App Army Assemble: Burly Men at Sea

Apart from having the best name of any mobile game ever, Burly Men at Sea is a delightfully charming folktale with lovely, children's book-style visuals.

It spins the yarn of three bearded fishermen in early 20th century Scandinavia, who decide to embark on an adventure to escape mundanity. I can get behind that idea.

Along the way, they reach a number of branching paths and key decisions which affect the story, and it's up to you to make them. It lends itself well to replayability, as there are a number of different outcomes and eventualities to explore.

And, if the PG review is anything to go by, you'll really want to see everything that Burly Men at Sea has to offer. We gave it the coveted Gold Award, and said: "If you're interested in story-driven games and cute character art, Burly Men at Sea demands to be played".

Strong words, but what do our hardened bunch of stalwart experts in the App Army think? Well, read on to find out.

Ah, those wonderfully bearded Burly Men at Sea - what a delightful experience! I've only played through a couple of adventures but I'm hooked.

There's beautifully minimalist art, music that really sets the scene (oh those gargling notes in the open ocean music), and wonderful sound effects - all working together to create a perfect trifecta of charm.

Before I gush too much, I do have some quibbles. There are sections that get a bit repetitive. It would be nice if you could just skip to the end or beginning of another adventure. Also, there were times I thought I was involved in the gameplay, only to later discover that I was just watching an elaborate animation playing out.

Definitely looking forward to putting some more time into this one. And upon completion of each adventure there are real world items available.

Burly Men at Sea is an enjoyable choose your adventure game with oodles of wit, charm, and atmosphere.

Kainen Ryan

We have here a fun game that feels original and familiar all at the same time. It looks and sounds so cool with its uniquely simple charm.

It's just all so lovingly made. I agree it can get a bit repetitive, and an option to skip would be greatly received. I'll be playing this for some time to come or at least until I complete it. Great work guys.

Tom Clark

Yes, an old fashioned adventure with simple yet well done graphics and controls. I'll be playing this for a while, it's very engaging.

It reminds me of those old school PC games like King's Quest and Space Quest from years back. Well done.

It's a must get if you like adventure games.

GGod Hand

Just a few minutes in and I'm already enjoying this immensely. It's a nice adventure game that has you take three manly, bearded fishermen on a quest of a lifetime.

After the neat little opening, the first thing that caught my attention was the simple, yet beautiful art design. I love the choice of vivid colors. The music is also very catchy and fits the theme of the game really well.

The sound effects are cute and funny, which I'm convinced are done by someone using their own voice, much like the famous Michael Winslow.

Like most adventure games, the controls are simple and work well. The writing might just be the best part of the game - which is only naturally considering it's an adventure game - as it really grabs you and really wants to bring you along for the ride.

There's not much to complain about here, but if I had to point something out, it would be the slow pace - which is in no way a deal breaker.

This is a solid game and one of the better adventures to come out in quite a while. It's a game for all ages that I would recommend to anyone - and especially to those who appreciate a nice story.

Quincy Jones

It's a wonderful game so far. I'm really loving the music and the sounds.There's so much to discover and interact with, like the chicken egg that hatches.

It's a really fun adventure and the simplistic graphics add a lot of charm. It's hard not to love Burly Men at Sea. The developer has stripped away all the glitter and frills and left us with a really pure game that's hard to come by these days.

I'm pleasantly surprised by how much I'm enjoying this.

John Newman

Burly Men at Sea has a great name and great beards. I'm a huge fan of beards.

It's super gorgeous and controls perfectly. I just love it. I haven't beaten it, but I will in the near future.

The sounds made me smile a lot, too. The blacksmith whose hammer sounds oddly like a man saying "ting" made me smile a lot. It's super nice and has a cool zen feeling to it.

Tony Teulan

So much charm. While Burly Men at Sea is somewhat slow paced, it's visually, sonically, and texturally wonderful. I would recommend this game to anyone - but especially those getting used to pocket gaming or those wanting to get their kids reading.

The production values are supreme. I so want more of this art style and the story to just go on and on. It's that good!

Aaron Carey

Well this is lovely, isn't it. I'll start by saying that this isn't so much a game, as an artistic interactive story. It's a bit like reading a digital version of those tactile kids books, but that doesn't do it justice at all.

The experience is absorbing and beautiful. It pulls you in and tugs you along slowly at its sedate pace.

It's peaceful, relaxing, and uplifting - a real gem. The writing and production values are really spot on. All in all a great experience, just don't really expect anything to 'do'.

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