Turnip Boy Commits Tax Evasion is a 2021 action-adventure video game developed by Snoozy Kazoo and published by Graffiti Games. It was released for Linux, macOS, Windows, and Nintendo Switch in April 2021.[1] The game was also released for Xbox One in April 2022, for iOS and Android in May 2022, and for PlayStation 4 in December 2022.[2][3][4] The player is placed in the role of an anthropomorphic turnip who evades taxes in an effort to fight a corrupt vegetable government. A sequel, titled Turnip Boy Robs a Bank, was released for Nintendo Switch, Microsoft Windows and Xbox One on January 18, 2024.[5][6]
| Turnip Boy Commits Tax Evasion | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Developer(s) | Snoozy Kazoo |
| Publisher(s) | Graffiti Games |
| Engine | Unity |
| Platform(s) | |
| Release |
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| Genre(s) | Action-adventure |
| Mode(s) | Single-player |
Gameplay
editThe player controls Turnip Boy, who has been convicted of tax evasion, and must go on a quest to stop a corrupt mayor. The game is played from a top-down perspective, and features a variety of areas to explore. The controls are similar to roguelike games, with a basic health system and hack and slash combat. Turnip Boy has an inventory containing a variety of items, which can include quest items, tools, and weapons; and can equip one at a time. Equippable items can be used in any direction, and position is determined by player input, such as mouse position. Turnip Boy can engage in combat with various enemies, in which he has a limited amount of hearts, and dies upon losing them all, but will respawn at the last checkpoint. Boss battles typically consist of attacking the boss directly with a weapon or utilizing a gimmick commonly used in the area the boss was found. Defeating bosses grants important items that can unlock new areas.[citation needed]
Along his journey, Turnip Boy may complete various sidequests to gain items or obtain achievements. Various NPCs can be interacted with, often either providing said quests or adding to the game's overall narrative.[7][8]
Plot
editTurnip Boy, owner of a greenhouse, receives a tax bill from Mayor Onion, which he rips up. Mayor Onion accuses him of evading his taxes, and sends him on various errands as penance, during which Turnip Boy, with help by an avocado named Annie, discover the history of their world, which implies there was some sort of nuclear holocaust that killed all humans, and began mutating vegetables into sentient bipedal beings.
Once Turnip Boy completes all errands, Mayor Onion locks him out of the greenhouse; Old Man Lemon then reveals that Turnip Boy's father, Don Turnipchino, was once a mighty mafia crime boss, with Mayor Onion and Old Man Lemon being his associates. Old Man Lemon confides to Turnip Boy that there's a secret underground base underneath the greenhouse, and allows Turnip Boy to sneak in. Turnip Boy confronts and defeats the corrupt Mayor Onion, and reclaims the deed for his greenhouse – which he then rips up.
Reception
edit| Aggregator | Score |
|---|---|
| Metacritic | 72/100 (PC)[9] 74/100 (Switch)[10] |
| Publication | Score |
|---|---|
| GameSpot | 7/10[7] |
| Nintendo Life | 8/10[12] |
| Nintendo World Report | 6.5/10[13] |
| Shacknews | 8/10[11] |
| TouchArcade | 4/5[14] |
The game received generally mixed reviews. On Metacritic the game has a score of 72% and 74% on PC and Nintendo Switch respectively, indicating "mixed or average" reception.[9][10]
In his review, David Wildgoose of GameSpot praised the game's "relentlessly silly script" and was "positively surprised" by its puzzles, whilst criticizing the controls and noting that not all of its humor "quite lands".[7] Nintendo Life's Ollie Reynolds called the gameplay "relatively pleasant for the most part", enjoyed the game's tone and dialogue, but felt that the sword's controls were floaty at times and that "the heavy reliance on social media references" for the jokes "may not vibe" with some.[12] Jordan Rudek of Nintendo World Report similarly praised the charm and humor, but felt the game's puzzles lacked depth, that "much of the action [felt] repetitive and its story was too short".[13] That sentiment was echoed by Shacknews editor Donovan Erskine, who praised the humor, dungeon-crawling and puzzle solving elements as well as the "fleshed-out universe", but wished the game had a "quest log or similar feature".[11] TouchArcade's Shaun Musgrave gave a positive review of 4/5, having enjoyed the "goofy tone", controls, the game's "cartoony look" and gameplay, but added that people who "don’t like memes or absurd jokes" would have a bad time.[14]
Several reviewers compared the game's mechanics to games in the Legend of Zelda video game series, with Nintendo World Report in particular calling it a "Zelda-lite".[7][14][13][11][12]
References
edit- ^ "Turnip Boy Commits Tax Evasion launches April 22". Gematsu. April 1, 2021. Archived from the original on December 14, 2022. Retrieved December 14, 2022.
