Neopets: Tales of Dacardia is a free to play city builder, set in the Neopets universe. It is available as a mobile app which can be linked to the browser game for further in-game rewards.
First impressions are okay. Nothing spectacular. The ‘crabbies’ (little crab robots) are cute and the tutorial is very generic. I don’t hate it but some character building would go a long way. The mini games are similar, solidly ‘okay’ but nothing to write home about.
The wait times kill things. The initial gameplay lasts about an hour, at which point things grind to a halt. Literally. I spent three weeks trying to fulfil the next quest, waiting for the items I needed to randomly appear. I’m reliably informed that the drop rates were improved since I played but it still leaves a sour taste in my mouth. The game is an idle, so I did expect this sort of thing at some point. I did not expect it on the first day!
As mentioned, the app does provide rewards for the main Neopets site and this is essentially the real reason to play. As a companion app for completionists, the game is fine. As a standalone, Neopets: Tales of Dacardia misses the mark and is unlikely to bring new players to the franchise. Frankly, if this was my introduction to the Neopets universe then I would avoid it entirely.
The Neopets team also have another app that’s recently released – Faerie’s Hope. It feels like the development team may be stretching themselves too thinly. One good game would be an improvement upon three struggling ones. Alternatively, bringing back a game that was already popular on the main site such as the Habitarium (a bug themed management sim that was adorable) or Key Quest (a board game) would be far preferable.
I wanted to like this app. I’ve been playing the Neopets browser game on and off for the past 25 years and would welcome new additions from the brand. The bar needs to be higher though. At least it’s free?
| Criteria | Scores | Our Score |
| Storyline | 1 – 5 | 2 |
| Gameplay | 1 – 5 | 2 |
| Value/Cost | 1 – 5 | 5 |
| Controls | 1 – 5 | 5 |
| Length | 1 – 5 | 1 |
Written By: ivetafox
Favourite Game – Long Live the Queen || Favourite Film – Sweeney Todd || Favourite Book – Wuthering Heights
About: Ivy is a disabled, autistic writer from the UK, passionate about inclusive gaming. When not reviewing, she can be found writing short stories and micro fiction or reading the latest gothic novel.
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