Story
Welcome back to Boxville: except this time, it’s less of a cardboard city, and more of a naturalistic world inhabited by quaint tin cans instead. In Boxville 2, Red Can and Green Can are setting up a firework rocket on the roof, but after igniting it, Green Can is caught on it and is carried away to a distant island. So, Red Can must find a way to get from Boxville to the island and rescue his best friend, while fixing the damage Green Can caused during his ascent.
Much like Boxville, interactions with characters are conveyed through storyboard panels inked onto cardboard, but this time around, they’re easier to interpret as they have little to do with the puzzles and are only there to serve the narrative, so it doesn’t matter if you’re unable to interpret them.
Gameplay
Boxville 2 is a Click Adventure, so it’s pretty simple to play; click around the world to explore it, picking up items as you go, and using said items to solve puzzles. The cursor is of a Tinman’s hand, but it doesn’t change shape or colour to indicate what can be interacted with, so sometimes you will find yourself sporadically clicking all over the place to see what can be picked up. As is the case with most Click Adventures, interactive items often fade into the background and are easily overlooked, and without a cursor to indicate what can be picked up, your only solution is to frantically click on every pixel of the screen. One workaround in Boxville 2 is, if you have an item in your inventory, its saturation will dim slightly when held over an interactive element, and I found this the best way to map out each level. This only works when you have something to hold, though, so this solution is limited.
Boxville 2 definitely feels more difficult than Boxville, as I have had to brute-force my way through a few of the puzzles without fully understanding them – and the devs are aware of the player’s trial-and-error approach, because you are rewarded with an Achievement telling you so. If you happen to struggle, there are no hints available, and I strongly believe puzzle games should include a hints system to make them more accessible. As none of the items in your inventory have names, it’s possible to lose track of what you’re supposed to do with an item, and it’s not like you can ask an NPC for help because none of the characters talk.
Art and Level Design
Besides looking exactly the same as Boxville, Boxville 2 is clearly more vibrant than the damp, brown cardboard locales from the first game. Boxville 2 features more varied locations and takes Red Can from the industrial city to the countryside, across the ocean, and finally, to a remote, tropical island. One thing to admire is how creative Triomatica Games are, because they have a knack when it comes to transforming garbage into interesting places, people, and animals. For this reason alone, Boxville 2 (and Boxville, too) is worth checking out.
Conclusion
Should you play it? Yes
Why… Boxville 2 is equally as charming as Boxville, and if you’re a fan of the Click Adventure genre, Triomatica Games should be on your radar at this point, because they know how to craft an engaging Puzzler.
But… I’m disappointed the UI hasn’t significantly improved since the first game. My overall impression of Boxville 2 is that it’s too similar to Boxville because I don’t think it’s a significant improvement on what came before.
Final Score: 7/10
Reviewed on Xbox Series S
Developer: Triomatica Games
Publisher: Triomatica Games
Playable on: Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, PC, Mobile
Released: 26th June 2025
