Bugsnax (NSP, XCI) ROM + v1.0.2 Update

Bugsnax Embark on an unusual island adventure in this game, where you catch living snacks and feed them to your friends. This journey takes you to Snaktooth Island, the land of legendary creatures – half-bug, half-snack – known as Bugsnax. Upon arriving, you discover that your host, Elizabeth Megafig, is missing, her camp in disarray, and her followers scattered, alone and hungry. This game is an adventure video game developed by independent Chicago-based developer Young Horses. In the game, players explore a mysterious island and attempt to find and capture the eponymous insectoid food creatures. The game was unveiled in June 2020 during Sony’s PlayStation 5 live-streamed reveal event. British indie pop band Kero Kero Bonito performed the game’s theme song, which was featured in the announcement trailer. The game was released in November 2020 for the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5, as well as macOS and Windows via the Epic Games Store. Versions of the game for Steam, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S were released in April 2022, followed by a port for iOS in July 2023.

GAMEPLAY

Bugsnax is a first-person adventure game, in which players traverse the mysterious Snaktooth Island to find clues regarding the disappearance of a missing explorer. The core gameplay revolves around finding and capturing different species of Bugsnax, the half-bug-half-snack creatures that inhabit the island. The game launched with 100 Bugsnak species available for capture, each of which can be found in one of eight biomes during different times of the day. The player is equipped with a “SnaxScope” that can be used to scan each Bugsnak, which displays its movement patterns, tastes, and clues as to how to capture it.

The player can also obtain several tools to assist in capturing the Bugsnax, including a slingshot that can shoot different sauces such as ketchup and chocolate to lure Bugsnax; a tripwire that can be used to stun Bugsnax; and a Strabby, a strawberry-like Bugsnak in a plastic ball that can be guided using a laser pointer. Some Bugsnax require more advanced techniques to capture them, such as using multiple tools in combination or baiting one Bugsnak into attacking another. The town of Snaxburg acts as the game’s central hub from which all other areas can be reached. During the story, the player will encounter several Grumpuses, the residents of Snaxburg who have scattered themselves around the island.

The player must convince each of the Grumpuses to return to Snaxburg to advance the story. When a Grumpus has returned to Snaxburg, they will begin asking the player for favors, which take the form of side quests, and reveal more of their personal history and motivations as each one is completed. These side quests typically involve the player capturing specific Bugsnax and feeding them to the Grumpuses, which transforms parts of their bodies based on the properties of whatever Bugsnak they eat. A “Snaktivator” device unlocked during the game allows the player to more heavily customize each Grumpus’ appearance, such as selecting specific body parts to transform. A free update to the game in April 2022 added a new area to explore and 12 additional Bugsnax to collect for a total of 112.

The Bugsnax in this area are larger than normal and must be temporarily shrunken using special “Shrink Spice” before they can be captured. The new area is accessed during the main story as part of a larger side quest. The update also added the ability to fast travel between areas, 25 hats that can be collected and placed on Bugsnax the player has captured, and a hut for the player character in Snaxburg, which can be customized with furniture and decorations received from the other Grumpuses. New hut decorations can be obtained by completing missions sent by the Grumpuses to the player’s mailbox, such as finding a lost item or feeding a Grumpus a specific combination of Bugsnax; there are over 100 missions that can be completed.

SETTING AND CHARACTERS

Bugsnax takes place in a world populated by furry muppet-like humanoids called Grumpuses. The game is set on Snaktooth Island, a mysterious island inhabited solely by creatures called Bugsnax who are “half bug and half snack.” The ruins of an ancient Grumpus civilization can be found around the island, along with their skeletal remains. Upon discovering the existence of Bugsnax, disgraced explorer Elizabeth “Lizbert” Megafig (Helen Sadler) leads an expedition team to the island to study them, establishing the makeshift town of Snaxburg as a base of operations, but disappears under mysterious circumstances.

