Buck: The Game

Buck: The Game is a Dutch puzzle game based on the Buck TV series broadcasted in 2018 on the Belgian national TV channel Ketnet for children. The series is aimed at children aged ten and up. Players take on the role of a cadet in the Buck universe. The game takes place on the planet Malmek where the player’s character, which can be customized, starts in the Orion academy. After completing the academy’s six missions that act as a tutorial, different worlds can be explored. Each world has a different theme and different puzzle elements. The main goal is to defeat general Lankey and his Karpian soldiers to become the new leader of the Orion academy. Levels are completed by locating and entering the exit. To reach it the player’s character needs to solve puzzles that involve levers to open doors, jump pads, teleporters, speed tiles, lasers that can be rotated to power devices and more. Some levels contain enemies that can be defeated or can be avoided when they are asleep. Progress is rewarded with points after each mission to advance the academy rank. The character can be guided anywhere by tapping a spot in the environment. Swipes are used to rotate the camera in any direction. Certain paths are highlighted with blue orbs to provide some guidance. There is also the drone C2PE that is always around to provide a hint. Between missions there are often conversations with other, voiced characters and short cinematic sequences. There is an optional AR mode based on scanning a marker to offer a different perspective of the game world. Each level has an optional collectible that be found by solving additional puzzles.