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| Cassette Boy uses perspective-based puzzles to turn simple exploration into something much more clever. |
By NinjaGuyX
I went into Cassette Boy thinking it was just another top-down indie adventure. At first glance, that’s exactly what it looks like. But not long after starting, the game pulls the rug out from under you and shows what it’s really about.
This is a 2D game… except it’s actually 3D. And once you realize that, everything changes.
Early on, you gain the ability to rotate the camera, and that’s when the main idea clicks. If you can’t see something, it basically doesn’t exist. You first learn this during a dream sequence, and when you wake up, the moon is gone. From there, your goal becomes tracking down its scattered pieces across the world.
Structurally, the game feels very much like an old-school Zelda. There’s a central village that acts as your hub, and progression comes from exploring, talking to characters, and slowly uncovering dungeons that lead to each moon fragment.
Playing With Perspective
The camera is everything in Cassette Boy. Early puzzles teach you simple ideas, like hiding behind walls so objects stop existing, but the game keeps building on that concept in clever ways.
Later on, you’ll deal with puzzles where you need to rotate the camera quickly to trigger switches, or hide objects to extend timers. There are even moments where you can manipulate bombs or obstacles simply by changing how they’re viewed. It’s one of those mechanics that sounds strange on paper but feels really natural once you get used to it.
The game does a good job easing you into these ideas. It never dumps everything on you at once, and most puzzles feel fair. You might pause for a minute or two, but when the solution clicks, it usually feels earned.
Exploration and Dungeons
If you plan on playing without a guide, patience goes a long way. Cassette Boy doesn’t hold your hand, and some hints are easy to miss. I’ve seen people say they wandered around for a while before realizing where to go next, and I can see why.
That said, if you enjoy discovery-driven games, that’s part of the fun. The world encourages you to poke around, experiment, and trust that you’ll eventually find what you’re looking for.
The dungeons are well designed and nicely paced. They’re not overly punishing, but they do make you stop and think. A few puzzles had me scratching my head, but nothing ever felt unfair. Finishing a dungeon always felt satisfying, especially when everything finally lined up.
Boss fights follow the same philosophy. They’re less about button-mashing and more about figuring out a mechanic or weak point. Once you understand what the game wants from you, the fights become much more manageable.
Progression and Optional Challenges
Scattered throughout the world are optional shrines. None of them are required, but they’re worth doing. The difficulty is on par with the main dungeons, and the rewards are actually useful.
There’s also a light progression system in place. You gain experience from combat, which increases your stats, and you’ll find money and items that help along the way. Health upgrades are handled separately through hidden heart pickups, and those are important — enemies can hit harder than you might expect.
I liked that the game never forces grinding, but still rewards exploration. If you take your time, you’ll naturally get stronger without feeling like you’re stuck repeating content.
Visual Style and Performance
Visually, Cassette Boy has a lot of charm. The pixel art mixed with the green-and-white, Game Boy–inspired color palette gives it a really distinct look. It’s simple, but it works, and it fits the tone of the game perfectly.
I played most of it on my AYN Thor, and it honestly felt like the ideal way to experience it. This is the kind of game that just feels right on a handheld.
There were a couple of small issues. I ran into one bug where a boulder crushed me immediately after respawning, forcing a reload. It happened more than once, but checkpoints are generous, so it never became a major problem.
I also had a few moments where I felt like I solved puzzles in ways the game probably didn’t intend, like cheesing a fight with arrows. But even then, it never broke the experience.
Final Thoughts
Cassette Boy is a really smart little game. It takes a simple idea, builds an entire experience around it, and never lets it wear out its welcome.
If you’re looking for a Zelda-like adventure with a clever twist and a strong focus on exploration and problem-solving, this one is easy to recommend. It’s charming, thoughtfully designed, and genuinely fun to play.
Sometimes a single good idea is all a game needs — and Cassette Boy proves that.
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