Test your forward-thinking skills in this 3D puzzle game on Apple Arcade.
ChuChu Rocket Universe is a new mobile game available on Apple Arcade, Apple’s game subscription service. The game is a follow-up to the original ChuChu Rocket, which was released on Dreamcast in 2000 in North America.
In ChuChu Rocket Universe, players must rescue friendly little mice called ChuChus from the evil space cat King Kapu and his minions. There are over 100 levels to complete, which challenge you to place arrows on the game board to direct the ChuChus to safety.
The game takes place in outer space, and you’ll travel to a variety of different galaxies on your adventure. In each level, one or more groups of ChuChus start in a stationary position somewhere on the grid-based board. You’ll need to place a limited number of arrow tiles on the board to guide the ChuChus to the exit.
The ChuChus have predictable behavior; once you hit the “play” button, they’ll continue in a straight line until they hit an arrow (they’ll turn to match the arrow’s direction) or an obstacle in the environment. You’ll need to use this knowledge to “predict” the ChuChus’ actions and place your arrow tiles accordingly. This makes the game great for players of all ages, as it can help littles strengthen their forward-thinking skills, and it’s also complicated enough for adults to enjoy as well.
If you happen to make a mistake during a level, you can hit the rewind button to return the ChuChus to their original position so you can make changes. You can remove arrow tiles and place them in different areas until you’ve successfully completed each stage.
There may also be multiple ways to complete levels. For instance, you may be able to use less arrow tiles by allowing the ChuChus to turn by hitting a wall instead of an arrow tile. You’ll earn up to three stars on each stage, with many stars being related to using a specific number of arrows. You can replay stages to earn any stars you previously missed.
In addition to single-player, puzzle-based gameplay, ChuChu Rocket Universe includes a multiplayer mode with “free-for-all” and “team battles.”
ChuChu Rocket Universe has an age rating of 4+. Since it’s part of Apple Arcade, the game doesn’t include in-app purchases or advertisements.
Check out the first six minutes of ChuChu Rocket Universe in our SuperParent First Look below to see how this one plays.
Brandy Berthelson has been writing about video games and technology since 2006, with her work appearing on sites including AOL Games, Digital Spy, and Adweek. When she’s not gaming, Brandy enjoys crafting, baking, and traveling with her husband.
