Turnip Boy Commits Tax Evasion by Snoozy Kazoo and Graffiti Games (Publisher)

First, a word from the publisher: “Play as an adorable yet trouble-making turnip. Avoid paying taxes, solve plantastic puzzles, harvest crops and battle massive beasts all in a journey to tear down a corrupt vegetable government!“

How I’d Describe the Game:

If I had to describe this game in 10 words or less, I’d spin it like this: “Zany 2D Legend of Zelda with a few modern updates.” The “updates” included things like auto-save, a dodge mechanic, and button remapping. Here’s the rub, though: many, many games have taken inspiration from 2D Legend of Zelda; what makes Turnip Boy Commits Tax Evasion stand out from the crowd? Read on to find out.

What Worked For Me:

The game was short; I was able to complete it in under 3 hours. As I’ve said many times, I’ll always pick a game that can get to the point with its core mechanics and/or message over a bloated (often AAA) “everything and the kitchen sink” game.
The game was full of zany moments, from tearing up tax documents (and almost any document Turnip Boy got his hand on, actually) to giving a streamer a “tier 3 sub” … sandwich.
The game was funny, including everything from JoJo references to jabs at the game’s design. Folks who want a serious, somber game need not play Turnip Boy. Also, while I won’t spoil the specifics, Turnip Boy only has one line of dialogue in the entire game (he typically speaks in ellipses and emotes). Said dialogue had me laughing out loud.
The game included a mechanic to find secrets missed over the course of a regular play-through. I had to beat the game first to access this feature, but it was still a welcome addition. As an added bonus, this feature (and the fact that you don’t start from square one after beating the game unless you select “new game”) also allowed the game to have multiple endings.
The game included a free “Sunset Station” update that added an endless battle feature to the game. This also included optional “mods” to Turnip Boy’s movement and attacks (e.g. moving faster, hits occasionally causing enemies to catch fire, etc). Even if I felt this mode was blander than the main game, again, it was free.
The game tackled unexpected topics for this genre and aesthetic. These topics included the role of government, the effect of property on society, and how life can go on after tragedy. Happily, I never felt the game was preachy; instead, I found it thought-provoking. I won’t go deeper than that to avoid potential spoilers.
The game included accessibility options, from the expected (key remapping) to the appreciated (“god mode” that prevents the player from dying and the ability to beef up Turnip Boy’s attack strength). I didn’t use these features myself, but I appreciated their inclusion for players whom they may benefit. I also appreciated that these options were offered without condescension.

Accessibility Options: “Turnip Boy Commits Tax Evasion”

The game included a number of additional hats for Turnip Boy. While Turnip Boy won’t be your new favorite “dress up” game, I still appreciated the aesthetic variety. Minor spoiler: the crown was my favorite, though there were definitely a few close seconds (cowboy hat and top hat).

What Didn’t:

The music didn’t stick with me. The song that played over the end credits was cute, though.
The game’s difficulty curve was a bit wonky. Specifically, I found the penultimate boss (Liz) considerably harder than the final boss. I suppose it was partially my own fault, as said boss required a different tactic than virtually every other boss. (In short, Turnip Boy’s melee attacks were not the most effective way to beat the boss by a long shot.) A quick detour to YouTube demystified the boss for me, though, so at least there’s that.
The game’s audio levels were really loud for some reason. In response, I had to turn the game’s master volume down to 30%. For context, I keep my PC’s volume relatively low. Not only that, I’ve never encountered this precise issue in other games. At least the problem was easily fixed in the options menu.
(nit-pick) It wasn’t always clear when a character had more to say verses when they’d just repeat themselves if interacted with again. I understand that this was a common feature in the games of yore, but this game had the opportunity to address the nit-pick. Characters Turnip Boy can interact with even have an exclamation point over their head. Surely, it wouldn’t have been too hard to remove the exclamation point when the character has no new dialogue?

Conclusion:

I had fun with Turnip Boy Commits Tax Evasion, from the madcap story to the familiar game-play. The game is easy to recommend at its retail price ($15), and even easier to recommend on sale. Given that Turnip Boy Commits Tax Evasion was Snoozy Kazoo‘s first game, I will be watching the studio with interest going forward.

Check it out here.