Back To Bed Review

Most games that I have opted to take for the OUYA have been local party games that require this thing called ‘friends’ to be able to play properly. So when I was told of an OUYA game which didn’t require any of these things known as ‘friends’, I was more than happy to take it.

Back To Bed is a puzzle game in which you need to guide a sleeping man named Bob back into his bed. Bob wanders in a straight line until he hits an obstacle, at which point he will turn in a clockwise direction. If Bob wanders off the map, he will re-appear back where he started. During some levels, a disembodied voice will give you some tips (or just make random comments), normally if a new mechanic is introduced into the level.

You play as ‘Subob’; Bobs Subconscious, and you help get Bob back to bed with the use of a small variety of items, depending on the level. At first, you only have apples; these are used to block Bob’s path and force him to make a turn (in a clockwise direction). Not only this, but there are a small amount of stuck-down obstacles that Bob can walk into (and which you can manipulate to make Bob turn in a certain direction).

At first, the game is as simple as placing an apple or two in the right place, but later on Bob will start turning away from the desired direction, forcing you to make Bob come at a different angle in order to progress. This is where the clockwise-only turning works well, as it forces players to think in advance about which direction Bob will turn.

Later in the game however, other factors come in. Dogs and clocks roam some levels, and if any of these touch Bob, he wakes up and it’s game over. Not only this, but you also get fish; these can be picked up and used as bridges to other areas of the level. As the game is isometric, some levels use pillars and other scenery to trick and confuse you as to where a bed is. When all of these factors are put together in a big level, it can get pretty hectic and difficult to focus on all the points and directions and calculations needed in order to navigate Bob safely to his bed. Not that this is bad, as it keeps the game always interesting.

There are only  two bad points about the game that I can think of. The first is that hearing the sound of Bob falling off the map -especially towards the end of the game where it will happen often- can get a bit repetitive. My other issue was the length of the game. The main campaign only lasted me about two hours, if that.

Other than small flaws, Back To Bed is an intriguing puzzle game that doesn’t fail to keep you interested. However, its small length may make it a disappointment to some.