- ^ Xbox, Pure (April 19, 2022). "'Turnip Boy Commits Tax Evasion' Surprise Launches On Xbox Game Pass". Pure Xbox. Archived from the original on December 14, 2022. Retrieved December 14, 2022.
- ^ Derrick, Connor (May 24, 2022). "Turnip Boy Commits Tax Evasion, the vegetable themed action-adventure game, officially launches for iOS and Android". Pocket Gamer. Archived from the original on December 14, 2022. Retrieved December 14, 2022.
- ^ "Turnip Boy Commits Tax Evasion coming to PS4 on December 20". Gematsu. December 6, 2022. Archived from the original on December 14, 2022. Retrieved December 14, 2022.
- ^ "Turnip Boy Robs a Bank launches on January 18th, 2024!!!". Snoozy Kazoo. November 30, 2023. Archived from the original on December 1, 2023. Retrieved December 31, 2023.
- ^ Vaz, Christian (November 30, 2023). "Turnip Boy Robs a Bank release date, gameplay, and news". PCGamesN. NetworkN. Retrieved January 2, 2024.
- ^ a b c d Wildgoose, David (April 29, 2021). "Turnip Boy Commits Tax Evasion Review - A Leek to the Past". GameSpot. Archived from the original on July 9, 2022. Retrieved April 22, 2022.
- ^ Pellegrino, Christian (April 24, 2022). "Turnip Boy Commits Tax Evasion: How To Get Every Hat". TheGamer. Archived from the original on January 21, 2024. Retrieved January 21, 2024.
- ^ a b "Turnip Boy Commits Tax Evasion for PC Reviews". Metacritic. Archived from the original on December 21, 2022. Retrieved December 21, 2022.
- ^ a b "Turnip Boy Commits Tax Evasion for Switch Reviews". Metacritic. Archived from the original on January 23, 2022. Retrieved December 21, 2022.
- ^ a b c Erskine, Donovan (April 22, 2021). "Turnip Boy Commits Tax Evasion review: A leek to the past". Shacknews. Archived from the original on April 22, 2022. Retrieved December 21, 2022.
- ^ a b c Reynolds, Ollie (April 25, 2021). "Mini Review: Turnip Boy Commits Tax Evasion (Switch) - Witty Zelda-Inspired Top-Down Tax Avoidance". Nintendo Life. Archived from the original on December 21, 2022. Retrieved December 21, 2022.
- ^ a b c Rudek, Jordan (April 22, 2021). "Turnip Boy Commits Tax Evasion Review - Review". Nintendo World Report. Archived from the original on April 22, 2022. Retrieved December 21, 2022.
- ^ a b c Musgrave, Shaun (April 26, 2021). "SwitchArcade Round-Up: Mini-Views Featuring 'Dragon Audit', 'FEZ', and More, Plus the Latest Releases and Sales". TouchArcade. Archived from the original on December 21, 2022. Retrieved December 21, 2022.
Further reading
edit- Bell, Alice (April 22, 2021). "Turnip Boy Commits Tax Evasion review: the funniest game I've ever played". Rock, Paper, Shotgun. Archived from the original on May 15, 2022. Retrieved April 22, 2022.
- Winslow, Jeremy (October 19, 2021). "Seven Hours With Turnip Boy Commits Tax Evasion's Free DLC". Kotaku. Archived from the original on September 12, 2022. Retrieved April 22, 2022.
