Mumbo Jumbo is an Android game that offers users a different sort of puzzle and RPG gameplay. Players must spell words together using the tiles that they have in order to deal damage to the various enemies you’ll come across on your travels. More than just simply spelling out random words however, players can choose to use one of the thousands of different power words to spell out specific style of words and deal fire damage, heal yourself or collect more coins in a level. There are 50 different levels to cut your way through as well as an endless mode that will let players share their scores online using Google Play Games’ leaderboards. With 20 weapons to upgrade as well, there’s a lot on offer here, so let’s take it for a spin.
Those interested in a game like this can do so by downloading Mumbo Jumbo from the Play Store. Then they just need to choose one of the first missions to get started.
When you first start playing Mumbo Jumbo there is a pleasant and easy to follow tutorial, which is nice to see.
Each time you spell a word out, it deals damage to the opponent and you can see their health and such in the window at the top of the game area. This also shows up some quality 3D graphics and animations, too.
An interesting feature of Mumbo Jumbo is the power words. These are words that, when used against certain enemies can inflict vast amounts of damage, this is because they trigger a certain type of attack, such as a fire attack:
You can view a list of these power words whenever you like, and if you want to unlock more of them you can do so with the coins that you’ve earned or through an in-app purchase.
Over time, you’ll come across some more powerful and varied enemies, such as this Dire Wolf, for example:
For new enemies, you can use the Bestiary to found out what weakens them. The Dire Wolf was a nice change of pace for me, as it encouraged me to use longer words and think a little longer about my next moves.
To spice things up a little bit, there are also missions that you can complete during each level, these are Blacksmith Missions and completing them will unlock one more of the 20 different weapons available throughout the game.
At the end of each level, you’re given a rating of how well you’ve done as well as how many coins you’ve collected:
Mumbo Jumbo is a nice mix of different genres all in to one neat little package. There’s an element of puzzle gaming here with the spelling of words, and I can see young teens enjoying this sort of thing as a mix of keeping their brains sharp, but also having fun with a game. The RPG elements come in with the Blacksmith missions and the different beasts and their particular weaknesses and strengths. I enjoyed pretty much every element of the game, but for me the blend of the 3D graphics, which are great here, and the word creation make this something that I can see casual gamers and RPG fans really enjoying while on their commute or looking for a bite-sized game to pass the time.
Ratings
- Speed (4/5) – Mumbo Jumbo ran fine on my devices, and there are no bugs or anything like that here.
- Theme (4/5) – The 3D graphics here are great and the animations are good as well, the only thing I’d have liked to see is perhaps close-up during special moves and so on to show off the beasts a little more.
- Features (4.5/5) – Gameplay wise, Mumbo Jumbo is an excellent mix of all sorts of things and it’s definitely addictive in the right way. Remembering and using power words is satisfying, and when you can piece together a massive word and see the damage rise up, it all feels great.
- Overall (4/5) – I had a lot of fun with Mumbo Jumbo and I can understand why a lot of other players will as well, especially those that like both puzzler and RPG games.
Pros
- Good-looking 3D graphics at the top help give this a polished and professional feel.
- Different power words help to spice things up and remembering them is rewarding as a result.
- Never feels too difficult even if you can’t put together long words.
- Varied beasts and levels keep things feeling fresh, and it all looks great.
Cons
- Could be considered a little too easy for hardened RPG players.
- More missions besides the Blacksmith missions could really help keep the game alive.
All-in-all, there’s a lot on offer for those that enjoy a little bit of everything that’s in Mumbo Jumbo. There’s something for those that love their RPG games as well as those that really enjoy puzzle games as well, and everything looks great and the game overall is nice and addictive. Gameplay is as fast as you want it to be and this is the sort of game that can be played for as little or as long as you like.