is a series of

puzzle-platform game A platformer (also called a platform game, and sometimes a jump 'n' run game) is a subgenre of action game in which the core objective is to move the player character between points in an environment. Platform games are characterized by levels wi ...

s developed by

HAL Laboratory formerly shortened as HALKEN, is a Japanese video game developer based in Chiyoda, Tokyo. It was founded on February 21, 1980 by Mitsuhiro Ikeda. The company started out developing games for home computers of the era, but has since establishe ...

and published by

Nintendo is a Japanese Multinational corporation, multinational video game company headquartered in Kyoto. It develops, publishes, and releases both video games and video game consoles. The history of Nintendo began when craftsman Fusajiro Yamauchi ...

. The series centres around Qbby, a square-shaped character who can produce a string of connected boxes. The boxes are used to overcome obstacles in stages that Qbby must be guided through. The first game, '' BoxBoy!'', released on January 14, 2015, in Japan on the

Nintendo 3DS The is a foldable dual-screen handheld game console produced by Nintendo. Announced in March 2010 as the successor to the Nintendo DS, the console was released originally on February 26, 2011 and went through various revisions in its lifetime, ...

. Its sequel, '' BoxBoxBoy!'', was released for the Nintendo 3DS in 2016, with a third game, '' Bye-Bye BoxBoy!'', in 2017. A physical compilation of the first three games, ''HakoBoy! Hakozume Box'', was released in Japan. A fourth installment, ''

BoxBoy! + BoxGirl! is a series of puzzle-platform games developed by HAL Laboratory and published by Nintendo. The series centres around Qbby, a square-shaped character who can produce a string of connected boxes. The boxes are used to overcome obstacles in stage ...

'', was released for the

Nintendo Switch The is a video game console developed by Nintendo and released worldwide in most regions on March 3, 2017. Released in the middle of the Eighth generation of video game consoles, eighth generation of home consoles, the Switch succeeded the ...

in April 2019.

Games

''BoxBoy!''

''BoxBoy!'' was developed by Japanese video game company

. It was a small experimental project in development while the studio was working on '' Kirby: Triple Deluxe'' and ''

Kirby and the Rainbow Curse ''Kirby and the Rainbow Curse'', known in PAL regions as ''Kirby and the Rainbow Paintbrush'', is a 2015 Action game, action-Platformer, platform game developed by HAL Laboratory and published by Nintendo for Wii U. Part of the Kirby (series), '' ...

''. The project plan for ''BoxBoy!'' was conceived in July 2011 by employee Yasuhiro Mukae, who would later serve as the game's director. The game revolves around Qbby, a character who can produce boxes and use them to solve puzzles, move around, and press switches.

''BoxBoxBoy!''

A sequel, ''BoxBoxBoy!'', was released in Japan in January 2016, and in other territories in June 2016. This game introduces the concept of being able to summon two sets of boxes at once.

''Bye-Bye BoxBoy!''

''Bye-Bye BoxBoy!'' was released worldwide in 2017. It features boxes with special properties, such as exploding and warping, and Qbabies that Qbby must escort to the end of a level.

''Uniqlo x HakoBoy!''

A spinoff

advergame An advergame (portmanteau of "advertisement" and "video game") is a form of advertising in video games, in which the video game is developed by or in close collaboration with a corporate entity for purposes of advertising a brand-name product. Whil ...

promoting a line of Japan-exclusive ''BOXBOY!''-themed clothing released in 2017 by

Uniqlo ( ; ) is a Japanese casual wear designer and retailer. The company is a subsidiary of Fast Retailing, Fast Retailing Co., Ltd. Clare Waight Keller is the creative director. History Men's Shop OS was founded in Ube, Yamaguchi. It was rebrand ...

, Uniqlo x HakoBoy! is a mobile game accessible from Uniqlo's official iOS and Android app. Players do not control Qbby directly, but instead swipe to create boxes. Qbby will then attempt to use the boxes the player has made in order to reach the end of a level.

''BoxBoy! + BoxGirl!''

''BoxBoy! + BoxGirl!'' is the fourth game in the ''BoxBoy!'' series and first to be released on the

. ''BoxBoy! + BoxGirl!'' features a two-player

multiplayer A multiplayer video game is a video game in which more than one person can play in the same game environment at the same time, either locally on the same computing system (couch co-op), on different computing systems via a local area network, or ...

mode for the first time in the series, which was praised by critics. The game was released worldwide for the Nintendo Switch exclusively via

Nintendo eShop The is a digital distribution service for the Nintendo Switch and the Nintendo Switch 2, and formerly available via the Nintendo Network for the Wii U and Nintendo 3DS. Launched in June 2011 on the Nintendo 3DS, the Nintendo eShop served ...

on April 26, 2019.

Gameplay

Reception

The ''BoxBoy!'' series has received generally favourable reviews from critics according to review aggregator website Metacritic.

Notes

References

{{Main franchises by Nintendo Cooperative video games HAL Laboratory games Multiplayer and single-player video games Nintendo franchises Platformers Puzzle video games Puzzle-platformers Video games developed in Japan Video games about children Video game franchises introduced in 2015