The Plucky Squire is a game that feels perfect for parents to play with their kids.
In this charming adventure, you become the hero of a children’s book, written by a young author destined for greatness. Your mission? To defeat an evil wizard who tries to change the story by kicking you out of your world. But guess what? This gives you the power to hop in and out of the book, rearrange words, solve puzzles, and find new weapons.
Fans really enjoy games that mix fun stories with simple mechanics.
The game’s setup is pretty cool. You are a hero trying to restore your book to its original state because if you fail, the young writer might lose hope and stop writing forever. This idea of fate and choice is fascinating, though it doesn’t dive too deep into these themes early on. The thought of characters knowing they are just words on paper is intriguing but not fully explored in the beginning.
But then again, this game seems aimed at younger players who might not care about such deep thoughts. So, while older players might wish for more exploration of these themes, kids will likely just enjoy the adventure.
The gameplay focuses on using words to change your environment. For example, changing “locked” to “open” makes a gate magically unlock. You can also interact with other characters outside your book to solve problems inside it, like talking to an elven archer on a Magic: The Gathering card to shoot down wasps.
The puzzles are usually easy but sometimes require creative thinking. I felt super smart when I figured out how to stop some singing frogs by changing the scene from day to night. Even though no puzzle was too hard, they were fun and satisfying.
The game moves in a very linear way, which makes it simple for younger players. Only certain words can be changed in each puzzle, and allies quickly guide you when you need to leave the book for help. This straightforward approach keeps things easy and fun.
The game has features that make it even easier if needed, like hints and an easier difficulty setting that simplifies combat even more. I do wish there was a harder mode for those who want more challenge, but it’s not a deal-breaker for me since the normal difficulty might get tougher later on.
I can’t wait to play more of The Plucky Squire. It may not be super challenging or delve deeply into its themes, but it offers a delightful journey through a children’s book where good always triumphs over evil. Parents playing this with their kids are going to have so much fun!
The Plucky Squire will be available on Xbox Series X|S, PS5, Switch, and PC on September 17.
