How to play
There are 6 builders to choose from. You can select the builder to use either by clicking them or by using the character chooser located at the bottom of the screen. Each builder has a unique set of abilities that makes them fit for different kinds of jobs. These are the Builders:
Cooper the Ball – Cooper has the ability to paint the ground simply by rolling over it. You can switch this ability on and off by using a switch.
Blox the Hammer – Blox both has a backpack which automatically lays out blocks AND hammer hands that can be used to crush these blocks simply by walking in to them. You can switch off the block laying ability by using a switch.
Connie the Crane – Connie is a crane that can pick up blocks and place them with high precision.
Vex the Jumper – Vex is a great jumper and can also put down some blocks while hopping along. Perfect for building high walls or staircases.
Jum-Jum the Painter – Jum-Jum can paint any surface by shooting paint at it. By continuously shooting paint at the top of a pile you can paint the all the underlying blocks as well.
Stretch the Tall – Stretch can grow tall and place blocks in mid-air. If you want to build roofs, look no further.
Controls
Each builder has a set of on-screen controls that are used to control them. There are levers to pull, buttons and switches to push and a trackball to roll. Take some time to get to know the builders and their controls and you’ll soon discover that there are even some hidden tricks in the way they behave!
At any time you can select the color of blocks you lay out and paint with by pressing the color cube button in the top-right corner.
The camera can be controlled by dragging along the screen. Zooming can be done by pinching with two fingers.
You can create how many worlds you like by pressing the + symbol on the menu screen. A world is always saved as you leave it after having played in it. There’s also a delete button on the menu screen that can be used to clear out some unwanted worlds. Photos are saved to the photo album of your device.
To talk about
To talk about
One thing you may notice when playing Toca Builders with your child is that apart from the main theme of building worlds, it’s as much fun to play around in the created worlds, making up little stories. We believe that a Toca Builders play session should be as much, or even more, about the entire process of building and playing through creation, as it is to achieve specific construction goals.
What are the roles of the different builders and how could they be used? Challenge yourself and your child to think outside the box of how the different characters can be used to find new ways to play with them. How can you build windows? How can you build roofs? Which builder is most fit to run an obstacle course?
The world in which the builders play can certainly be an inspiration of it’s own. Can you create something that takes into consideration the surroundings of the world? Or how about making your own surroundings?
Settings
Via the Settings icon in the upper right corner on the start screen you can toggle snapshots to “off” and no photos will be saved in your gallery. There are also options for showing the “For Grown-Ups” button on the start screen as well as an option for toggling the music playback on and off.
