Turnip Boy Commits Tax Evasion

Turnip Boy Commits Tax Evasion is an action-adventure game that came out in 2021. It was made by Snoozy Kazoo and put out by Graffiti Games and Plug In Digital. The player takes on the role of a talking turnip who dodges taxes in order to take on a crooked vegetable-run government. The game is known for its funny writing, a view from above, and has drawn comparisons to the Legend of Zelda series.

In the game, the turnip character has been found guilty of not paying taxes and is sent on a mission to stop a dishonest mayor. The action is shown from a top-down angle, with controls similar to roguelike games. Turnip Boy has a health bar made of hearts and uses hack-and-slash combat. He can carry one item at a time, like tools or weapons, and can use them in any direction based on where the player points. If he loses all his hearts, he dies but comes back at the last checkpoint. Boss fights usually involve hitting the boss directly or using a special trick from the area. Side quests are available for extra items or achievements, and talking to other characters helps move the story along.

The plot begins when Turnip Boy, who runs a greenhouse, tears up a tax bill from Mayor Onion. As punishment, the mayor makes him run errands. With help from an avocado named Annie, Turnip Boy learns that a nuclear disaster wiped out humans and turned vegetables into walking, talking beings. After finishing the errands, he is locked out of his greenhouse. Old Man Lemon then reveals that Turnip Boy’s father, Don Turnipchino, was a mafia boss, and that Mayor Onion and Old Man Lemon used to work for him. Turnip Boy sneaks into a secret base under the greenhouse, beats Mayor Onion, and gets back the deed to his greenhouse—only to rip it up again.

Reviews for the game were mixed. On Metacritic, it scored 72% on PC and 74% on Nintendo Switch, meaning "mixed or average" feedback. OpenCritic found that 42% of critics recommended it. GameSpot’s David Wildgoose liked the silly script and puzzles but criticized the controls and said not all jokes worked. Nintendo Life’s Ollie Reynolds found the gameplay pleasant and enjoyed the tone, but thought the sword controls felt floaty and that too many social media jokes might not appeal to everyone.