Every once in a while I enjoy taking a step back from violent frag-fests and puzzle-laden adventure games to play something a little more relaxed. That’s when I reach for a game like A World of Keflings, the new sequel to developer NinjaBee’s popular XBLA title A Kingdom for Keflings. The strange little elf-people are back and this time they have multiple worlds for you to explore!
I had only played the demo of the first Keflings title, so this new entry was basically a fresh start for me. NinjaBee has made it very easy to pick up A World of Keflings without any knowledge of the previous game. As you follow the opening story and tutorial, your Avatar (properly proportioned due to the last major dashboard update) is unfrozen from a large block of ice by a group of Keflings known as the “Kefkimos”. The Kefkimos are special Keflings who live in the icy northern region of the world, and speak Canadian, which is just gibberish with the word “hoser” liberally peppered in.
This initial world will teach you the basics of gameplay, as well as acquainting you with Bob and Doug (McKenzie?) who will be invaluable helpers moving forward. The Keflings quickly realize that your size can be an asset to them, and ask you to help solve some of their problems.
Keflings is focused heavily on resource management, and it immediately reminded me of Black and White, only with a giant Kragg rather than a huge cow. The game’s UI is clean, colorful, and simple, so learning basic functions is a snap. The little guys will guide you on using commands and emotes to build structures, harvest resources, and assign other Keflings to tasks such as gathering and refining resources for you. Keflings can be named (profanity filter ON) and will level individually allowing them to move faster and carry more, which basically comprises the core of their entire existence.
The graphics and sound are certainly nothing cutting edge for XBLA, but are sufficiently upbeat, bright and cartoonish to fit the games theme. There is also plenty of detail, and a surprising amount of depth to the available customization. As you travel through the ice, forest and desert kingdoms you’ll begin unlocking blueprints that allow you to build increasingly complex structures. Eventually you can create buildings like Sculptors and Nurseries that allow you to craft “customizables” such as statues and foliage to decorate your kingdom. You can also trade these customizables online with your friends who play AWoK, show them off when you invite them to your kingdom, and vice versa. Multiplayer, both local and online, allows your friends to help you speed up building your little world, or to come in and cause havoc by smashing houses and kicking your Keflings around. Nothing says “I’m a bad friend” like jumping into someone else’s kingdom, emoting “scary face” and disrupting an entire supply chain of magic crystal miners.
There is a story hidden in all this collecting and building, and you’ll meet a few key players along the way such as a princess, her father the King, and a goofy dragon. The end goal is building a castle for the Keflings so that the three worlds can unite under a king or queen, but along the way a narrative unfolds with plenty of wacky characters and dialogue. NinjaBee’s sense of humor is evident, and I found myself laughing quite a bit at the ridiculous things the Keflings say and do. Especially the evil witch who wants you to collect fluffy puppy dreams for her to spread on her breakfast toast. Unfortunately, there isn’t much in the way of challenges as you move along through the game’s story. You can’t die, and there is almost no way to fail any of the quests. You simply keep trying a challenge until you complete it, or wait until you’ve harvested/refined enough resources to build the proper structures and progress. I would have enjoyed a slightly higher difficulty, but that may have disrupted the overall feel of the game. Unless you really enjoy unlocking customizable decorations and painting your buildings, the gameplay gets repetitive after a while.
A World of Keflings is a nice diversion from the Xbox mainstream. Although its basic mechanics are simple, the depth of the game’s later resource management, along with the witty dialogue and upbeat story keep things fun. If you are a fan of the Viva Pinata series, or the Black and White games, I would definitely recommend this. Ninjabee has created a game that is light-hearted, and a great change of pace if you want to just relax and play something for a few hours.
The Good
- Game is easy to learn and a lot of fun.
- Ninjabee does a good job of bringing the funny.
- Totally super awesome special unlocks if you love Twisted Pixel and other indies!
- Gathering and building can get repetitive.
- Once you get the hang of it, the game provides little challenge.
- Wall-eyed dragons.
