Mandrake Boys ~ RIEview
Game Plot
There's no main plot for Mandrake Boys, other than the fact that you are there to grow and harvest mandrake boys. Of course, with each mandrake you harvest, you will unlock parts of their story related to the seed pack they are from. Occasionally, the dialogues for some mandrakes will appear to be addressing the player, but that is rare and sometimes not consistent throughout their story. Do note that if you ever want to reread any story, go to the 'Town' lab and click on the 'Story album'.
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| You can access mandrake stories in the 'Town' tab |
Verdict (N/A)
While it's usual for casual/idle games to not have a plot, for Mandrake Boys to not have a main plot is not a big issue. But because this section is graded based on a game plot, there is no marks given for this section. I will say that the stories for each seed pack are interesting and engaging! This is because each seed pack are set in different genres (catboys, astronauts, vampires, and more), and some being a combination of several genres. Another plus on the seed pack stories is that while some are original stories (even if it's a bit cliche, like high school setting), there are seed packs that are an adaptation of famous legends like Momotaro and others based on historical figures like Nobunaga in the Sengoku era. So if I were to grade the seed packIf I were to grade this section based on an overall view of all the seed packs' stories, I will definitely give a (5/5) for how well-written it is on a small scale.
Character Diversity & Personality
While there are 6 mandrakes (3 plus each of the mandrake's alternate form, if you will) per seed pack, with at least 90 permanent seed packs and the occasional event seed packs, there are many unique characters with personalities that individually enhance the story they're in. On top of mandrakes harvested from seed packs, there are also lab-grown mandrakes (which also includes seasonal mandrakes) that come with their own story and fun personality.
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| LQ seeds are free but the selection of seed packs 1-3 stars |
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| HQ seeds cost coins but of 2-4 stars |
(Disclaimer: not all special lab-grown mandrakes have their own story. Only mandrakes that are unique to the lab and not found in the seed packs will do. There are exceptions of course, but I'm just putting it here that since stories often reveal more depth of each mandrake's personality, you might not know the difference between a mandrake and when it's wearing a Christmas attire as part of the Christmas series in the lab.)
Verdict (5/5)
With so many mandrakes coming from different stories, it is only right for me to give full score for character diversity. This goes for personality too, as in each story the mandrakes interact with each other to bring life to their story. While some personalities can come on as over the top for the sake of comedy, it is all in good fun. The variety here will definitely cater to a wide range of players' interests.
Game & CG Art
I really love the art used here. Sure, the mandrakes mainly take on chibi forms when you harvest or send them out on expeditions. So you'll only be able to see their entirety in the illustrations or CG art that you get at the final expedition for each seed pack. The illustrations you've collected can be used to set as your wallpaper when you start up the game. Games that usually have many characters and having to make illustrations for said characters end up hiring different artists to manage a number of characters. All illustrations can be found in the 'Town' tab under the 'Illust Album'.
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| You can set any illustration; this is the illustration for a special mandrake you get from the lab |
Verdict (4.5/5)
I really like how the game incorporated a diversity of art styles used for different seed packs, though some are more visually favoured than others. Even so, the colours and style used do really suit the genres of the different seed packs, so that's a definite plus point for the game!
Game Mechanics
Because the main gameplay of Mandrake Boys revolves around collecting mandrakes, it made sense that the your primary facilities would be the 'Garden' and the 'Lab'. You plant and harvest mandrakes of different seed packs in the 'Garden', with random seeds having a limited freshness period before you have to replant new seeds. You can also purchase specific seed packs of your choice, and unlike random seed packs, these seed packs will become permanent and have unlimited freshness. If you want to instantly harvest a mandrake, you can use watering cans, with more watering cans needed the longer it takes to harvest a mandrake.
In the 'Lab', you can craft three types of mandrakes: Mix, Event (which are seasonal and may reappear in the future), and Special. These mandrakes require items that you can get either from the gacha, going on daily treasure hunts, or blending lower value items to get the higher value items. You can only craft lab mandrakes if you have the mandrake that it is based off, which in turn will not only determine the rarity of the lab mandrake but also the kind of items you will need to craft said rare lab mandrake.
In the 'Expedition' tab you can send mandrakes out on either daily treasure hunt or story-specific expeditions. Daily treasure hunt will have a random selection of mandrakes for you to send out at no cost and completed in a few seconds. On the other hand, expeditions are seed-pack specific and cost coins to complete the expedition. Depending on what progress of the story you're on, the time it takes for your mandrake to go on expedition will vary from 60 minutes to more than 8 hours. Of course, you can shorten the time by recruiting your friends' mandrakes to join your expedition. While going on expeditions will unlock story chapters, the final expedition of that seed pack will also give a special CG art or illustration of one of the mandrake in that seed pack.
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| Occasionally you'll also get a bonus expedition. Don't miss it! |
In the 'Friends' tab, you can gift and receive watering cans, which is helpful in speeding up the time it takes for mandrakes to grow.
Verdict (4.5/5)
For a simple casual game, Mandrake Boys do give a lot of features to engage players to check back on the game often. Of course, while the storyline and the beautiful art is the main hook, players can only stick with the game so long as the game runs smoothly with interesting features. I definitely commend how accessible and obtainable the items needed to get special mandrakes with just in-game currency, whereas in some games similar items may be absolutely impossible to get without splurging real money.
In-Game Events
There are two kinds of events that Mandrake Boys host, in line with their gameplay concept. The first is seasonal seed packs, where you get to plant them for free for a limited time. The seasonal seeds also have a longer fresh period of 15 minutes, so using watering cans to speed up the harvesting process will definitely help you fill up your collection much quicker. Like the normal seed packs, the seasonal seed packs will also have expeditions that you can embark on to unlock story chapters and illustrations. Don't worry if you don't get to complete a seed pack within the time period, because they will make a reappearance sometime in the future, like probably 1 to 1.5 years later if you're lucky.
The other event is seasonal/event mandrakes that you craft in the lab. Unlike other games, in Mandrake Boys the items you need to craft the seasonal mandrakes are the same items that you used to craft the mix and special mandrakes. The main mandrakes of the seasonal set will also have expeditions that you can embark on, plus you will also get illustration after unlocking the final chapter.
Verdict (4.5/5)
Keeping in mind that Mandrake Boys is a casual game, their events are also more casual and less demanding of your presence than other games. Of course, if you're new to the game you might struggle at first to get all the event mandrakes before they're gone, but do be reassured that they will make a comeback in 1 to 1.5 years! So don't stress on getting every single mandrake, focus on getting what you can and just play the game casually.
While I do enjoy playing games that keep me actively engaged like Ayakashi: Romance Reborn and the like, there are times when I just want to play games that demands my attention less frequently. If you want to play a game but you know you can't commit too much because of real life commitments, then Mandrake Boys is for you. Main plus points of the game are definitely the attractive art styles and interesting characters of different genre settings, plus the story are bite-sized and not a huge novel if you want something light to read and enjoy.
~ RieRie
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