Draw a Stickman: EPIC 2 - Draw Your Hero And Battle Evil Ink

An epic drawing adventure that requires creativity, if not artistic talent

Uniquely creative

Draw a Stickman: EPIC 2 is the sequel (the second game in the trilogy) to the Draw a Stickman series. It is a uniquely creative game that requires players to draw their way through an adventure, solving puzzles and completing levels with their finger-drawn creations.

INK! INK!

In Draw a Stickman, you play and create the hero. With basic drawing tools, you literally draw the main character. Your nemesis is a glob of spilled ink turned into a vile villain who destroys your hand-drawn world by ripping up pages in the storybook setting.

Draw a Stickman deserves credit for its incredible uniqueness. The game defies genre, combining elements of drawing, puzzlers, and adventure-RPG. The fact that it allows you to literally create the hero creates an incredible sense of agency for the player.

A charming approach

The graphics of this game feature a hand-drawn charm. It's an inexpensive, indie effort, so you aren't going to get world-shattering graphics or all-immersive sound. What you do get, however, is a graphical effort that enhances the sense of play. Characters are cute and quirky; the backgrounds emphasize the hand-drawn feel, colors pop from the gray around them. A game that requires drawing and creativity had better emphasize what colors you need and the solution to these puzzles. Thankfully, Draw A Stickman does a great job of incorporating its graphics to ensure that players know what they are doing.

To be sure, this game cannot compete with more expensive, longer titles. However, the graphics are still smart, charming, and engaging.

An incredibly unique system

Creativity is the name of this game. "Puzzles and bad guys do not come with easy solutions. Instead, you have to invent them."

The game rewards progress. As you advance and solve puzzles, more items, drawing tools, and colors unlock, encouraging you to keep going, even on the rare moment when you become frustrated or are unable to complete a puzzle.

Many reviewers noted that the game comes with mechanics that are easy to master but contain surprisingly deep features. For example, you can draw your weapons and use those weapons to attack your enemies. Of course, that comes with its own strengths and weaknesses, and this game requires that you be as creative as possible. Furthermore, you can use your own creations to solve puzzles and advance in the game. This type of system is rare and rewarding.

Download on Steam, no multi-player and online options

Draw a Stickman was initially developed for mobile platforms but has quickly migrated. You can now download it on Steam for $6.99. It is also available on the Nintendo Switch or Xbox.

This game is not the most re-playable, but it never really advertises itself that way. Draw A Stickman comes with set levels that have set solutions. There is no multiplayer and no online play options. As such, once you beat the game, that's it. You can play again and try to find new solutions to existing levels, but that isn't the most fun use of your time. Internally, the game does suffer from some repetition issues as well. Though puzzles vary, the solutions are the same.

TL/DR

A unique game that mashes genres and requires users to embrace flexibility and creativity.