Once in a while you come across a game that is simply adorable. Loot Rascals is one such outing. Just about everything to do with Loot Rascals will put a smile on your face and ease away the burdens of the day. Developed by Hollow Ponds, Loot Rascals is a welcomed adventure you won’t want to miss.

It can be a nice change of pace to take a break from titles that take themselves too seriously. While we all love a good shooter or immersive RPG from time to time, getting back to the roots of what makes gaming fun is a needed refresher. The bright and colorful presentation of Loot Rascals does just that with its cute, retro, outer space animation and playful humor. The story isn’t all that original – what it basically comes down to is you fighting “baddies” (a wide range of funky-looking aliens) as an astronaut on other planets while trying to find an exit portal to “warp out.” The layout is reminiscent of the old Super Mario games – you’re on a map with a little version of yourself running around from place to place. This time, however, it’s a tile-based map, and if you enter onto a tile that a baddy currently inhabits, then it’s fight time. (Word of advice: Certain baddies will attack first while others will defend first; it’s better to attack those who defend first). The fighting style is that of a take-turn approach; just think Final Fantasy meets Nickelodeon playfulness. Once you defeat your opponent, you collect the loot in the form of a card representing different power-ups or accessories.

Now this is where the strategic element of Loot Rascals really factors in: You take these cards and then you are tasked with arranging them in your inventory to create certain ratios and combinations based on how powerful they are (one card is worth five attack and while another is five defense, for example). Different combinations, such as one particular type of card next to another, will help you to figure out how to get to your overall goal number. What this all amounts to is a stronger chance of you surviving your next encounter with an alien bully.

Don’t let the bight cheeriness of Loot Rascals make you decide to dismiss it as a children’s game; there is indeed plenty of careful thinking at play here. But it’s all done in a lighthearted manner that you can’t help but fall in love with. From your robotic guide who talks with a British accent and has a magic genie-shaped head to the little bounce dance your enemies do while waiting to attack you, everything in Loot Rascals is done with a wink.

For more information, visit lootrascals.com.

Jason Savio