PlayStation 5 launch game Bugsnax is now immortalized as a set of free mobile stickers available to iPhone owners everywhere. The second game from Young Horses, the developer of Octodad: Dadliest Catch, Bugsnax is a monster collection game with a more in-depth story than what players might think, considering that all the characters look like Whatnots wandering around backstage at the Muppet Show. The game and its catchy theme song immediately drew attention from the gaming public when it made its debut in Sony’s relaunch PlayStation 5 presentations. The game came out today alongside the system, and early buzz is quite positive.
Part of that may be due to the asking price, which is zero dollars and zero cents for most PlayStation owners. The game is free to claim on PlayStation Plus as part of the launch celebration, and even those not purchasing a PlayStation 5 right away can grab Bugsnax and put it in the digital locker to snack on later. The game is also available on PlayStation 4 for those who can’t wait another moment, but they’ll have to pay to experience it as the freebie is only for PS5 owners. Those who do grab the PS4 version get a free upgrade if they pick up the next generation console later, which is most welcome.
However, even on the rare occasions when a player is away from all manner of PlayStation (and PC, as the game also released on the Epic Games Store), they can continue to party with Bunger and Bobsicle thanks to a free pack of iOS stickers for use in the iPhone’s messaging apps. Much like emojis or similar messaging stickers on Android, Bugsnax fans can drop in all manner of food/creature hybrid to confuse and delight their friends and neighbors. Developer Young Horses tweeted out about the freebie, advertising the surprise and thanking the artists for putting it together just in time for launch day.
Bugsnax is one of the big games drawing players toward the PlayStation platform this week, right alongside surprise hit Astro’s Playroom, Insomniac’s open-world follow-up Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales, the new Demon’s Souls remake, and even Sackboy: A Big Adventure. While many of these games are available on PC or on the PlayStation 4, the new games on offer provide what many consider to be a more exciting and varied launch period than the Xbox Series X’s muted software offering.
Will Bugsnax catch on in a way that warrants placement alongside other iOS sticker packs from across pop culture? It’s tough to say. While the initial trailer hit it out of the park with that catchy theme song, the game itself seems to be a bit simplistic for some players. There are those who find the offbeat story engaging, but others wanted the catching mechanics to open up more. It leaves room for a potential sequel, but developer Young Horses’ last game released at the beginning of the PlayStation 4 generation, so it may be in no rush to iterate when it can instead create something wholly new.
Bugsnax is out now on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5 and PC.
