FROGGY HATES SNOW Review

The survival genre has been done to death. Realism, fantasy, and odd scenarios have been bound around for the best part of the last decade. Therefore, it takes something extremely special to pique my interest. FROGGY HATES SNOW caught my eye with its soft colour palette, easy-to-understand mechanics, and colourful protagonist. Moreover, you get a band of penguins to help you if you so wish.

Crying Brick is the team behind this addictive, but slightly repetitive, action and adventure simulation title. It is a single-player game where snow, resources, and the heat/cold play a key role in your survival. Furthermore, there are monsters to avoid, a boss to destroy, and plenty of levels to master. However, at its core, it follows the same gameplay loop, and this could create a sense of Déjà vu.

FROGGY HATES SNOW tells no story.

I normally shy away from games with no plot. I’m a sucker for a buy-in, and anything lacking this key element makes me frown. Sadly, FROGGY HATES SNOW has no story, but I forgave this shortcoming. Instead, I focused on the deadly icy environment, the cute as hell hero, and surviving for as long as I could.

The game is divided into 2 key modes: survival and exploration. The latter is calm, easy to work with, and perfect if you want to waste hours with limited danger. This option is where you clear the entire map, find the hidden treasure chest, and gather as many blue gems as possible for meta progression. Alternatively, the survival element has you facing off against waves of enemies and a huge final boss. This changes your approach as survival, health, and combat elements become more important.

It’s a balancing act.

I enjoyed both game modes, but the survival option is where FROGGY HATES SNOW thrives. The risk of dying before your run is complete is exciting. Additionally, you must prioritise resources and quick exploration before the timer runs out. This changes your perspective while leading to minor errors. As you cut through the snow, you’ll find yellow, green, red, and blue gems. The latter acts as a permanent upgrade for your frog or to unlock new characters. The other gems let you upgrade your temporary equipment.

Alongside the gems, you can gather new abilities and tools to make things easier. A cart, snowblower, penguins, flamethrower, and more can be unlocked and improved. As you find chests, you will gather new artefacts. These can be equipped to improve your base skills or offer companions to help you on your way.

The blend of new skills, unlockable characters, and different maps delivers enough variety to keep things interesting. Although the core ideas are repetitive, the minor changes create new tactical elements, and the risk of failure is enough to keep you frosty throughout.

You’ll be juggling many different things, but at its core, the frog requires heat to survive. If you stay in the snow for too long, death is all but assured. Therefore, you must plan your journey and return to the warmth of your home before you freeze. Thankfully, new micro bases can be found, and this can help you to adjust your approach and plan longer trips into the icy world.

FROGGY HATES SNOW is a cold and uncomfortable game.

The icy nature of FROGGY HATES SNOW is cold, empty, and uncomfortable. The world is awash with simple colours and stripped-back landscapes. However, it is the wonderful movement of the hero and the flowing nature of the snow that looks incredible. The audio adds to the sense of despair with its dramatic tunes and moments of silence. Alongside this, the excellent use of ambient sounds is enough to drive you crazy.

The control system is fantastic and easy to master. The simple UI is clean, and adjusting your skills can be done on the fly. Additionally, you can alter your attack approach from fully controlled to stationary and automatic. Each of the settings can be altered with ease, and this adds to the tactical fluidity. I love this game and find it extremely addictive. However, I can see why people may think it is repetitive. If you fall for its charms, you’ll want to unlock every character, skill, and stage. Furthermore, you’ll want to find every secret on offer.

FROGGY HATES SNOW is a great indie experience.

I appreciated the simplicity and tactical nuance of FROGGY HATES SNOW. It strips everything back as the hero relies on heat, resources, and luck to stay alive. Accordingly, I love its unique ways, interesting ideas, and cold aesthetic, and I recommend grabbing a copy from the Xbox Store!