I’ve reviewed all sorts of Xbox Live Indie Game titles here. Hard games, easy games, edutainment titles, the occasional “app” that has no “game” pretensions at all, and more. “Snail Story” is in the third category. Not all XBLIG titles worth buying are hardcore gaming experiences, nor should they be: the beauty of XBLIG is how open and democratic it is, and where virtually any title can be approved through a peer review process that checks the title more for how buggy it is than censoring its content.
“Snail Story” is an attractive and visually engaging edutainment title aimed at younger children. Gameplay changes from level to level, but has you finding/catching symbols that match the one the game shows in the corner of the screen as being your target. Sometimes the game plays out like a platformer with you jumping to the right card, other levels may remind you of side-scrolling racers of old, or perhaps even of a graphically improved version of early river-rafting and snow skiing games. I appreciate the variety, and the nods to classic games and genres of yesteryear, and you might get a kick watching a child tackle gaming challenges that remind you of games you played once upon a time. And just as important as finding the right match is managing to avoid incorrect matches.
If you have a young-‘un to entertainment (this may be a note to those being asked to look after a younger cousin, or those who babysit professionally) this may do the trick for 240 Microsoft Points. A free trial will tell you if it’s on the right track or not.
Here’s what the developer (Caps Lock Solutions) has to say about the game:
“Join the Snail and Butterfly as they embark on a learning adventure. This early education game features symbols with audio for the English Alphabet, Numbers, Shapes, Musical Instruments and Animals. Each level introduces slightly different game play to help children further develop hand and visual coordination.”
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