Subtle Boom’s Fledgling Heroes is a simple, yet wonderfully charming platformer that is reminiscent of the once iconic mobile game Flappy Bird. While Flappy Bird has inspired other tap-friendly mobile games, it’s a far cry from Fledgling Heroes; the central mechanic takes itself to a whole new level here. Players will navigate through an array of stages, find golden feathers, and soar through the final checkpoint.

Players will come across different terrain and maps, as well as different feathered friends, such as Biscuit the Parrot, Penny the Penguin, and more. Biscuit soars through the sky with a simple tap, whereas Penny effortlessly slips past jellyfish and other sea creatures. After finishing a few stages, players are able to unlock The Lab. This is where they can customize their winged partners with wacky colors, or even recreate natural variants. Players will even be able to create their own stages.

While gameplay is shockingly simple, it’s still a very addicting experience. At the beginning of each stage, Fledgling Heroes presents players with a goal for an award. This is usually something along the lines of “soar for three seconds” or “rescue a rabbit”. While you don’t have to fulfill these goals to progress to the next stage, it does allow quicker progression later. It also allows players to speedrun the game if they want to. In addition, narration is given in rhyme – a very cute detail that players of all ages will find humor in.

Something that caught my eye when playing Fledgling Heroes was the art style. While it wasn’t overly simple like other platformers, there was a charm to it. When first looking at the game, it almost felt childlike and simple, much like the Pajama Sam and Spy Fox games that I am fond of. However, the more I played, the more details and intricacies I noticed. In the overworld, the bright water was given life through pattern and subtle movement, while the dark sky swirled around dotted stars. Even in gameplay, no surface was flat, and . Much like a quilt bringing a hodgepodge of patterns together as one, the art in Fledgling Heroes is a bright, comforting quilt where the story takes place.

Overall, Fledgling Heroes is a wonderful game. The simple, goal oriented gameplay allows players to feel accomplished without feeling overwhelmed. With a built-in level editor, the possibilities are practically limitless too. For those who are looking for something simple to pass the time, or our younger, fledgling gamers, Fledgling Heroes is definitely one to add to your library.

Final Score: 8 out of 10

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