If the pandemic taught us anything, it’s that people really, really like toilet paper.
They like toilet paper so much that they’ll stockpile it at the first sign of trouble, on the off-chance that it might become difficult to obtain in the future.
This can make it quite difficult to obtain.
Like most of us, New Zealand-based studio Mad Carnival Games watched this man-made toilet catastrophe unfolding in real time. Unlike most of us, it channeled the experience into a fantastically funny mobile game.
Bustin’ is a slick, polished 3D casual arcade title that deserves a place among the best casual arcade games that mobile has to offer.
It also happens to be about pelting people with toilet rolls.
The basic premise is that a clever boy called Jesse Latreen has come up with an invention that will allow him to create toilet rolls simply from water then safely pass the rolls to those in need—safety being an issue because lower gut discomfort has turned everybody into desperate zombies.
While mum drives Jesse around, he gets to sit on top and fire toilet rolls from a powerful TP cannon, pulling back and letting go to propel the urgently needed wiping material in every direction.
But there’s more. As well as being an on-rails shooter, Bustin’ has endless-runner elements too. Every toilet roll that you fire depletes your stock by one, and if you run out before reaching a restock point you’re toast.
This means you’ve got to be judicious with your firing and mindful of your reserves, stringing each attempt out for as long as you can.
As you play and rack up points you’ll unlock a variety of power-ups, such as the Spread Shot and the Chain Reaction, and you’ll unlock new targets too.
There are Karens, who only need one toilet roll, Nosey Shoppers, who need two (and don’t know how to wear facemasks), Zoomers, who are always in a hurry to get to their next virtual meeting, and many more.
Naturally, there are also several maps to unlock and explore, including a mall, downton, the suburbs, and even a snow village.
You can download Bustin’ for free on the Google Play Store or the App Store.