I imagine this was done to keep localization costs and effort to a minimum, and it's become a constraint that's elicited some fine creativity. Toca Boca is also a shining example of something this company does very well: explaining how to do everything without words. We eventually figured out that every fifth world started is populated with goodies. Later, my son got one with several ships and later still, huge representations of the builders themselves. Like I said, you don't always get a 'blank slate.' While creating new worlds, I suddenly got one that was populated with trees and spare bricks. Finally, the 'painter' builder had to spray her paint all over the tree to get the right colors in place. He couldn't reach the level of the leaves, so he had to place a few blocks on the ground for the 'crane' builder to manipulate.

That meant using the stacking builder to produce the trunk. For example, the boy and I wanted to build a tree. You quickly realize that you must use the various characters to accomplish a certain task. As he rolls, the ball deposits paint on the floor. My favorite little guy is balancing on a large ball, circus-style. Another stacks blocks, there's one that breaks blocks and yet another to stack blocks and reach those that are high off of the ground. For example, one can change a block's color. You start with a blank, flat world (most of the time) and six 'builders.' Each has a unique skill. My kids were even inventing pretend play scenarios for the little characters and their surroundings. There's no end game state either, as you can keep building and re-building as much as you like. There's no goal other than to have fun building a world of you own. I hesitate to call Toca Builders a game because it's really a toy. By subscribing, you are agreeing to Engadget's Terms and Privacy Policy.

Toca boca builders