Cookie Run: Tower of Adventures Review

Although I’ve only recently become a fan of Devsisters’ Cookie Run series, I can say with confidence that the series has remained fun and surprisingly addictive since I first got into it. 

So when allowed to jump onto the newest game in the franchise, I was the first in line to volunteer. But is it just as sweet as its predecessors or does it fall just short of the mark? 

One Brave Cookie! – The Story

In Cookie Run: Tower of Adventures players embark on an all-new adventure as a new hero named GingerBrave. After an encounter with a sugar star, they learn that the seal over on the massive Pancake Tower has been broken, threatening all cookies in the land. 

An old prophecy, however, tells of “one brave cookie with a shining heart” that will save the day and restore the seal. Cookie Run has never been much for original storytelling. However, the charm of the characters and world more than makes up for it, and that is no different with Tower of Adventures. 

From there, the game sets you off through the many floors to reach the top and restore the seal. It is here where you encounter plenty of different characters that were all honestly quite fun. One of my favorites was the Twisted Donut Cookie, the engineer of the train that takes you to each level. He doubles as an ally in battle as a ranged fighter specializing in setting up turrets across the field. 

Speaking of combat…

A Lot More Involved – Combat and Gameplay 

Cookie Run: Tower of Adventures takes quite the departure from its predecessors. Functionally, it is still similar to Cookie Run: Kingdom. Each floor of the tower is essentially its own level. There are various stages that you must take on individually to progress. What stood out to me was each stage was more involved than those in Kingdom.

You take control of one of two cookies that you can bring to each stage, which you can switch between whenever. You progress through the stages like a platformer, running, jumping, dodging enemies and obstacles. It was about what I expected from a Cookie Run game, but as a platforming junkie, I welcomed it.

The platforming sections themselves are not too difficult either, making it easier for fans who were expecting the usual with this series ample opportunity to adapt to a different style of play. 

Combat is very much the same. You can control pretty much everything your cookie does as opposed to one skill. These include their dash, normal attack, special attack, and ultimate. Your second cookie can also charge up a special attack while off-field that they can use immediately when you switch characters.  

While it is certainly a departure from the free-runner, AFK-style of previous games, I was quite fond of that departure. If you enjoy playing the game more than letting it run, that extra level of engagement will make leveling up your cookies and overcoming the challenges even more rewarding. 

Collectibles and Challenges

Each level also has collectible chests, goals, and challenges. Completing the stage within a time limit or avoiding certain obstacles gives the game an extra layer of replayability. 

Of course, the gacha elements help with that. Maybe I was just unlucky, though, because I hardly got the characters I wanted after several pulls. It’s also relatively easy to level up your squad using materials or by trading jelly bears. Your main equipment consists of artifacts, which boost specific stats in addition to a skill-related bonus buff. 

Artifacts come in various varieties from common to rare to epic and can be leveled up through enhancement by consuming a copy of said artifact. 

You can also enchant your characters by pulling copies of them from the gacha as well. You can fuse cookies like a real mad scientist. 20 cookie shards are needed to enhance each cookie once, for a total of five enhancement levels. 

Getting your cookie to at least one star of enhancement should be your top priority since it unlocks your ultimate. The best strategy I found was focusing on one cookie I wanted to enhance at a time and saving any other duplicates I found for later, though it depends on what Cookies you determined are best for your next run. 

I had a lot of Rye Cookie copies. Thankfully, banner rates in Cookie Run: Tower of Adventures are rather quick, so the process never took that long. 

The game also has a raid mode, which includes tougher combat challenges and rotating sets of bosses to take on alongside three other players.

It’s a lot of fun, though I tended to take it on solo more often than I expected to see how far I could get. 

Graphics and Playability 

Despite its variation from previous entries in the series, players will find Cookie Run: Tower of Adventures easy and smooth to control. The familiar and colorful art style of the Cookie Run series is still alive and well in Adventures, and it helped to bring each character and level to life. It has plenty for Cookie Run fans to enjoy on top of fresh, new ideas, and features a story that is both simple and charming in its presentation.

Is it Hardcore?

All in all, Cookie Run: Tower of Adventures is a worthy addition to the iconic mobile franchise that even fans longing for the gameplay of previous entries will enjoy for its vibrant world, bold new characters, and dynamic but fair gameplay. 

4/5