I like bugs. I would never touch a bug but I do find them enjoyable from a distance. This week’s game allows me to catch bugs and force them to fight while I throw cards at them

This week is Kabuto Park.

Kabuto Park is a collection card battler from Doot, Zakku, and Doot Tiny Games. The PC game is set to release in May.

The aim of the game is to collect bugs and have them ethically fight against other, more powerful bugs to come out as the BUG CHAMPION.

The gameplay loop consists of choosing an area, catching and selling bugs, and placing them in combat to win more money. Each area has a number of magnifying glasses to look for a certain number of common, uncommon, and rare bugs. The mini-game is a simple “get the white bar in the green area” to catch the bug. The rarer the bug the more rounds the player has to play of the mini-game.

Kabuto Park’s demo has bees, goliath beetles, moths, dragonflies, and other bugs to catch, but the attributes they lend themselves to the battle mechanic.

Each bug has a set of abilities and stats that can be leveled up with candies that can be purchased with money from winning and selling bugs. Each bug has a strength, defense, and energy stat, that impacts the fast they push on the offense and on defense, while the energy stat is how fast you accumulate energy to play cards.

During fights, there are three cards that the player draws. They each have a cost and a thing that happens, like stopping push time on both sides, push back, increased offense, etc.

After playing the demo for 45 mins I am positive that energy is a viable form of play. Slinging cards constantly makes for a wild time.

Kabuto Park has that signature style like Miami Lane. Nice, warm colors fill in the hand-drawn characters and animations. The bugs are adorable, and so are the map and the shop. Pretty much everything in Kabuto Park is cute.

I really enjoyed Kabuto Park. It’s got everything I personally want in a video game about bugs. It’s got bugs, visceral combat, wonderful art direction, a fun gameplay loop of finding the perfect bugs to go to combat with, card battling that is more than just for show, and progression that invites players to explore new places and find more bugs.

I think I played the demo for a lot longer than I should have but I was determined to beat the final boss. The demo lasted about 35 mins for me and I cannot wait for the game to release!