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RunBean Galactic is one of those titles that shouldn’t be as fun or addictive as it is. However, this simple idea has you hooked from the off. Like the now-unavailable Flappy Birds, this title isn’t complicated or graphically impressive. No, its basic approach and just one more try nature will amuse you and drive you insane in equal measure.
Developed by Khud0 and Eastasiasoft Limited and published by the latter, this is an action platformer. However, those labels should be taken with a pinch of salt as you effectively dodge a plethora of obstacles. Consequently, this never-ending running title demands fast reactions, excellent peripheral vision, and the ability to be flexible.
RunBean Galactic has no story!
Why the “hero” is stranded on this lonely planet is anyone’s guess, but the lack of story has zero impact on proceedings. Instead, you may enjoy the looming danger, the mountains of obstacles, and the minor tactical elements that you face. Furthermore, there are several heroes at your disposal as you try to survive for as long as possible.
You control a cute creature that is abandoned on a lush planet. However, you don’t get to explore this strange place. No, you must circumnavigate it while avoiding spikes, traps, and locked doors. As you progress, your score increases and it only stops whenever you die. Moreover, there is a day/night cycle to add a layer of difficulty to the action.
It is all about the score.
Like Flappy Bird, the idea of RunBean Galactic is to survive as long as you can while achieving the highest score possible. Now, this may seem like an easy task, but things soon hot up and the gameplay becomes consistently tougher. As day turns to night, the rotation of the planet appears to change. Subsequently, you must react faster as the traps are closer together. This was wonderfully brutal as it tests your memory, your reactions, and your ability to scan the whole planet. What’s more, it makes the action rewarding, especially when you beat your high score.
The core concept is unbelievably simple. As such, you must jump red spikes, roll under yellow-toothed traps, or leap over locked doors. Furthermore, you may collect stars to increase your score, leap to gather keys to unlock padlocks or blow up stuff with a bomb. On top of this, there is a pillar to turn you around as well. Each of these obstacles spawns randomly and can appear right before your eyes. Consequently, you are kept on your toes and must think fast if you wish to succeed.
RunBean Galactic is bright but understated.
With such a simple concept, I wasn’t surprised that the visuals were so basic. However, I was taken aback by the vivid colours and the excellent character models. Alongside this, I enjoyed the animation and the shift in style between daytime and nighttime. What’s more, each trap is easy to identify, and this helps make the gameplay a little easier.
Like the visuals, the audio was stripped-back as well. The upbeat and funky soundtrack plays on a loop. Accordingly, this made the action even more repetitive. Yet, this wasn’t so bad as each round is short and the casual action is enjoyable and moreish.
Simple controls but minor flaws.
You cannot stop your character from running, nor can you choose their direction. No, instead, you must allow the gaming gods to decide your path. As such, all you focus on is jumping and rolling. Therefore, as long as you pick the right option and time it correctly, you’ll survive. However, though the controls are straightforward, moving from the rolling animation to jumping is sluggish. As a consequence, you will dive into red spikes repeatedly and this will kill you. Moreover, this will also make you scream with rage and want to smash anything within reach (you have been warned!).
RunBean Galactic has no story, no goals, and no depth, but it is addictive as hell. It is so moreish that I want it on my phone, Steam Deck, and any other portable device. Alongside this, there is a competitive edge, as there is a leaderboard to track your progress. Yet, there could have been many more elements incorporated to enhance the experience. I would have loved to see unique planets with their dangers, more traps, and daily or weekly quests. Furthermore, each character should have had a set of skills to mix things up. However, this didn’t happen, and this was disappointing.
RunBean Galactic is a great casual game.
Though this won’t set the world alight, it is a great casual game, nonetheless. Its rudimentary approach, vivid colours, and easy-to-understand mechanics make it an enjoyable experience. On top of this, it is stupidly addictive and tough to put down. Accordingly, I loved it and I recommend that you buy it here! Run, run, and keep running. Leap, roll, and avoid every obstacle as you stay alive for as long as possible.
