Nothing seems to foreshadow the end of civilization in the popular imagination more completely than a toilet roll shortage.
We discovered as much during the pandemic, when anxious shoppers climbed over each other to empty the shelves of TP before doing pretty much anything else.
This phenomenon didn’t escape the notice of New Zealand developer Mad Carnival Games, who responded to the spectacle in the best possible way: by making fun of it.
Bustin’ began as a tongue-in-cheek pandemic project, created simply to lift spirits in a difficult time. But it’s still here, and stronger than ever.
It takes more than a global vaccination drive to keep a good game down.
Bustin’ is a 3D arcade shooter that’s laced with humor. It sees you acting as Jesse Latreen to distribute toilet rolls among the murderously desperate human population. The only practical and safe way of doing so, it turns out, is from the top of a sturdy van.
Jesse’s mum is behind the wheel, which means Jesse gets the plum job of using his invention to give away as many toilet rolls as possible. Why is this such a plum job? Simple.
Jesse’s invention is a cannon.
To operate this cannon, all you need to do is aim with a finger, pull back, and finally let go to release your soft, strong, double-ply payload.
Your toilet roll reserves are limited, which means you can’t fire willy nilly. While you regularly stop your van to restock, if you run out before reaching one of these restocking points your van will be swarmed by zombie pedestrians. Then explode.
Despite its playful premise, Bustin’ looks like a well-constructed casual arcade game, with a host of different hilariously unpleasant targets to unlock, vehicles to commandeer, areas to explore, and power-ups to unleash.
To get started, head to the Google Play Store or the App Store to download Bustin’ for free right now.
