Trickcal: Chibi Go Review: Bonks, Cheeks, and Idle Mayhem

I downloaded Trickcal: Chibi Go from the app store because the characters all have irresistible, squeezy cheeks! And with that mindset, I was deeply drawn in by the interactability with the characters, where you feel like you’re part of the story.

I came from playing mobile gacha games like AFK Arena, Last War: Survival Game, and Be The King. Some required me to spend at least $100 within the first two months, but I can play this game as an F2P player without much restraint, which explains how generous the gacha pull system is.

Irresistible Cheeky Interactions & Quality VAs

Upon launching the game as a newcomer, you’ll be greeted by Youngchun, the chewed gum fairy, who handles the tutorial and exposition for worldbuilding. At first glance, it was unbearably long, just like all other mobile game tutorials, but someone on Reddit made me realize how differently Trickcal: Chibi Go executes this, which sets the mood for the whole gameplay experience.

As the Reddit post mentioned, most mechanic tutorials are tediously long yet leave many things unexplained. This game does the same to some extent, with a huge focus on dialogue to progress the plot and introduce you to the premise. However, Youngchun is an amazing beginner companion, guiding players through the introduction with her cheeky thoughts and bubbly personality. It’s well-balanced, never coming across as an annoying mascot, while gently setting the whimsical tone of the world we’re exploring.

While the chibi art style and their chonky dumpling cheeks are the main highlight, they’re not just for aesthetics. What really makes Trickcal: Chibi Go stand out is the wide range of interactions you can have with the characters. You can:

• pat their heads
• pinch their cheeks
• bonk them on the head
• and tickle their tummies

While some players may see this feature as mere fan service that adds nothing to the gameplay, the game’s main audience (me!) would definitely enjoy it. First, these interactions are available beyond character profiles, unlike in other gacha games. Anytime during the dialogue, if you feel like the characters are acting out (looking at you, Erpin), you can just BONK her right there without any consequence to the plot. It really adds to the immersion and makes you feel like you’re part of the game.

Second, this interactive feature takes full advantage of the chibi art style without needing to undress the characters like Azur Lane does. If, for whatever reason, you want to goon, there are premium skins, but the only bouncy physics here are their dumpling cheeks.

To add to the cheeky personalities, most of the characters in Trickcal: Chibi Go are voiced by fan-favorite VAs. Hina Kino, who voices Sprite Queen Erpin, is the same seiyuu who voiced Hana in Sakamoto Days. You can also find Aoi Nagatsuki as Butter, the voice actress for Saki Hanami in Gakuen iDOLM@STER.

Simple Idle Gameplay & Generous Gacha Pull

Beyond the interactive art style and strong lineup of VAs, the gameplay is pretty simple and checks all the boxes for the idle genre. In most battles, you fill the front, mid, and rear lines with six characters (nine for advanced mode). There’s also a personality compatibility mechanic, which is basically the faction system from AFK Arena, and it greatly affects team synergies.

In the early game, you can easily clear battles using the Auto-Battle function without spending much time optimizing your squad or leveling them up. At higher levels, however, everything matters, from character selection to equipment, compatibility, and gacha pulls.

With that said, acquiring all available characters becomes extremely valuable for strategic gameplay at higher levels. And it’s not entirely for gooning purposes like how it was critically explained in our Monster Girl Therapy review… no. In this game, it actually matters.

Fortunately for F2P players, it’s entirely possible to enjoy Trickcal: Chibi Go without spending a dime. I’m not the best at analyzing pull rates, but a gacha-savvy Redditor already did the math. You have a 3% chance of getting 3-star characters, and at least a 0.8% chance for rate-up characters. Compared to most games, this is very fair and generous, as the standard usually sits between 0.5–1%.

There are also tons of different in-game currencies, like Crystal Leaves and Red Candies, which took me several days to fully understand. Some are premium, some are given to newcomers, and some can be earned from dailies that only take 5–10 minutes. You can unlock characters using free, grindable currency, though all skins are paid.

You can also redeem free Crystal Leaves by clicking every single item in the in-game store. It’s a poor monetization tactic meant to lure you into buying packs. My personal tip is to spend gold coins on everything in the Daily Store except food, as events can keep your pantry stocked later on. You should also save your premium currency for banners featuring limited or top-tier units.

Final Verdict: Good

After going through this Trickcal: Chibi Go review, I found it to be a charming and very enjoyable gacha with a unique hook, though its gameplay is otherwise fairly standard. It offers a unique interaction system, a charming art style and cast of characters, a strong voice acting lineup, and an F2P-friendly experience.

The gameplay is simple and standard, the currency system can be quite complex, and the monetization nudges you to spend in a somewhat nasty way. If you’re looking for a side gacha hustle with cuteness overload, this is the game for you. If you’re after higher complexity, other games might suit you better.

FAQs