The Legend of Bum-bo

The Legend of Bum-bo is a 2019 indie roguelike deck-building puzzle video game developed by designer Edmund McMillen and programmer James Interactive. The game was released on 12 November 2019 on Microsoft Windows via Steam, with future releases planned for macOS, iOS and Nintendo Switch. The game is a prequel to McMillen's previous roguelike video game The Binding of Isaac.

The Legend of Bum-bo
The Legend of Bum-bo official artwork
Developer(s)Edmund McMillen, James Interactive[1]
Publisher(s)Edmund McMillen
Composer(s)Ridiculon[2]
EngineUnity
Platform(s)Microsoft Windows, macOS, iOS, Nintendo Switch
ReleaseMicrosoft Windows
12 November 2019[3]
macOS, iOS, Nintendo Switch
TBA
Genre(s)Roguelike deck-building, puzzle
Mode(s)Single-player

Gameplay
The Legend of Bum-bo combines gameplay elements from multiple different video game genres. The player takes turns matching tiles on a board in order to cast spells, improve their defense, and attack the various enemies of the game.

The Legend of Bum-bo melds together gameplay elements from several different video game genres. The player controls Bum-bo or other unlockable characters as they progress through the various levels of the game; each character varies in their starting attributes, such as health, speed, luck, and so on. There are a total of 4 levels, each made up of multiple rooms filled with various enemies that the player must defeat, and a boss fight at the end of each level. In order to defeat the enemies and bosses, the player must match tiles on a board (similar to games such as Bejeweled and Candy Crush Saga) in order to cast spells, improve their defense, and attack.[4][5] The game is turn-based; the player has a specific number of turns to strategically match tiles before the enemy can move their position and attack, but there are spells and items that allow the player to extend the amount of turns they have.[2][1] Like most roguelikes, the tiles, rooms and enemy layouts are randomly generated, ensuring no two runs of the game will be the same.

Upon clearing a room of enemies, players are given the choice of one of two items that they can use for the rest of the run. When the player defeats the level's boss, they are taken to a transitional area between levels where they can play a number of minigames using the coins they obtained from defeating enemies. These minigames include a wheel that can be spun to increase a given attribute, and a shell game that players can play to earn an item. There is also a shop where players can purchase items for coins directly. Graphically, the game has a cardboard aesthetic, making it seem as if the player is inside a cardboard box.[4]

Plot

The game is a prequel to McMillen's previous roguelike video game The Binding of Isaac.[4] The game centers around Bum-bo, a homeless man that happily lives in a box behind a house on a hill with his trash and his money. Bum-bo hears a voice from above; someone steals his money and disappears down a hole. Bum-bo grabs his trash and jumps down the hole, fighting through hordes of enemies and bosses in pursuit of his money. The game has multiple endings; each one reveals more of the story: Bum-bo finds several treasure chests containing Bum-bos unlike himself (unlocking them as additional characters); he eventually finds a trap door and enters it. After clearing the enemies and boss inside, Bum-bo finally retrieves his money, but hears something mean and huge. The narration is suddenly interrupted by a woman's voice asking Isaac who he's talking to; the game then zooms out of the cardboard box setting to show a child's room, revealing that the entire world of Bum-bo was a fictional creation that Isaac had been playing in, created by Isaac's father. Isaac's mother berates Isaac for playing the game, repeatedly stating that Isaac's father had left them and that it was just the two of them. The game's epilogue is a flashback from when Isaac's father was still around and the two of them were playing Bum-bo; his father narrates the ending of their game in which a slot machine appears and Bum-bo gambles his money. Bum-bo wins, and rules over his kingdom. Isaac's father explains that the world of Bum-bo will continue to grow and grow, and will always be there for Isaac as a way to escape from the real world.

Development and release

The Legend of Bum-bo was developed by designer Edmund McMillen and programmer James Interactive.[4][6] Described by McMillen as his "biggest project" with the "most difficult design cycle",[4] the game was in development for four years and created without a prototype.[4] When the game launched it briefly had softlocks that created backlash on Steam.[4]

Reception
Reception
Aggregate score
AggregatorScore
MetacriticPC: 73/100[7]
Review score
PublicationScore
PC Gamer (US)72/100[1]

The Legend of Bum-bo received mixed reviews.[7] In a review for PC Gamer, Rachel Watts comments: "It's a fun twist on the traditional turn-based roguelike, though it's a little frayed around its cardboard edges. [...] It's frustrating that The Legend of Bum-Bo asks me to think ahead, but doesn't reward me for planning further than the box I'm currently in. [...] It's a smaller game than its predecessor but it feels more focused, with combat that offers a distinctive spin on turn-based strategy."[1]

gollark: Wow, the RAM is so good as an indicator of general system performance... (note: sarcastic)
gollark: That... describes almost nothing.
gollark: What are the specs of the server, anyway?
gollark: "tested" how?
gollark: ?intro Hi, I am gollark/osmarks and I'm interested in the future of note-taking software, and this looks interesting.

References
  1. Watts, Rachel (15 November 2019). "The Legend of Bum-Bo review". PC Gamer. Future plc. Retrieved 17 April 2020.
  2. Petite, Steven (21 June 2017). "'Binding of Isaac' creator: 'Legend of Bum-bo' likely for Nintendo Switch". Digital Trends. Retrieved 17 April 2020.
  3. Wales, Matt (4 September 2019). "Binding of Isaac prequel The Legend of Bum-bo gets November release date". Eurogamer. Retrieved 17 April 2020.
  4. Hughes, William (22 November 2019). "Interview: Edmund McMillen on the launch of Legend Of Bum-bo". The A.V. Club. Retrieved 17 April 2020.
  5. Arguello, Diego (30 December 2019). "Blending the rules of combat in The Legend of Bum-bo". Gamasutra. Retrieved 17 April 2020.
  6. Lee, Patrick (12 November 2019). "The Legend of Bum-bo Treats Cardboard as Serious Art & Sent Its Creator to Therapy". Escapist Magazine. Retrieved 17 April 2020.
  7. "The Legend of Bum-bo for PC Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved 17 April 2020.
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