A time-traveling mutant snail is the last hope for humanity?

You might not be the first, second or even the hundredth-choice savior, but you are the last hope even if you are a puny insignificant snail. While some players expressed their frustrations with the unnecessarily long tutorial, Super Snail had me laughing on the floor before even finishing it. Whether it is K-pop inspiration, pandemic references, self-deprecating humor or the million easter eggs, something is bound to make players giggle. Jokes aside, the idle game Super Snail stood out as a top free-to-play adventure game in the Google Play Store and the Apple Store in August 2023 because of its dynamic post-apocalyptic designs, exploratory missions, addictive minigames and non-stop quips.

Not all snails that wander are lost

Your mission is simple: go back in time and save the world. Intuitive, right? Not exactly. The quirkiness of gameplay is its charm as well as many players’ frustration. It is difficult to navigate important resources like the guide. There is plenty of support through the active chat and the notes where players leave comments and helpful tips. Resources are collected from the home base through quests, exploration, minigames and lottery, or you can buy them. Evolving is the key to succeeding in the game and initially involves collecting random mutations, cells and specialized organs. Strategy is sparse at first with only a few choices, but it gets interesting as other forms are unlocked. For example, zombie & demon forms speed up the evolution process and buff specific stats. The gear and relics all have different attributes and unique stories that are fun to read and display.

Too soon?

The game prides itself on using memes, particularly of the 2020 dank variety. The pandemic is still in our minds but slowly fading so that the jokes do not leave a bad taste in your mouth. Similarly, the player-deprecating humor is a core theme throughout. Cut scenes poking fun at players and the unavoidable need for ads and purchases. Some graphic elements, particularly those in the minigames, capitalize on nostalgia with callouts to classics like Tetris and Solitaire. The dialogue is a throwback emulating the style of “choose your own adventure” books.

Riding the Hallyu Wave

The developers are also riding the Hallyu wave, the spread of Korean pop culture, with obvious Korean inspirations. Super Snail mimics the names and geography of Korea and includes aspects of idol culture. This goes as far as to reference controversial business scandals and politics. Some more obvious examples are the adaptations of words like Koryeo or Seaul with the double entendre of poor English romanization of Korean words. Sometimes the game’s humor teeters between funny and offensive but seems genuinely comedic and informed. This trend follows as more maps are unlocked for Yamato (Japan), Cathay (China), Murika (United States) and hopefully the remaining mystery countries yet to be revealed.