The Frog Who Travels is too difficult for its target audience [Review]

When I first saw The Frog Who Travels I was hopeful that it would be a throwback to Frogger. Not so much. What I did find was a cute little jumping game that is much too difficult for its target audience.

Gameplay

This game is a side-scroller that has you controlling a frog who leaps from column to column trying to avoid falling into the water. Why a frog needs to avoid water is beyond me. We receive no background or storyline to follow and have no real goals to accomplish, although it does have achievements for Google Play Games.

Home Screen

Level Selection

Timed Mode

The game mechanics are simple to understand but very difficult to put into practice. To make the frog jump simply press down on the screen and hold, then release when you have charged the jump to your liking. I know what you guys are thinking, “Seriously? How is this hard?” but I’m telling you, this mechanic does not make it easy at all to tell if you have charged the jump enough to make it anywhere near the next pillar.

There are three different game types to choose from: easy, which is portrayed by a baby bottle; normal- the large “play” button at the center of the home screen; and timed- portrayed by the clock icon to the right of normal.

Easy mode gives you a charging icon above the frog so you know just how much jump he has, but in my experience, this is not as useful as it might sound because the height and distance of every single pillar are different. Normal mode just allows you to play the game as intended, an endless sea of pillars to jump to, and you can obtain points and coins along the way. Timed mode is just what it sounds like, play the game with a timer and see how far you can get.

Graphics

The graphics of this game are my favorite part by far. The fabulous 2D backdrops of cityscapes and grassy hills are great. The developers used bold color choices in the foreground and some more muted colors to display backdrops. The animations are great here as well, from the subtle movement of the water to the jumping action of the frog.

Score

Nice Backdrop

Conclusion

To be clear, I do enjoy the theme and gameplay that the author is reaching for, I simply feel that the learning curve is a little steep to capture the attention of what I feel to be its target audience, pre-teen children. If you have a child that enjoys a challenge in the games you let them play by all means give The Frog Who Travels a download.

Download The Frog Who Travels