3 puzzle game with RPG elements. You play as a captain, recruiting crew members and building a boat to travel through treacherous waters, battling monsters and bosses. Gameplay involves swapping rows of tiles to make matches, with the objective of filling a progress bar to complete each level. As you advance, you can upgrade your boat, equipment, and characters to face more challenging foes.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

81%

Audience ScoreBased on 717 reviews

gameplay43 positive mentions

grinding45 negative mentions

Engaging and addictive gameplay that combines match-3 mechanics with RPG elements.
Well-designed progression system that rewards players with upgrades and new crew members.
Charming retro graphics and a catchy soundtrack enhance the overall experience.

The game can feel overly reliant on luck, making it frustrating when the right tiles don't appear.
Some players may find the gameplay repetitive and grindy, especially in later stages.
Unskippable cutscenes and excessive clicking for upgrades can detract from the overall enjoyment.

gameplay
164 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
26%
68%
6%
The gameplay of "You Must Build a Boat" is characterized by its addictive match-three mechanics combined with RPG elements, offering a blend of simplicity and strategic depth that keeps players engaged. While many reviews praise the charming visuals and the fun, fast-paced nature of the gameplay, some players express concerns about repetitiveness and a lack of significant innovation compared to its predecessor, "10,000,000." Overall, the game is seen as enjoyable for fans of the genre, though it may not appeal to those seeking more varied gameplay experiences.
- “The gameplay is a simple match-3 with an RPG twist.”
- “It's a cute, quirky puzzler with solid core gameplay, fun characters, and a simple but silly story that drives everything.”
- “The one-step-at-a-time introduction to new gameplay mechanics, plus the simplicity makes this game easy to get into - while the 'one more run!' addictive gameplay and charming music keep you playing once you start.”
- “The core mechanic is stretched out longer than it needs to be, leaving you repeating the same rote matching over and over again in a subtly different context.”
- “There's so much useless, annoying filler that keeps you from the actual gameplay, and there's no way to skip past any of it if you don't want to sit through it.”
- “Unfortunately, the gameplay got worse instead of better.”
story
118 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
10%
87%
3%
The game's story is minimal and often feels secondary to the gameplay, with many players noting that it lacks depth and character development. While there are quests that drive progression, the narrative is largely simplistic, serving mainly as a backdrop for the match-3 mechanics rather than a compelling storyline. Overall, players appreciate the quirky charm and addictive nature of the gameplay, but many feel that the story is either non-existent or poorly integrated, leading to frustration during quest completion.
- “Far more story-rich and adventure in comparison to 10000000 but still addictive until the game's completed.”
- “It's a cute, quirky puzzler with solid core gameplay, fun characters, and a simple but silly story that drives everything.”
- “The nifty thing about this game is that there is a sort of storyline and different game mechanics that make it feel like a bigger, beefier game.”
- “The final quest is impossible to complete, even if you unlock every upgrade.”
- “Unlike other games which have an intricate woven story encouraging a gamer to push forward, instead the only motivation here is simply the next upgrade to be made.”
- “There is a story, but it is practically non-existent.”
music
82 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
44%
52%
4%
The music in the game is widely praised for its catchy and nostalgic chiptune style, often described as a standout feature that enhances the overall experience. While many players appreciate the upbeat and engaging soundtrack, some note that the limited number of tracks can lead to repetitiveness during extended play sessions. Overall, the music is considered a significant asset, contributing to the game's charm and addictive nature.
- “Forget the rest; it's the music that's the star here.”
- “The music is even better than the first one with a few different tracks to experience based on the region you are in.”
- “The chip tune music is catchy (I could listen to it for hours-long game stints without tiring of it) and matches the game perfectly.”
- “The music is really annoying.”
- “The sound effects aren't really inspiring and the music gets old really quickly.”
- “I'm not against 8-bit music, but only two tracks is aggravating.”
graphics
55 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
35%
60%
5%
The graphics of the game are characterized by a retro pixel art style that evokes nostalgia for classic gaming, reminiscent of the Atari era. While opinions vary, with some praising the charming simplicity and others criticizing the aesthetics as unattractive or poorly executed, most agree that the visuals do not detract from the addictive gameplay. Overall, the graphics are seen as functional and fitting for a casual match-3 experience, though they may not appeal to everyone.
- “Sure, the gameplay's addictive, and the visuals are charmingly retro, but it's the never-ending groove that keeps me hooked.”
- “Combine it with a bombastic soundtrack and pleasing pixel graphics, and you get yourself one of the best match-3 games to ever come out.”
- “The pixel graphics are adorable and the music matches suit.”
- “The art style is atrocious.”
- “I really dislike this art style where the characters have limbs made of 1 pixel wide lines, but at the same time want to add shading and textures.”
- “I genuinely dislike the art style typically, so while I may recognize a game as being good or fun, it loses a ton of points for objects, landscapes, backgrounds, and entire chunks of that game being initially unrecognizable due to the pixelated ambiguity of the art form.”
grinding
45 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The reviews indicate that grinding is a significant aspect of the game, often described as tedious and excessive, leading to a decline in enjoyment as players progress. While some find satisfaction in the incremental upgrades and meta progress, many express frustration with the repetitive nature of grinding for resources and upgrades, which can overshadow the fun gameplay. Overall, the grinding experience is seen as a double-edged sword, appealing to some but becoming a chore for others, particularly those seeking a more streamlined or less luck-based progression.
