Put your hardhat on and get ready to channel your inner Frank Lloyd Wright as BoomBit games are here with their console adaptation of their popular Mobile game, Build a Bridge! As with a few other games currently available on various platforms, we get to live out our dreams of becoming an architect for a day and get put in charge of the construction of various bridge constructions.
The question is, does the game justify the cost for a console version, or is this a title which is best played via the FREEmium version on mobiles? Let’s take a look…
I will be upfront and very honest with you, there is no story in Build a Bridge!, nor is there any fast gunplay or anything crazy like that. The game offers you an experience that is exactly what it says on the tin – you build a bridge with the goal of getting a vehicle from point A to point B. There are three regions which you can enter in order to take on new missions, each one slightly changing your materials for building. But to my knowledge, they’re all pretty much the same. You have a material used for structure stability, a road material, a rope type material, and a stronger structure stability material. We really are living in a material world…
In each level you have a budget to build your road, you cannot go over this set budget so some levels require you to get rather creative. That is unless you decide to play a certain level in Easy mode as this offers you significantly more money to build your marvellous structure with. However, you have to be conscious of what type of hazards lie within each level as they can destroy parts of your structure if you’re not too careful!
Every level is graded by 3 stars. Using more materials than necessary will deplete your score so you have to be careful not to use too many materials. After completing a level, you will gain access to that levels 3 objectives. Each level has a unique set of objectives that are, in my opinion, a great addition as it allows you to experiment more. This will force you to build structures that are far from practical and certainly not that much fun for the passengers who are taking this newly created route!
Some levels require you to force the cars to do a backflip and some have a height requirement which demands a vehicle reaches a certain height along its journey (among many other requirements). These objectives will make you think outside of the box and push you to experiment and not just build the same bridge over and over again.
There is no shortage of levels within Build a Bridge! as you have the ability to travel to three separate locations. On the Earth map, there are 30 levels. The Earth map will take you to different types of climate from sandy beaches to arctic glaciers. The next map is “Orient”, which is a nod to oriental culture. You will encounter flying dragons and whatnot as you make your way through the 25 levels it offers. Last, but not least, we take our architectural genius to SPACE! There are 25 Space levels to conquer, hopefully, you will have no issues from any scruffy looking nerf herders!
I want to point out that the game MAY have a bug with it’s Game Progress. I was able to beat every level with 3 stars as well as complete the objectives for each of the 80 levels and my total progress is stuck at 93%. We at Gamepitt have reached out to BoomBit to address this! However, seeing as there isn’t any official trophy support on the Switch, as we see with PlayStation and Xbox, this isn’t as critical of an issue as it would be on their platforms.
There is one feature that BoomBit included in the game that I absolutely LOVE. These types of puzzle games can be very challenging and therefore, even the most experienced gamers can find themselves on levels that can be nothing short of ‘hair ripping’ in their frustration and difficulty. However, if you press the Down button, Build a Bridge! will give you the option to get a hint on how to solve the level, or it will auto build the structure for you. This DOES NOT affect your stars gained for the level, surprisingly. I noticed that it usually only takes a couple of hints until you realise the game has basically built the whole level for you.
As I mentioned earlier, after you complete the level you will have the 3 objectives open up so that you have a reason to jump back in and elaborate on your design. If you are having a hard time completing one of the objectives, you can also press the Down button and auto build those challenges as well! I’ve never seen this option in a game like this before so it’s refreshing to see a developer know that their game may be a bit hard at moments and to have that little bit of extra help. However, as with all puzzle-based games, we’d strongly recommend you complete it for yourself as much as you can first otherwise you’re bypassing a lot of the fun.
Official trailer:
Final Conclusion:
Build a Bridge! is a simple take on the complex simulation of crafting imaginative bridges. There isn’t really any bells or whistles that make it stand out against other Indie titles in the Nintendo e-Shop though. In answer to whether you should pick up the Switch version or play the FREEmium version on mobiles, I’d side with the switch as it still works out cheaper if you add up the cost of the content you receive. However, those who will get the most out of this game are the people who like taking control of building creative and elaborate structures.
If you don’t rely on using the auto-build feature, Build a Bridge! provides you with a lot of content which you can easily pick up and play for short bursts over a long period of time. Just don’t expect high octane action and you’ll be pleasantly surprised.
A copy of the game was kindly provided for review purposes
Build a Bridge!
£13.49
The Good:
- 80 levels of pure creativity
- Helpful hints for every level
- Easy to pick up and play in short bursts
- Fully supports all Switch modes, the Pro controller and HD Rumble
- Better value than buying all the in app purchases for the mobile version
The Bad:
- A potential glitch with your 'total progress'
- The environment acts as a backdrop but has no effect on the level
- The hints are great, but the fact it auto completes the bridge could lead to completing structures too quickly
