ShipAntics: The Legend of the Kiki Beast

ShipAntics: The Legend of the Kiki Beast is an odd assortment of puzzles framed by a world that's absolutely bursting with personality.

The problem is it won't take you long to see all this first chapter has to offer. And unless you're a child in the three-to-six age bracket, you won't get that much satisfaction from getting to the end either.

Engine troubles

ShipAntics looks fantastic. Every character springs to life thanks to wonderful design, animation, and voice work.

The ship itself is full of lots of little details that help to paint a more thorough picture of the game's world. From the goofy critters that like to hide in corners to the puzzles you'll need to solve. Everything ties together perfectly.

There are several rooms here for you to explore. Some have interactive points, others have characters you need to talk to.

Simple to a fault

What gets in the way of enjoying ShipAntics is the inconsistent difficulty.

Some rooms will be so ridiculously easy to figure out it almost becomes boring. Others will make you wonder how a child is supposed to make any sort of progress without help from a parent.

Then the game simply ends once you solve the final puzzle. It might take young children longer than the 30~45 minutes it took me, of course, but there isn't really much game here. At least not in story mode.

It is possible to go back to play a series of puzzles based on the first chapter, which helps with replayability and pads the length a bit. I wouldn't call it a game-changer but it definitely softens the blow.

ShipAntics: The Legend of the Kiki Beast is set to receive more content in the future (which will be available via in-app purchase), but in its current state it's a bit too brief. And despite what the App Store page suggests it's really more suited to a younger audience.