I got this game because it was on sale and looked super cute. I hadn't looked up any reviews at all. I expected to be playing as a little turnip trying to avoid paying his taxes. What I got was so much better!

The graphics are nice and vibrant. It's a little pixel game with the cutest artwork and animations. So I was LAUGHING in the first few minutes. The humour here is great (though heads up it may not be for everyone). I felt terrible for the acts I was committing, but in the end it's for the laughs and I got used to it. With the humour comes some actual strong world-building as you discover the backstory of the world little turnip boy is running amok in. There are a couple of twists in there I thoroughly enjoyed.

The gameplay itself is great! Nice blend of RPG questing & puzzles and Hack n' Slash with boss fights. I don't consider myself a great gamer but I was able to play through and beat the game in a decent amount of time. It's not a crazy long game but there's definitely enough there to get joy out of playing it and feel the accomplishment of completing the whole thing.

There's a full collection of items that you can get if you want to beat the game 100%, including a collection set that allows you to unlock a 'true' ending. There is even a post-game infinite dungeon royale that's unlocked after completing the main storyline, so if you enjoyed the Hack n' Slash, you can keep on going!

I totally recommend this game, though maybe do a bit of research if you have reservations about playing a not so heroic hero. It's a lot of fun!

Last month I played through Turnip Boy and it was fun. The humor was funny at times and terrible at others, and while the gameplay wasn't that impressive or anything, it was still good enough for me to finish the game. The game really shines when it tries to tell its own story, which sadly doesn't happen often, instead relying on other media and references to make its jokes.

Turnip Boy Commits Tax Evasion is a parody of adventure games and pop culture in general, making fun of the tropes they use and the stories they tell. The game's writing can be really clever at times, more specifically when it's trying to tell its own story, however most of the time the "jokes" it tries to make fall super flat. I think the running gags about the game itself are really fun, but the developers just can not stop with the referencial humor, with some characters only existing so they can say "Haha have you watched this popular anime? Isn't it funny when our game quotes the popular anime???"

The game itself is ok. The inventory system and items you get are a little bit clunky however they're not game-breakingly bad or anything, so you get used to them quickly. The bosses are actually pretty fun though, and I was incredibly surprised when I finished the story and was met with the fact that the post-game was an entire god-damned rogue-lite dungeon within turnip boy, so that's cool for people who want more of the game.

Here's a little problem I have with video games lately: It feels like most videogames don't actually know what kind of game they want to be. Halfway through the game, you enter a section where they drop the silly act and reveal that the vegetables being alive is the result of radiation from a nuclear warhead. No jokes. No gags. No goofs. Out of nowhere, the game just starts throwing serious lore and some heavy implications at your face. And right before you can tell if the game is trying to be a parody of games having dark lore for no reason, that part of the game ends and the real-ass nuclear bomb hidden in your basement goes back to being just a background object for the Mayor to use so he can keep being silly. I don't know why, but this part really stuck to me and made me feel weird about the rest of the game, like I just didn't know anymore what kind of story the game wanted to tell me.

The presentation is actually pretty great. While the pixel art is good enough, I especially really liked the artwork they used for close-ups and cutscenes. The ending song is also super memorable.

In conclusion: While the game is fun, I can't help but feel like it could be so, so much better. The game had a lot of potential for a fun story but decided to throw it away in favor of pop culture references. The game is super short though, so even if the gameplay is not the greatest thing ever, it's still worth powering through it just to watch the story unfold. 6/10

Opening Act: 3/10

Mayor drops in, and you owe money!!!

Gameplay Loop: 6/10

Navigate the Zelda (NES style) navigation map & gameplay. However compared to the original Zelda there are tons of NPCs and relatively good clues on how to proceed with the game. That being said you will have to cycle through several bosses and dungeons to get to the ending. They are pretty enjoyable and straight forward.

Hand and Eye Friendliness: 8/10

The game looks good and has no difficult visual scenes at all. Joystick and button holding are not strenuous. In addition the game is relatively short. There is a bit of timing coordination but overall its very hand friendly. For those struggling with any elements the settings can be made to be easier in the main menu as well!

Story: 6/10

The story is somewhat light, but what is there all fits together in the world and it resonates in a straightforward way with the player that is Memorable.

Sound: 7/10

A surprising highlight is a few catchy music tunes. They don’t hold up to long gameplay but the gameplay sessions here are short so it works well.

Overall Experience: 6/10 = Recommended (Worth the time)

It’s an enjoyable game, and there is also some extras as well as multiple endings. Overall it can be beaten in 1-3 hours, and takes a bit longer to complete all the content. I think if you buy & spend some time playing this game you’ll think it’s memorable and funny & a good experience.