What if we wanted to take on the climate change crisis by simply modifying our DNA so that we took on animal traits like fur so that we could regulate our body temps? Or work out medical issues that overtake our bodies with a fresh new species takeover? That’s the baseline of the story of “FixFox”, a solo game venture by Rendlike and published by Joystick Ventures. You’re a spacefaring clumsy foxy fixer-upper named Vix who is accompanied by her toolbox Tin, and you’re pulled into one last job to prove you’ve got the repairing chops to keep your job. Unfortunately, you crash land on a planet in a system that looks down on tools and fixing, and will police your attempts to solve the various planets’ problems, unless you distract them with a radio broadcast. Over the course of trying to escape the planet’s various communication and humanitarian problems, you discover a story of humanity’s past and its innate problems in the present. FixFox had a vibe & story that pulled me in and kept me engaged with its many twists and turns, and so many little unique details.
Roam and Repair
So the main gameplay mechanic in FixFox is that you’re tasked with repairing stuff! This can be a very important big machine that you get to drive, or a simple toaster that a villager wants to use. You do this by collecting various objects from around the world from collection spots out in the pixelated wilds, or by completing other tasks for people. Each object has assigned traits like sticky, blue, round, etc. You can then store those items in your toolbox and use them to repair objects when you’re ready to. There seemed to be no limit to the amount of tools I could keep with me, which was wonderful for feeling like I could have control of how prepared I could be. Each new world had new objects and traits that could be used for future repairs that required them. Organizing all the objects in my toolbox was a satisfying side activity that felt new and fun as well, especially without a limit. I never felt like any of the tasks were annoying or betrayed my trust in the game with unnecessary complications for object collection and management.
The planets in FixFox are inhabited by little robot NPCs and AIs that you get to interact and get to know, and each world feels like it has its own little story to tell. The dialogue is creative and fun, with lots of fancy text effects throughout that emphasize the story or a point the character is making. You get to pick up side quests and exploration tasks across the different lands, and if you plan ahead, can start to be ready to face upcoming obstacles before you get to them. As you progress, you get to move around the world in new ways, like with a little bike, a comfy chair carried by drones, or a clothes hanger zipline. This allows for much more efficient traveling around the game, as it starts to feel like the game respects that some parts of its gameplay can feel tedious after a time if not allowed to be more efficient.
Pleasant Puzzling
Throughout the game, in addition to repairing various objects, you’re tasked with various objectives that require you to move boxes, reveal hidden objects, or traverse paths in specific ways to reach your target. These were done in a multitude of different ways, whether with big machines that you collected and then crafted the parts for (a big part of the mid-game), or by flying around in a spacesuit at an outpost floating in space, among many other ways on the planets themselves. You can do these puzzles and experiences at your own pace and in your own order sometimes, and none had me stuck for a long time. It’s an easy-going experience all around.
Comfort Food & Fun
Talking about wholesome, easy-going fun, one of the requirements of every planet is enjoying their most treasured delicacy. This experience is accompanied by pleasant conversation and even more pleasant music and nommin’ sound effects. I don’t know why, but these little moments were ones I looked forward to on each planet and just felt so comfy. They added to the feeling that the planetary system we were currently stuck in was on that was welcoming, alive, and truly unique.
There’s a day/night cycle on each planet with changing music for both, and it provides a synthy backdrop for your coasting and repairing around the worlds. The music and sound effects throughout the game were very purposefully crafted and brought me into the 2D, technological and futuristic experience with ease. Everything had a satisfying and appropriate beep, plop, or sticky sound when needed, and the audio experience very much added to the game. It wasn’t an afterthought and glue the game together.
Graphically, everything flows and glows and shadows very well, and each planet holds new pixelated wonders to experience. You’ll continuously visit new buildings, locations, and even wilder places, with each bringing something unique to your eyes. The repair items you pick up and store in your box are so pleasant and interesting to organize, and the tapes and “dreams” you venture into are dotted with splashes of color and surprising effects now and then. It’s all used very interestingly.
A Story Across Time
I’m ending this review with a dive into the story. Now, I don’t want to spoil too much, but I will say, for the purpose of this review and its being written for Gaming Furever, the main storyline of FixFox should resonate heavily with our furry friendly audience. As I said in the beginning, the basis of our protagonist being a fox person is because of the need to combat climate change in a unique way. The game opens with an explanation of why there are animal people around the world now, and you meet an individual at the beginning of the game that is from that bygone era of humans first transitioning into these animal people. This conflict and the history surrounding their story and past form the basis for most of your main activities, and you’re guided through this story through interactions with characters in the tale and through “Dream Tapes” that allow you to embody and play through past events in their lives. These moments were done very well and not overly sappy or heavy-handed, but allowed for a very special and targeted story of discrimination and ignorance, along with mercy and forgiveness. It resonated with me, personally, and I didn’t expect it to lean into the animal DNA part as much as it did.
Also unexpected was the “of the times” awareness of how AI could affect our future. The topic is a burgeoning one right now, and the technological and moral implications of AI are at the forefront of discussions around the world. For a game that came out more than 2 and a half years ago, FixFox had some very astute and prescient observations to make about the tech. These are given through flashback conversations with the four AI helpers that you assist throughout the game, each with their own special directives that, for one reason or another, go by the wayside and cause chaos. The game does actually attempt to provide solutions for these potential issues, and doesn’t just leave them as dangling, “Uh oh, look at how bad this is!” statements. I found this very refreshing, as stories that just present interesting problems and conflicts without resolution don’t do it for me as much. The same thing can be said about the main story. It doesn’t leave on a cliffhanger and wraps up the game in a nifty way.
In Conclusion
I can’t recommend this game enough if you’re a fan of cozy puzzle games with furries in it. It’s a wonderful time and I didn’t have many problems with it. If I had anything negative to say, it would be that it was a little bit boring now and then, with some repetitive puzzle mechanics at points and a “go do this four times” setup that was used probably a couple more times than necessary. But like a good book, I couldn’t resist playing this game every chance I got until I finished it. This solo dev put together a fun, tightly knit labor of love and it’s worth the $15 price tag. Especially if you’re a fan of stories that revolve around anthro animals, specifically.
