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 Play through the game's story or campaign solo

82%

Audience ScoreBased on 544 reviews

gameplay32 positive mentions

grinding33 negative mentions

Incredibly addictive gameplay that keeps players engaged for hours.
Improvements over the predecessor, 10,000,000, with more mechanics and depth.
Charming pixel art and a catchy soundtrack enhance the overall experience.

Can become repetitive and grindy, especially in later levels.
RNG can lead to frustrating moments where players can't progress due to bad luck.
Some mechanics, like the need to click repeatedly for upgrades, can feel tedious.

gameplay
117 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
27%
68%
5%
The gameplay of "You Must Build a Boat" is characterized by its addictive match-3 mechanics combined with RPG elements, offering a blend of simplicity and strategic depth that appeals to fans of the genre. While many players enjoy the charming visuals and engaging mechanics, some express concerns about repetitiveness and a lack of significant variation over time, leading to potential boredom in longer sessions. Overall, the game successfully builds on its predecessor, "10,000,000," providing a fun and casual experience, though it may not captivate everyone due to its straightforward gameplay loop.
- “The simple gameplay never feels stale, as a run through the world is reasonably brief, and you must build a boat is generous with new abilities and mechanics.”
- “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.”
- “This is a sequel to 10,000,000, building out on the leveling and RPG aspects while keeping the gameplay the same.”
- “The additional mechanics make the board cluttered, and some of the enemies are simply unbalanced - stat checks on top of pure RNG in a game where you're supposed to be playing through a match-3 board.”
- “This mechanic just exists to artificially extend the amount of time you spend playing, without adding actual content.”
- “Unfortunately, the predecessor outweighs this game when it comes to consistent gameplay and entertainment.”
story
75 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
5%
91%
4%
The story in "ymbab" is minimal and largely serves as a backdrop for the gameplay, which revolves around completing quests to progress. Players note that while there are some narrative elements, the focus is primarily on the mechanics and challenges of the game rather than a cohesive plot. Overall, the game lacks a deep storyline, with progression driven more by gameplay goals than by narrative motivation.
- “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.”
- “You're not really told what the story is, and I think as I finish the game it will be revealed - and I'm looking forward to learning what I'm sailing towards and why I've built the boat.”
- “Completing the dungeon quests adds things to your boat, like a crew and creatures, more types of vendors, and more.”
- “The game has no real story, just a series of quests that feel disconnected and lack depth.”
- “Unlike other games which have an intricately woven story encouraging a gamer to push forward, the only motivation here is simply the next upgrade to be made.”
- “There is a story, but it is practically non-existent.”
music
64 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
42%
53%
5%
The music in the game has received widespread acclaim for its catchy and upbeat chiptune soundtrack, often compared favorably to classic titles like Castlevania. While many players find the music delightful and addictive, some note that it can become repetitive over longer play sessions, with a limited number of tracks available. Overall, the soundtrack is considered a standout feature that enhances the gaming experience, complementing the engaging gameplay and retro graphics.
- “The developer somehow took the same basic formula from 10,000,000 and got another entire delightful game out of it; match-three puzzles, light RPG elements (though definitely more complex than last time), comedy (also a little funnier than last time!), and a killer soundtrack.”
- “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 soundtrack is amazing, memorable, and very catchy, but outrageously repetitive.”
- “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.”
- “The music is really annoying.”
graphics
41 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20%
73%
7%
The graphics of the game are predominantly retro, drawing inspiration from the Atari 800/2600 era and featuring pixel art that some players find charming, while others consider it low quality. Despite the simplistic visuals, many reviews emphasize that the graphics do not detract from the overall gameplay experience, which remains engaging and fun. The combination of nostalgic aesthetics and a catchy soundtrack contributes to the game's appeal, even if the graphical performance has some inconsistencies.
- “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 graphics are retro/old school and it has catchy tunes.”
- “A frantic, fun action-puzzle game with bright pixel graphics and a pounding soundtrack.”
- “The graphics are reminiscent of the Atari 800/2600 era of computers and Activision's 'Pitfall', but the graphics aren't really important for this type of game.”
- “A cute veneer over a mediocre matching game with surprisingly poor graphic performance for how simple it is.”
- “While the graphics are pretty ugly, the soundtrack is great (though there are only 3 tracks, but they all rock).”
grinding
33 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The reviews indicate that the game features significant grinding, often leading to a tedious experience for players. While some find satisfaction in the incremental progress and meta upgrades, many express frustration with the excessive reliance on grinding and luck, which detracts from overall enjoyment. The upgrade systems and repetitive dungeon runs contribute to a sense of monotony, making it less appealing for those who prefer more dynamic gameplay.
- “Overall, I'd say that if you enjoyed 10mil, are looking for more of the same, and aren't particularly a completionist (one achievement has you play through the game three times, each time getting harder) it might be worth a look if you can get past the tedious upgrade system.”
- “Too much grinding and less actual fun gameplay.”
- “The grinding can get tiresome if you don't actually enjoy the matching game itself, since everything else is just window dressing.”
replayability
18 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
28%
56%
17%
The game's replayability is a mixed bag, with some players praising its almost infinite replay potential through new game+ modes and daily challenges, while others find it limited due to repetitive gameplay and a lack of compelling reasons to return after completing it. Completionists may enjoy the optional objectives and hidden content, but many feel that the overall experience does not warrant extensive replay. Overall, the game offers varying levels of replay value depending on individual player preferences and play styles.
- “This is one of my favorite games ever, almost infinitely replayable with new game+ and with daily challenges to tinker with.”
- “I was stuck on the last section for at least an hour (just not quite fast enough), and there's lots more replayability (you collect monsters, and several take special situations to get - I missed at least a half dozen in my playthrough).”
- “This game is amazing and endlessly replayable.”
- “It's kinda good to kill some time, but it doesn't really have much replay value.”
- “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
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is widely praised for its charm and entertainment value, featuring funny creatures, wacky NPCs, and a lighthearted tone that enhances the gameplay experience. Players appreciate the balance of skill and luck, with humor woven into the strategic elements and upgrades, making it an enjoyable and engaging time-waster. However, some users noted that the humor can feel limited or repetitive, with a few mentioning technical issues that detract from the overall experience.
- “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.”
- “Nice touch of humor, and the kind of gameplay that's 'easy to learn, hard to master.' It's a roguelike (roguelite? idk) but you get upgrades and boosts as you keep trying, which means it never hits that wall of frustration and ragequit.”
- “The 8-bit tune is very catchy and the writing (well, that little that is there) is pretty funny.”
stability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game suffers from significant stability issues, including frequent bugs and mechanics that can cause the game to lock up, leading to frustrating experiences for players. While some find the gameplay enjoyable, the instability detracts from the overall recommendation.
- “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 device after I found the resolution (which is my device's resolution is weird). Sometimes the board locks up, and I have to 'win' that run and then exit the game before moving forward.”
optimization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game features a charming aesthetic but suffers from subpar graphic performance, especially considering its simplistic design, leading to a disappointing optimization experience.
- “A cute veneer over a mediocre matching game with surprisingly poor graphic performance for how simple it is.”
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 less satisfying 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 strategy feels exploitative, as it seems designed to push players towards spending more money.”
- “It's frustrating to see a game that could be great hampered by aggressive monetization tactics.”