It is hard not to fall in love with Turnip Boy Robs A Bank. Last year, while browsing through Game Pass, I came across a hilariously absurd title: Turnip Boy Commits Tax Evasion. Even though the indie game (originally released in 2021) was woefully shorter than I wanted it to be, I immediately loved its absurd sense of humour and commitment to ridiculous stakes while delivering solid gameplay to match. That adorable criminal veggie is back and, thankfully, retains a lot of what made me enjoy the last game.
Taking place just a few days after the events of Tax Evasion, Turnip Boy is recruited by Dillitini, leader of the Pickled Gang and former rival of Turnip Boy’s deceased mafioso father, Don Turnipchino. Veggieville’s been thrown into chaos after the last game, and Dillitini wants to take advantage by robbing a bank, specifically looking for the “Mysterious Motherlode” located somewhere within it. Naturally, Turnip Boy is more than up to the task.
The story of Turnip Boy Robs A Bank isn’t anything revolutionary, but it does a solid job of expanding Turnip Boy’s backstory and all the characters. Both Turnip Boy games remind me of a pixelated Adventure Time, marrying a very silly aesthetic with surprisingly dark lore. (Here’s a hint: Both series have a similarly apocalyptic origin.) Some of the more internet-specific jokes won’t appeal to everyone but for me? There were far more hits than misses.
“That adorable criminal veggie is back and, thankfully, retains a lot of what made me enjoy the last game.”
While the gameplay in Tax Evasion was a Zelda-inspired adventure, developer Snoozy Kazoo shifted gears this time by making Turnip Boy Robs A Bank play more like a roguelite twin-stick shooter à la The Binding of Isaac. The gameplay loop is simple: You break into the bank, shakedown civilians for cash, shoot down enemies and steal as much money and artifacts as possible before the timer runs out and the police start swarming you until you either get back to the truck or run out of health. Thankfully, the game is very forgiving in that regard; you only lose half of the money you collected in that run if you die.
The money you collect in Turnip Boy Robs A Bank can be used in your hideout for health upgrades, creating better-starting weapons, extending the police timer or buying gadgets via the Dark Web. The deeper in the bank you go, the bigger the prizes you can collect. An early run can net you a few thousand, while the later sections will have you rack up millions quickly. Although the overall layout of the bank stays the same, there are elevators in each room that take you to a randomized room, which can lead to more vaults and riches.
There are dozens of weapons to choose from in Turnip Boy Robs A Bank, varying from your standard (sword, pistol, rifle, etc.) to the absurd (a bass fish, bone boomerang and a money gun). The combat was satisfying, and it was fun experimenting during each run to see what new weapons I would get next.
Since you’re only allowed two weapons at a time, there were times I had to painfully let go of a good weapon to test the potential of another. There was only one real major technical hiccup where, during a boss fight, I dashed into an area I was able to walk on yet, and my character was completely stuck, forcing me to quit back to the main menu.
“There are dozens of weapons to choose from in Turnip Boy Robs A Bank, varying from your standard (sword, pistol, rifle, etc.) to the absurd (a bass fish, bone boomerang and a money gun).”
Outside of the main heist itself, side missions reward you with customizable hats. Although they mostly boil down to fetch quests, the context of each one had me laughing most of the time. One had me delivering an artist’s art to his favourite streamer, and in return, the streamer wanted me to give the artist ‘exposure bucks.’ Another had me talking to an old lady who wanted me to get her divorce papers from her soon-to-be ex-husband. Some even involve returning characters from the last game, including my favourite, who had the only time the mostly silent turnip ever spoke.
If anything, the problem with Robs A Bank is the same as Tax Evasion: The game is way too short. By the time I reached the final boss, I realized it had only been about 4-5 hours. While it could be a game that can realistically be played in bite-sized chunks, it’s disappointing that when I reached the end, there wasn’t any major incentive to go back to it aside from those side missions.
There are 2 difficulty settings, “A” being the more casual option and “B” having tougher enemies (both of which are changeable at any time), but even then, it’s not a particularly difficult game to finish outside of the final boss, which has a sudden difficulty spike that personally felt uncharacteristic to the rest of the experience.
Even if the whole thing was shorter than I hoped, it’s hard not to be charmed by Turnip Boy Robs A Bank. Although it may feel a bit repetitive in the later half, there was always a new weird weapon or weird character to interact with that kept me engaged or laughing the whole way through. While it doesn’t have the massive depth of something like Hades, Turnip Boy Robs A Bank works really well as an accessible entry into roguelikes. If there is another Turnip Boy game in the future (and I’m sure hoping there is), I’m genuinely excited to see what petty crime he’ll commit next.
