Fossil Hunters is the product of a successful 2017 Kickstarter project from Reptoid Games. First released on PC and Mac in February, Fossil Hunters has just recently been released on the Nintendo Switch. It can be played solo or with up to three other players for collaborative fossil building fun. It is an enjoyable experience and certainly recommendable for couch co-op action on Switch.

Developer: Reptoid Games Inc.

Publisher: Smiling Buddha Games, LLC

Digital Only // 10+ Hours Played // $16.99 // Self-Purchased

The Life of Fossil Hunters

“Found the blueprint, now you have to build it”

The life of a Fossil Hunter consists of descending into a fossil dig site and assembling complete fossilized dinosaurs from many different types of modular fossil pieces you find throughout the level. You find these fossil pieces by digging away at three varying types of dirt with your trusty pickaxe. Once the correctly shaped pieces are found you then have to manoeuvre them into place by push, pulling, or spinning the fossil into its correct location. The controls for accomplishing this are fairly intuitive and easy to grasp within a few minutes of starting. You have your choice of four different Fossil Hunters each with varying color schemes but with no difference in functionality. Could some more in-depth gameplay choices have been possible here?

“Everyone run! It’s going to blow!!”

But there’s a catch! You have to do all of this while avoiding various baddies, cave-ins, and other environmental dangers. All of these dangers will destroy those hard-earned fossil pieces you have just unearthed so hurry to complete each level before disaster strikes! Make your way back to the elevator once a level’s fossil is completed and descend to the next level. There are a total of 30 levels with four varying environments. The Digsite, Mushroom Caverns, Magma Chamber, and The Abyss each pose unique challenges for players each getting increasingly harder and more complex. The game is very approachable for people of all ages and skill levels so don’t shy away from playing this one with the younger generations.

As you descend into the different areas you will have access to objects such as lamps, bridges, structural braces and bombs all of which will make your fossil building career easier as you descend deeper and deeper. Here’s a quick tip, you can load each of these items onto the elevator for use in a different level. You can thank me later or drop your own hints off over on my Twitter.

Power up Pickaxes?

There are three different types of power-ups in Fossil Hunters. One to increase dragging speed, one to increase digging power, and one to increase running speed. The power-ups look like pools of liquid and are fairly easy to distinguish from the rest of the map. Reaching these power-ups is a challenge at times and may take a few tries or require additional items to reach. I don’t believe these power-ups are required for any of the levels but they may make certain situations easier.

Sandbox Fun

The game can also be played like as a sandbox. The fossils on each blueprint are only the beginning of the adventure. There are options to build a complete fossil anywhere, anytime (barring destruction), and submit them for coins. You are free to travel to any previously completed level at any time giving the player the freedom to build what they want where they want. Completing fossils gives you coins which are useful in later levels as items can be purchased from deep delving merchants. Beware, as you can quickly lose these coins if your not careful around magma pools, baddies, and other environmental dangers.

Fossil Hunters also includes a fair amount of secret passageways which require a bit of thought, parkour skills, or gems to access these areas. You can find occasionally find these gems hidden in the levels or as quest rewards from the radioman in the Lab. Bring your own parkour and brain thinking skills.

“Success!!”

Fossil Hunter’s Journal

You are given a blank journal upon beginning the game. In Fossil Hunters this journal acts as a completion tracking device by counting each level’s total explored percentage as well as the number of hidden journal entries left to find. Each journal entry found gets added to the what was a blank journal and provides you with a small insight as to what fate befallen the previous expedition. I thought this was a good addition to increase the player’s investment into the world all while satisfying everyone’s varying levels of completionists attitudes.

A Blasting Good Time!

Fossil Hunters is pleasantly surprising. It drew me in with its claims of innovative puzzle building with modular fossil tiles and semi-hectic couch co-op. It kept me playing with its not-so-serious casual like approach to just that. The art style is pleasant to the eye and reminds me of Wind Waker’s cell shading art style. But just like any other couch co-op game sometimes you’re fighting your friends more than the game. Fossil Hunters can be played in solo if your friends are a bunch of two-year-old lava jumping hippies. However, I think this game really shines when you get more than one person in on the action.

“Behold, your Fossil Hunters!”

When compared to a game like Overcooked, Fossil Hunters is only “mildly infuriating”. It actually feels like the game wants you to succeed by not being super punitive with the baddies and character death. The most you can lose here is a bunch of gold coins which can be regained by building other fossils. On the same note, I wouldn’t consider the game easy either. The levels do get progressively harder. The deeper you go, the more you rely on quick thinking and teamwork skills in order to complete the levels.

Current Problems

During the course of my playthrough, I and others have discovered Fossil Hunters co-op mode does have one minor issue. If one of your other players dies off screen they will not respawn. Leaving and rejoining fixes this issue. It doesn’t detract all that much from the gameplay but considering it happened many times it can be frustrating. I reached out to the developer on Twitter and they acknowledged the fact it is an issue and will be patched asap.

As typical with co-op games when your playing with others you all share one screen, the screen does not adjust split for this game. This will sometimes leave an odd man out to be left off screen and usually run off the edge to his death. I think this is minor as you should all be working in the same area together but it does happen.

A blast with fossil building!

A casual yet not too easy approach to couch co-op games combined with unique puzzle and challenge elements that keep you coming back for more. This title is perfect for all skill levels and age categories. I would be hard pressed to find anyone that wouldn’t play this game for more than a few levels. More serious completionists looking to 100% this game may find a few struggles along the way with increasingly difficult level design and dangers.