BoxBoy! (video game)

BoxBoy!
Developer(s)HAL Laboratory
Publisher(s)Nintendo
Director(s)Yasuhiro Mukae
Producer(s)
  • Satoshi Mitsuhara
  • Keisuke Terasaki
Designer(s)Haruka Itou
Programmer(s)Takashi Nozue
Artist(s)Tatsuya Kamiyama
Composer(s)
SeriesBoxBoy!
Platform(s)Nintendo 3DS
Release
  • JP: January 14, 2015
  • WW: April 2, 2015
Genre(s)Puzzle-platform
Mode(s)Single-player

BoxBoy![a] is a puzzle-platform game developed by HAL Laboratory and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo 3DS handheld console. Players control Qbby, a square-shaped character who can produce a string of connected boxes. The boxes are used to overcome obstacles in stages that Qbby must be guided through. The project plan for BoxBoy! was devised in 2011 by director Yasuhiro Mukae, although the game did not enter development until 2013. The core gameplay concept remained the same throughout the title's development, however, changes were made to length of levels and the structure of the game. Each set of stages was designed with a specific theme in mind with the intention of expanding the game's depth by introducing new elements continuously. The game was released via the Nintendo eShop distribution service in Japan in January 2015, and worldwide in April 2015.

BoxBoy! received a positive reception from critics. Reviewers praised the game's creative puzzles and inventive use of the box-manipulation mechanics. Some critics were pleasantly surprised by the amount of content that was offered and agreed that the package was good value for money. However, the game's simple art style was divisive among reviewers. A sequel, BoxBoxBoy!, was released for the Nintendo 3DS in 2016, with a third game, Bye-Bye BoxBoy!, in 2017. A fourth installment, BoxBoy! + BoxGirl!, was released for the Nintendo Switch in April 2019.
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