Feeling Froggy
Race against the clock and earn coins by gobbling mosquitos in the action game Frösch, created by Stefan Villiger. Play as a very hungry frog, intent on filling their belly in what feels like a spiritual successor to the classic arcade game, Frogger. Hop to reach swarms of mosquitos, while avoiding equally ravenous storks. With simple controls, retro graphics and an adorable amphibian protagonist, Frösch leaves little not to love.
Easy Being Green
Frösch owes a great deal of its allure to its simplicity in design and gameplay. To launch your frog skyward, tap and hold your finger on the screen, then release to send him flying. Tap the screen repeatedly while aloft to gobble up as many yellow mosquitos as you can. Be sure to avoid the gray mosquitos, as they deduct points from your score and temporarily impede your jumping prowess. You’ll also need to avoid the storks as they fly across the screen. Players can earn bonuses by dodging these avian adversaries, as well as deflecting the low-flying baddies by charging jumps. Larger, glowing mosquitos offer a nice point bonus as well, after devouring them. Luckily, the game automatically locks onto mosquitos, leaving you to focus on tapping and devouring as many insects as possible. The more mosquitos you eat per jump, the higher your score.
At the conclusion of the game, players earn coins based on their total score, which they can use to unlock cosmetics for their frog. To purchase costumes, players can select Wardrobe from the main menu, then tap the desired costume to equip. As of now, only the body of the frog can be customized, but the developer promises that more categories are on the way. There are eight different colors to choose from, ranging in price from 250 coins to 750 coins. Skins include teal, purple, glowing and invisible. Frösch will keep track of the player’s top five scores, as well as the score for their best jump. Unfortunately, as an offline game, it lacks a scoreboard to see how you rank amongst other players.
Jumping to Conclusions
Frösch pulls its inspiration from classic arcade games, as evidenced by its modernized retro bit aesthetics and a chiptune soundtrack. The game manages to impress with its vibrantly warm color palette and jaunty soundtrack. These aesthetic choices lend themselves nicely to the game’s overall accessibility and jovial tone.
Beyond Frösch’s straightforward gameplay and retro aesthetics, there isn’t much to report. Sometimes, I found myself inundated with gray mosquitos, but aside from this minor annoyance, the game feels effortlessly addictive. It lacks a story or other modes to freshen up its well-designed, yet one-note mechanics. However, despite its shortcomings, I found myself thoroughly enjoying the game for its novelty. Frösch performs like the gaming equivalent of a fidget spinner—mindless, yet somehow satisfying. Perhaps once this tadpole sprouts a couple more legs, I’ll revisit the pond.