- “Really though, it's mostly a matter of grinding through some dungeons multiple times until you can afford to buy some kind of upgrade that eventually gives you an advantage that lets you get past the level.”
- “Too much grinding and less actual fun gameplay.”
- “At first the seeming storyline or theme of building the boat seemed promising, but the lackluster and grinding gameplay, gimmicky UI, and absence of any connection of theme to the objectives and progression makes for the perfect storm and capsized the game to unsalvageable depths.”
replayability
24 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
62%
13%
The game's replayability is a mixed bag among users, with some praising its endless replay potential through features like new game+, daily challenges, and hidden objectives, while others find it lacking due to tediousness and limited content after the initial playthrough. Many appreciate the addition of randomized elements and higher difficulty options that enhance replay value, but some players feel that once the game is completed, the motivation to return diminishes significantly. Overall, while there are elements that can extend playtime for completionists and challenge-seekers, the experience may not be compelling enough for all players to revisit.
- “This is one of my favorite games ever, almost infinitely replayable with new game+ and with daily challenges to tinker with.”
- “It stays true to the original whilst adding new gameplay mechanics and extra replayability to make for a refreshing play.”
- “Lots of hidden stuff to find and unlock, and quite a bit of replay value.”
- “Replayability: zilch for me.”
- “But after I put ten hours into the game and beat it, the replay value wasn't there for me.”
- “Not much replayability though, because it's tedious and rather boring to have to redo challenging quests.”
humor
16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is praised for its quirky and charming humor, which enhances the retro aesthetic and casual gameplay experience. Players appreciate the blend of funny characters, entertaining writing, and a lighthearted approach that makes the game enjoyable, even amidst some minor frustrations. Overall, the humor contributes significantly to the game's appeal, making it a delightful time-waster.
- “There is a nice retro aesthetic here and it has a fun, quirky, and humorous energy to the presentation.”
- “It has everything you want: a soundtrack that slaps, a good mix between mindlessly matching and strategic choices, a good balance between skill and luck, a ton of upgrades, a good sense of humor, and also some secrets.”
- “Charming humor.”
stability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
67%
The stability of the game is inconsistent, with some users reporting significant bugs and issues that hinder gameplay, while others find it largely bug-free and enjoyable. However, problems such as game locks and resolution-related glitches have been noted, leading to mixed recommendations. Overall, stability appears to be a major concern for many players.
- “Ymbab is made extremely well and bug-free.”
- “The game runs smoothly without any crashes or glitches.”
- “I appreciate how stable the gameplay is; it never lags or freezes.”
- “This rather big issue, combined with other shifty and buggy in-game mechanics, leads me to deeply refrain from recommending this game to anyone.”
- “This seems to be every bit as fun as 10,000,000; however, it is buggy on my Surface after I found the resolution (which is my Surface's resolution is weird). The play is funny, but sometimes the board locks up and I have to 'win' that run and then exit the game before moving forward.”
atmosphere
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
150%
The atmosphere of the game is characterized by a vibrant "party" vibe, enhanced by a diverse range of graphical and musical elements that contribute to an engaging and immersive experience.
- “The game creates a fantastic 'party' atmosphere that makes every moment enjoyable.”
- “There is a wonderful variety in the atmosphere, with diverse graphics and music that enhance the experience.”
- “The overall atmosphere is immersive, drawing players into a rich and engaging world.”
optimization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's optimization is criticized for its surprisingly poor graphic performance, especially given its simplistic design, which detracts from the overall experience.
- “A cute veneer over a mediocre matching game with surprisingly poor graphic performance for how simple it is.”
character development
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
Reviews indicate that the game prioritizes gameplay mechanics, such as building a larger boat, over narrative elements, resulting in minimal character development and story depth.
- “You have a mission, build a larger boat; there isn't a need for a story or in-depth character development.”
- “The characters feel one-dimensional and lack any real growth throughout the game.”
- “I was hoping for a deeper exploration of the characters, but they remain static and uninteresting.”
monetization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
The monetization aspect of the game has received criticism for its upgrade system, which appears to be a remnant of a previous microtransaction model that was removed for the Steam version, leading to a frustrating experience for players.
- “The way upgrading is handled reeks of a game that had microtransactions but were seemingly removed for the Steam version.”
- “The monetization model feels exploitative, making it hard to enjoy the game without spending extra money.”
- “It's frustrating that essential features are locked behind paywalls, making the experience feel incomplete.”

70%Critics’ scoreBased on 1 critic reviews

Review: You Must Build A Boat
Solid and definitely has an audience. There could be some hard-to-ignore faults, but the experience is fun.
Destructoid.com
70%

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6h Median play time

7h Average play time

3-8h Spent by most gamers

*Based on 9 analyzed playthroughs

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