Eets Munchies Review (iOS)

Eet Munchies is a Lemmings-inspired puzzle game where you must guide your cute, AI-controlled character, Eets, through the pitfalls and traps set throughout each level. While we certainly have seen this premise done before, Eets Munchies has enough charm in its presentation to help make it distinct from other titles that feature hundreds of short-term puzzles that can each be solved in a manner of seconds. Be prepared to over-satiate Eets' case of the munchies as you try to guide him through every puzzle and pitfall in this whimsical size-scrolling puzzler.

The premise of Eets Munchies is simple -- Eets will automatically walk across each level and it's your job to assist him along the way. At first, assisting Eets is as easy as planting a log to help him jump across a large gap. Of course, this notion is easy in its early, tutorial stages and will continue to build as it throws new mechanic after new mechanic in your direction. In addition to logs, there are chili peppers that will make Eets jump higher, motorized fans which will push him whatever way it faces, explosives that will make him drop to a lower level and floating creatures that will inhale him like Kirby and spit him out in a wide arc.

The resulting effect is that Eets' puzzles become much more intricate and thought-provoking once you clear the first dozen or so of each new territory, forcing you to properly plan Eets' path in order for him to reach the cake at the end of each level. There are other sweets Eets can collect on each stage, offering bonus items and obstacles you can use in Eets Munchies' level creation feature. Trying to get Eets to reach each of these bonus sweets (three in each stage), forces you to methodically experiment with every stage until Eets does a perfect run every time. This is where the most brain-teasing occurs in Eets Munchies, since you can opt out to skip the sweets and go straight for the cake of each stage, but that takes much of the challenge out of this iOS puzzler.

The graphics, music and sound effects are what set Eets apart from his other puzzling cohorts. Small details that differentiate between the levels help keep Eets' actions fresh. For example, the scarier, underground levels have more of a Halloween theme going on in terms of visuals, music and sounds, while Eets will take wide steps while indicating that he's scared of the darkness around him. The canyon and desert areas offer fans as tools to navigate the levels with, which Eets will wag his tongue at when he passes and will pant like a dog whenever he gets close to one. All the while, there is a fantastic soundtrack inspiring the same playful themes encountered at each puzzle.

The presentation of Eets Munchies is what sets it apart from other games that use similar premises of pitfall/puzzle design. Unfortunately, many of Eets' puzzles, especially its earlier, tutorial-based ones at the start of each new location (which are meant to introduce the new items and toys to help Eets travel), were very lackluster and uninspired. It isn't until reaching the harder levels later on where Eets Munchies actually felt like a brain teaser and stopped feeling like remedial chores featuring cute characters. Nevertheless, Eets Munchies remains a decent entry to the puzzle genre and its charming presentation provide a much needed cover to its lackadaisical gameplay.

This review was completed with a purchased copy of Eets Munchies for iOS.

App Store Link: Eets Munchies for iPad | By Klei Entertainment | Price: $2.99 | Version: 1.0.0 | 91.8 MB | Rating: 4+