The Bad Box Art Challenge 2017 was a game jam where developers take inspiration from ugly box art, located in a gallery of trash. Once the developer had picked out a terrible box art example, they then created a game around it! I was able to play and record all of the games entered into this jam in my video compilation series. Below are a few of my favorites, in no particular order.

Stop That Tank! is an 3D, goofy battlezone clone where you, (a duck) and your canine friend are controlling a tank! The general has decided instead of giving up his weapons to move towards a world of peace, he will attack all of the countries that have given up their weapons. Startled by this news, you and your companion have decided to steal the best tank the general had and take on the general’s army.

Each level has a set number of things it wants you to do - destroy the enemy’s tanks, their gas supplies, or save a person in the middle of the base. The enemy team will try to stop you, shooting at you and sending tanks after you, so be fast and aware of what is around you. The two characters inside the tank make this game for me, their facial expressions and cutscenes are super adorable and funny.

Bad Cat is a really large world, funny game about a cat with a serious alcohol problem. This cat has been sent on a mission, by a dream fairy, to collect dream fragments. These fragments are based off of something the cat loves most; booze. You can explore around the world collecting these fragments and interacting with other characters. Sometimes these characters hold the key to new areas that you can explore if you trade with them or give them some fragments. The new areas will also be full of fragments to collect and obstacles to overcome. There are lots of funny cutscenes and places to explore in this game.

Princess Tomato In The Salad Kingdom is an adroable, fast paced game where you are looking to save the princess of Salad Kingdom. She has been stolen by an evil white radish, however… you are going to save her! First, you must make your way to the Carrot Castle.

You do this by running towards the castle, avoiding obstacles such as mushrooms, carrots, and broccoli. Minions of the white radish will also appear on your path. You can defeat them by quickly pushing the arrow keys above their head in the correct order. If you do it fast enough, you will gain gold. If you make a mistake, or take too much time, you will lose a life. This game is pretty simple in terms of gameplay, but the story, cut scenes, graphics, and little touches to gameplay really bring it to life!

Ultima II is an adventure game that takes you on a quest in a faraway land. You are trying to find a secret amulet, hidden in a cursed swamp. This swamp is filled with monsters - giant mushrooms, hopping creatures, and flying bugs, all looking to stop you. You must use your sword, as well as other weapons you find in this environment, to destroy them and locate chests. These chests are well hidden, so you must explore the islands trying to survive.

There are objects such as anvils and fountains that can help you - by upgrading your weapons or your life when you interact with them. When you destroy enemies, they sometimes drop blue or red potions - blue potions make shields around you, that go away after a set amount of time, while red potions refill your health. Ultima II is a really fun game to explore and discover - see if you can find the amulet!

Macho Rules is a super challenging typing game that has you trying to show off your muscles in order to defeat your opponent. You are in a strongman competition - competing to show off your muscles against an extremely muscular opponent. You will flex your muscles by typing out the words that appear above your head.

These lines will need to be typed perfectly - capitalisation, hyphenation, and everything in between. You only have six seconds to type this all out, without too many mistakes, in order to successfully flex. If you do get the sentences or words correct, then you will win that round. You must win quite a few rounds before you move onto the next opponent. Macho Rules is a pretty silly looking game - muscled men riding in on trains to flex at other guys, but there are some real challenges when it comes to typing fast enough to win!

Snake Roy is a retro styled game that has you burning a village, killing people, and destroying everything. You were once the king of this village, but an evil wizard has transformed you into some sort of fire breathing monster! To get your revenge, you must kill the wizard and return to your throne. The people of this town know you are a monster, so they are looking to destroy you. Some of the townsfolk have arrows, which become quite problematic, so it is worth eliminating them quickly. As you explore around the town, you can light trees, buildings, and people on fire. You are looking for the wizard, a man inside his castle, so do make sure you live long enough to get your revenge!

#badboxart2017 #StopThatTank #BadCat #PrincessTomatoIntheSaladKingdom #MachoRules #UltimaIII #SnakeRoy