As part of the “Isle of Bigsnax” update, the small neighboring island of Broken Tooth becomes accessible later in the game. The player controls a nameless newspaper journalist who is invited by Lizbert to visit Snaktooth Island over the objections of their supervisor, C. Clumby Clumbernut (Barbara Goodson).  Aiding the journalist is Filbo Fiddlepie (Max Mittelman), the self-appointed Mayor of Snaxburg who was left in charge by Lizbert before she disappeared, despite lacking self-confidence.

Throughout the game, the journalist meets several other Grumpuses who join Lizbert on her expedition. These include Wambus Troubleham (Fred Tatasciore), a stubborn sauce-farmer; Beffica Winklesnoot (Cassandra Lee Morris), a gossip-seeking photographer; Gramble Gigglefunny (Sam Riegal), a rancher who treats Bugsnax as pets instead of food; Wiggle Wigglebottom (Kenna Ramsey). A washed-up musician; Tiffany Lottablog (Haviland Stillwell), Wambus’ estranged archaeologist wife investigating her grandmother’s disappearance; Cromdo Face (Rick Zieff).

A greedy entrepreneur and con man; Snorpington “Snorpy” Fizzlebean (Roger Craig Smith), an inventor and conspiracy theorist obsessed with the “Grumpinati”; Chandlo Funkbun (Yuri Lowenthal), Snorpy’s overprotective bodybuilder boyfriend; Floofty Fizzlebean (Casey Mongillo), Snorpy’s antisocial scientist sibling; Shellsy “Shelda” Woolbag (Debra Wilson), an alleged prophet who preaches the evils of Bugsnax; and Eggabell Batternugget (Fryda Wolff), the town doctor and Lizbert’s romantic partner who also went missing.

STORY

A struggling newspaper journalist receives a film strip in the mail from Lizbert, who encourages the journalist to come to Snaktooth Island and document the Bugsnax living there for the world to see. Intrigued, the journalist takes an airship to the island, only to discover that Lizbert has gone missing and all the other Grumpuses that joined her on her expedition have scattered due to interpersonal conflict. Filbo requests that the journalist help him bring the others back to Snaxburg, as they may have clues regarding Lizbert’s disappearance. The journalist gradually convinces each Grumpus to return to Snaxburg. However, the Grumpuses regularly argue with each other, and each of them suffers from the issues that they believe can be solved by eating Bugsnax.

Some of them believe that there is a secret conspiracy behind the island: Snoopy thinks that the “Grumpinati” are controlling the Bugsnax, while Shelda warns of their harmful “toxins”. One night, Snaxburg is attacked, and signs appear warning its residents to leave the island. Wiggle claims that the “Queen of Bugsnax” is planning to eat the Grumpuses. In the “Isle of Bigsnax” expansion, the journalist can discover a secret room with audio recordings from researcher Alexander Jamfoot. These recordings reveal that the supposed “Grumpinati” are the Snakolytes, a secret order Jamfoot is a member of whose goal is to create a new Bugsnak Queen and gain control of all Bugsnax and that they were responsible for the disappearance of Triffany’s grandmother.

After the journalist brings all residents back to Snaxburg, a volcano erupts, triggering an earthquake that destroys the town. Eggabell arrives and leads the journalist and Filbo to a hidden chamber beneath the island, which is itself revealed to be made of Bugsnax. There, they discover that Lizbert has been mutated into a giant creature made up of various Bugsnax. Lizbert explains that Bugsnax are mind-altering parasites that eventually transform anyone who regularly consumes them into more Bugsnax, as they had done to the island’s previous inhabitants, and she has been attempting to keep the Bugsnax under control as their queen.

With her control waning, Lizbert urges the group to flee the island, and Eggabell becomes part of the “queen” as well to support her efforts. Filbo and the journalist return to Snaxburg, which is now under attack from various Bugsnax. If the player fails to defend the Grumpuses during the sequence, they can die from eating the Bugsnax attacking them, becoming Bugsnax themselves. However, any Grumpus whose side quests have all been completed will fight back against the Bugsnax and automatically survive the encounter. After fending off the Bugsnax, the journalist, Filbo, and any survivors escape on the journalist’s airship.