Billy Bumbum: A Cheeky Puzzler

There's a two third's chance Billy Bumbum's bum is displayed on your screen at any one time in Billy Bumbum: A Cheeky Puzzler. I admire the audacity of this design choice that likely narrowed BBB's already quite small audience of PPPs (pure puzzle players). So is the game good? It's fantastic. BBB deserves a wider audience even among puzzle fanatics. In every level you roll Billy's cubical body around and deposit his bum in a magic pot of purple stuff that launches him into the sky with magic farts. In some levels you also rescue your imprisoned friends who then attach alongside Billy to Mama Dragon. It's incredibly stupid and it doesn't matter whatsoever. It took me 30+ hours for full completion of BBB's ~250 puzzles and, besides a few very late game puzzles that were not as grippy as I prefer, I had a grand time throughout. Difficultly ranges from easy to occasionally quite difficult. Puzzles are highly deductible and typically have very tidy, satisfying solutions. Many puzzles have surprising twists that will have you nodding your head in approval. I had some initial concerns whether BBB could hold my interest over so many levels, especially with the relatively few mechanic…

Really nice puzzle game. Every level has something new. Most levels have a unique solution.

Bumbum is a charming puzzle game that strikes the perfect balance of challenge and relaxation. Its colorful, cozy art and hilarious NPC interactions make every moment delightful, while its clever level design keeps you engaged without ever feeling stuck. The puzzles are satisfying to solve, often sparking 'aha' moments long after you’ve stepped away. While the concept is simple, its heartwarming charm and polished execution make it an absolute joy to play.

This is a fantastic hidden gem of a puzzle game - as long as you play it as a side-game. It has a LOT of levels and no level is like that amazing like the highs of say Railbound or Cosmic Express, but no level (well, maybe one) is particularly bad either. They just have a very consistent level of quality. Mechanics work well, you have a lot of choice in the order you do levels, the story is charming in a way. It's a good game, but as I said it has a lot of levels, and you'd quickly grow weary of this if you tried to play it as a main game. But as a side-game playing some levels here and there it actually works really well.

None of us ask to be born. We are pulled out of the ether, into a realm where there is one rule above all: Chaos is the order of the universe. Our world is often cruel and unfair. However, it is our great onus as human beings to make order out of chaos. That we must make a collective effort to better society at large. Often it is not easy to do good, but it can be trained. It can develop like a muscle that becomes steeled as we make bigger and better acts of goodwill. Like any practice it requires making small steps to achieve results. One small positive change to bring in this world, would be to recommend Billy Bumbum, the silly butt puzzle game to a friend, so that this underappreciated gem gets more attention. Be the change you want to be in this world.

fun