Bugsnax: Playthrough Guide
Quick Facts ✅
Title: Bugsnax
Genre: First-Person, Creature Collector
System(s): Epic, Steam, PlayStation, Nintendo Switch, Xbox
Developer | Publisher: Young Horses | Young Horses
Age Rating: E
Price: $24.99 USD
Release Date: Nov 12, 2020 (PlayStation & Epic) & April 28, 2022 (Steam, Switch, and Xbox)
Time to Play: Approximately 8-10 hours (mainline)
Steam Description:
Bugsnax takes you on a journey to Snaktooth Island, home of the legendary half-bug half-snack creatures, Bugsnax. Invited by intrepid explorer Elizabert Megafig, you arrive to discover your host nowhere to be found, her camp in shambles, and her followers scattered across the island alone... and hungry!
It's up to you to solve the mysteries of Snaktooth Island: What happened to Lizbert? What are Bugsnax and where do they come from? But most of all, why do they taste SO GOOD?
Why Bugsnax? 🐛
💡 There are many factors I take into account when selecting the month’s title. Price, platforms, accessibility, narrative, and more. Here are some of the reasons for Bugsnax!
It’s hard to resist a game with ‘snax’ in the title! In addition to channeling charm, humor, and a wonderfully weird tone, something ominous lies underneath the whimsy of Bugsnax, and it will provide — shall we say — some delicious conversation this month.
“We are whatever we eat.” We’ll see how this key phrase plays out in more ways than one may initially consider as we play. What we consume, and how we consume it, impacts us on individual and community levels.
The Grumpuses of Bugsnax will illustrate this in a variety of ways, but even amidst these deeper considerations, I’m really looking forward to enjoying the mystery and absurdity that Bugsnax presents. We’ll meet a larger-than-life cast, a mystery to solve, and mechanics that encourage experimentation with the tools you’re provided and the world itself.
Finally, a quick shout to community members Ghostly and Thespiomancer, the first two who recommended this game as something we should play together, and to all additional folks from the Discord server who messaged me and said they’d be interested!
Keep in Mind ☝
Content Warnings
💡 I do my best to flag content that may impact your decision to play so you can go in as informed as possible (without spoiling the plot of the game) — if you think I’ve missed something, please let me know!
cartoonish body horror (nothing hyper-realistic or graphic)
first-person camera (there is potential for motion sickness)
Timeline
💡 The game is divided into regions and ‘community hangouts’, which we’ll use to help denote general pacing. Note: this timeline is just a suggestion to help you stay on track to finish the game by the end of the month. Always feel free to play however best suits you!
Week 01 - Start to “A Small Celebration”
Week 02 - “A Small Celebration” to “Ghost Stories”
Week 03 - “Ghost Stories” to “The Intruder!”
Week 04 - The Intruder!"” to - “Major Celebration”
Week 05 - “Major Celebration” to End/Roll Credits
Save the Date: Monthly Discord Hangout on April 29, 2023 at 3p PDT/6p EDT
Playthrough Guide
Essential Question
💡 This is the open-ended, universal question we’ll return to when we’re done. Keep it in mind throughout your playthrough!
How can our understanding of the phrase “we are whatever we eat?” extend beyond the literal act of food consumption?
Discussion Questions
💡 Use these questions to check for your understanding/guide your thoughts while playing!
For the full list of supplementary activity suggestions and reflection questions, be sure to subscribe to the weekly newsletter!
Week 01 - “Kinda Bug and Kinda Snak!”
Who is our character?
What happened to the community?
Any predictions as to what happened to Lizbert and Eggabel?
What happens when you feed others a bugsnax?
Week 02 - “Music to our Mouths”
Each of the grumpuses we meet has something they’re struggling with personally. For the grumpuses we’ve met so far, what are those personal challenges?
What are you enjoying (or not enjoying!) about the variety of tools we’re provided?
Do you have a favorite snack so far? Any fave foods you wish you could see in the game?
The Scorched Gorge is filled with ruins and signs of a time before the expedition: what do you think happened to the previous civilizations?
What do you think of Wiggle’s “Queen of the Bugsnax” tales?
Week 03 - “No More Bugsnax”
Beffica and Cromdo don't get along very well at first glance: why do you think that's so?
Chandlo and Snorpy are a dynamic duo: what's keeping them away from the village?
Snax Check! Any new favorite bugsnax that you’ve encountered? Any particularly frustrating ones to catch?
An intruder leaves a message for the grumpuses at Snaxburg. Who do you think it may be? What do you think their motive is in leaving this message?
How do we see Filbo start to show more leadership, even in the face of skepticism from the rest of the community?
Week 04 “You don’t have to do this alone!”
Are you finding yourself feeding the grumpuses extra bugsnax (aside from the main and side quests)? Why or why not?
What has Eggabell struggled with while on the island? How has she changed during her time on here?
How have each of the grumpuses grown as they spend time together in Snaxburg? How does this compare to when we first met them?
Week 05 “The Truth about Bugsnax”
Who did you meet in the Undersnax? How did you feel when you met them?
What do we learn about the island and bugsnax themselves?
What did you think of the final confrontation sequence (both mechanically/as a player as well as narratively)?
What are some of the lessons the grumpuses take away from their experience? Did any resonate in particular for you?
Who do you think Clumby was talking to on the phone (in the post-credits scene)?
