Why did the chicken endlessly cross the road?

Back in a more innocent age of gaming, just helping a frog cross the street was enough to entertain. Crossy Road takes this idea and adds endlessly entertaining spice.

I feel like chicken tonight

Anyone who has played Konami’s classic arcade game Frogger will recognize Crossy Road’s gameplay. You must guide a chicken safely across roads, rivers, and even train tracks as it goes… well, nowhere really; the course extends on endlessly. This tiny twist on the street crossing formula is enough to revitalize the old-school concept, creating the perfect impetus to chase high scores.

To add an extra twist, the challenges each surface presents vary significantly. Crossing a road presents you with a maze-like wall of cars to dash through. Rivers act almost as the reverse of this, with floating logs offering the only safe route. The final hurdle are train tracks. The difficulty faced here is more sudden, with trains thundering through at lightning speed, demanding that you pay close attention to the crossing lights to move forward. And don’t wait too long to make your hop either, as the slowly scrolling screen and a hungry hawk are both on hand to punish tardiness.

Finger licking fun

One tap sends your creature hopping forward, while swipes allow them to readjust slightly left or right along the narrow path. Tight inputs mean any frustrations you encounter are because you messed up, not the game. Of course, this doesn’t stop you feeling cheated (cue train zooming past to turn your chicken into nuggets), but at no point does Crossy Road hide information, so all you need to know is right there on the screen.

Fantastic blocky isometric art helps with this clarity, thanks to its clean stylistic look. Each danger and element of the landscape looks great, but it is the cast of controllable creatures that steal the show. Each run nets you more coins for your bank, and once you have raised enough cash you can purchase a capsule toy containing a new animal to control. From the titular chicken, to possums, and even a hipster whale, the characters on offer are well suited to the Crossy Road’s humor and maintain the game’s stunning style.

Plucking good

Crossy Road is pitch perfect, retro-inspired, arcade fun.