New Yankee 9: The Evil Spellbook – Review

Over the years, the New Yankee series has gained quite a reputation among Time Management fans and built itself a loyal group of players. In this ninth installment, the series still has many tricks up its sleeves. When an evil spell book plans to defeat the King and Queen and conquer Camelot, it is up to John and Mary to save the day once again!

Yustas Game Studios is one of the most prolific casual game developers for a reason. Their expertise lies in crafting imaginative fantasy Time Management games, having delivered all-time favorites such as the Weather Lord series and the Rose Riddle games. New Yankee 9: The Evil Spell Book continues to bring out the best of this talented development team and presents a brand-new, exciting adventure.

While the core mechanics of the game do not differ much from other Time Management games of its kind, New Yankee 9: The Evil Spell Book packs a ton of creative tasks and interesting level designs. As you assign workers to complete small tasks, John to do the heavy lifting, and Mary to practice her witchcraft and spells – you also get to interact with the game’s magical settings. Each level is different from the next, packing an unbelievable amount of fairytale-inspired elements and fantasy flourishes within it.

There is not a single dull moment during the game’s 45 main levels, even with its 15 Collector’s Edition levels and 10 additional bonus levels – the game remains fresh and exciting. This has much to do with its storyline as with its gameplay. The conversational-style storyline in New Yankee 9: The Evil Spellbook is well-written, quirky, and humorous. The level of wit and sarcasm in the storyline is reminiscent of the earlier Incredible Dracula games.

Compared to its predecessors, New Yankee 9: The Evil Spellbook’s visuals have notably improved. The vibrant colors are accompanied by 3D animations, which is a rather pleasant combination. The music is jolly and quite enchanting – perfect for the game. Moreover, there is enough variation in the color palette and the environment that there is always something new, visually speaking, to look forward to.

New Yankee 9: The Evil Spellbook is offered as a Collector’s Edition, which includes the previously-mentioned 15 bonus levels, a strategy guide, wallpapers, replayable cutscenes, character bios, collectibles, achievements, a jigsaw puzzle, and a customizable room. This is certainly quite a package for a Time Management game!

New Yankee 9: The Evil Spellbook is an upbeat, polished, and absolutely entertaining Time Management game and a worthy addition to this stellar series.