Hoping Forest

Hoping Forest is a tile-based, minimalistic puzzle game with some cute, albeit basic visuals. However, its repetitive nature and lack of an intuitive interface can become frustrating. [b] [u]Pros[/u] [/b] [list] [*] Cute & relaxing [*] 60 levels, spread across 4 different areas [*] Basic controls and gameplay [/list] [b] [u]Cons[/u] [/b] [list] [*] Very repetitive with a lack of new mechanics throughout the levels [*] No move counter [*] Lengthy repeated animations [/list] [h1]Gameplay[/h1] Firstly, I am unsure if there is a typo in the title, but I do suspect it should be “hopping,” as the frog… well, hops? Anyway…. you control a cute frog and must help it cross to the other side. To do this, all players have to do is change around the tile paths it hops. There are an optional three flies (collectables) in each of the 60 levels, these will result in bonus medals. However, the flies can be skipped, and you may choose to just alter the paths direct to the exit. Tiles can be swapped and moved simply with left mouse click. https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2973648302 I did not mind the simplicity of Hoping Forest, but nothing new is …

[b]october 2023 edit:[/b] faster animations are an option now (as different 'game modes' for some reason) and the price got lowered. [b]hoping forest[/b] is a typical tile-rearranging puzzler, what [b]frogger[/b] would be like if you had to create the path instead of jumping around in traffic like a lunatic with a death wish. [b]60 levels[/b] in 4 zones, somewhat branching progression and an [b]optional 7-level tutorial[/b]. not a fan of the way level select is presented, 15 levels (one zone) could easily fit on a single screen without all the scrolling, 7 tutorial levels even more so. and [b]the first screen with zone selection should be merged with the stats screen[/b] to show what's been done without clicking each. no on-screen level numbers, but they appear briefly when the level starts and in the pause menu, good enough. level select should be accessible from said menu and the level result screen too. as is, [b]menu navigation is a chore[/b]. the goal is to make a path for the frog to reach the exit, ideally grabbing all 3 flies on the way. a [b]mandatory move limit[/b] is in place, the frog can only take so many steps (hops or jumps, surely) on a level, so instead of using…

This game is super cute and has a lovely lofi soundtrack which made it so relaxing to play. The progression made a lot of sense and didn't feel suddenly difficult, and if you get stuck trying to get the flies/complex route unlocked the next level is generally easy, which I think is a massive positive to anyone anxious about puzzle games. The achievements were fun, the game is cute and the whole vibe is just cozy and chill.

Fun and challenging cute frog game. I must admit some of these puzzles were way harder than I expected! Completing the game is not that hard, but getting all those flies for the complete score was the real struggle. Love how simple but effective the frog animations are.