We may have reached the pinnacle of cuteness. Seriously, between the tsum tsum invasion, Funko’s various products, and Hallmark’s Itty Bittys, we’re practically drowning in adorableness.
If you don’t know what tsum tsums are, you clearly haven’t been in a Disney Store recently. They’re originally from Japan (where kawaii is king) and are small stuffed, stackable characters. They mostly look like flattened, oblong ovals designed to look like various characters’ disembodied heads. If they weren’t so darn cute, they’d actually be a little creepy. Thank goodness they’re cute.
And now there’s a mobile puzzle app featuring tsum tsum versions of much of the Marvel universe. I’m not gonna lie – the game is pretty fun…and addictive. I’m not a big mobile or casual gamer, but I will admit to having a huge Cut the Rope obsession when that game first came out.
If you’re a fan of puzzle games or “match three” games, though, there’s a lot to love here. Marvel Tsum Tsum (out now for iOS and Android) is free to download and play, though in-app purchases obviously abound, so tread carefully if you want to avoid that or if you’re putting the game in your kids’ hands.
Instead of a neverending “match three” puzzle game in the vein of Bejeweled, Marvel Tsum Tsum is presented as a series of levels with unique challenges. Do well, and you can earn boosters, jewels, and coins. which can be used to unlock and level up characters. Clear a level, and you can advance to the next, unlocking and moving through various stages in the game.
Gameplay is fast-paced and pretty simple: trace a line across the screen to connect three or more of any of the same character (located beside one another) to eliminate them from the massive pile of tsum tsums. The more you connect, the more goodies you’ll earn. Collect energy, detonate bombs, and release special skills and attacks.
The game comes with a single-player mode, as well as a 2-player co-op and multiplayer battle mode. I received an advanced build of the game and only played around with the single-player mode, which was plenty addictive. I’m not going to tell you how much time I spent playing the game. (Hint: it was a lot.)
If this is your type of game or if you’re just a huge fan of tsum tsums, then this will absolutely scratch that itch. I’ve been playing for several days now and haven’t felt the need to spend any money on in-app purchases, so that’s certainly not a requirement. However, the option is there to drop some cash and load up on money and characters. That’s your decision. We’re not the boss of you.
