I guess we finally know what Crossy Road’s blocky little animals were trying to get. Hipster Whale, the developers behind the most compelling road-crossing game since Frogger, have turned their technicolor talent toward multiplayer platforming in Crossy Road Castle, out now for Apple Arcade.
Crossy Road Castle is not at all what I was expecting when I imagined a sequel to the most successful mobile game to borrow Flappy Bird’s naming convention. While Crossy Road was about tapping the screen to ease on down the road, Crossy Road Castle is a sometimes punishing platformer for one to four players, set in a rotating castle tower. Players attempt to climb as high as they can, jumping over obstacles, avoiding traps, and fighting bosses. Along the way they collect coins and tokens to unlock new blocky animal friends to play as (also, new hats).
I played a bit of the game this morning expecting to spend a couple minutes getting a general feel for it and wound up hopping about for a half-hour. The platforming is precise and satisfying, even using touch screen controls. The visuals are bright and colorful, which is my jam. The music, which changes with the character I am playing, is an absolute delight.
Crossy Road Castle makes me want to buy an Apple TV so I can play this with my whole family with four connected controllers. Good show, Hipster Whale.