I love coming across a little gem, something I judged at first glance, that turns out to be more than the cover portrays. Looks really can be deceiving and ‘Family Tree’ by Infinite State Games, on Nintendo Switch, is certainly that, deceiving and highly addictive.

You are introduced to our little, cute protagonists, Mr and Mrs Fruits, one an apple and the other the fluffy peach of his eye, his wife. One night as they slumber away in their little cottage, their babies are abducted by a sinister, floating skull called Pedro. Quirkily named, he also is strangely quite cute in appearance. Everything about this game is adorable but not in an over the top, cringe worthy way.

Much like the successful mobile game, ‘Doodle Jump’, you must climb and platform your way through stages collecting coins and little fruit incarnations of your children along the way, trying to return them to your awaiting spouse. Playing with the game docked or with a controller ( I couldn’t get comfortable in handheld mode), it feels very much like a mobile game itself, not that that was a bad thing, as it has many positives.

The controls were simple and actually very solid in functionality compared to actual mobile ports. The sticks are used to aim and look at your trajectory of the course, while the bumpers on the joy-cons move your character left or right, whether stationary or in the air. A simple tap of a button will also launch you from any spot. It is that effortless.

Don’t let the simpleness deter you though, as the stages are a fun and charming experience. With 4 Levels; each a season of the year, they are full of stages to climb. Littered with jars that shoot you out into the sky, bumpers like a pinball machine that will push you in a certain direction or obstacles blocking your path, the race to the top can at times be a mission.

While most aren’t overly challenging or innovative, the time limit really puts the pressure on. The faster you do it the more points you accumulate but don’t finish in time, the skull sends you back to restart of the race, being a nuisance the whole time if you hit him. Collecting items like coins and fruits will all add up at the end of each stage, boosting your run score and my own ego.

The game comes with a Stage Selection for those wanting to revisit and conquer THAT level, an Endless Climb mode; to climb as far as you can with up to 4 friends locally or alone and multiple Challenges to complete to unlock bonus stages and content.

The game isn’t mind blowing graphically, but the use of bold, simple shapes and colors, really makes it pop. It reminded me very much so of cartoons I’d watch after school as a kid, it was a nice feeling while playing. The strange but entertaining music was very complementary and boy was I surprised when the English Hip Hop rapper chimed in with a song over the menu, I couldn’t help but just sit and listen to the whole thing. It just added so much character to an already charming game.

Family Tree is one of the rare titles this year I found surprisingly addictive. While it appears like a simple, mobile looking game it is a delightful little race against the clock to deliver a high score. Although not overly complicated, the abundance of levels and challenges will keep you occupied for hours. With cute animations and wacky backing music, this is one game that will win over your hearts like it did mine.

Written by: Stacey