Bulb Boy 2: Jar of Despair is the sequel to the 2015 point-and-click horror adventure, sending the bulb-headed hero to the basement for a jar of jam. The errand spirals into a fight against sticky jelly creatures, with sections controlling the dog and briefly the grandfather.
The art style has clearly improved over the first game, and the sequel adds controller support and colour beyond the original’s green palette. The gross-out horror is toned down, giving the adventure a lighter feel.
The sausage-body transformation is the standout mechanic, letting Bulb Boy stretch and shrink to solve platforming puzzles. Absurdist logic shines through solutions such as a sock fetching water, celebrated with genuine surprise.
A shooting mini-game in the mould of House of the Dead is fun once the mouse takes over, though the cursor moves slowly and cannot be adjusted. The two-character finale demands split attention, with an enemy attack lacking any cooldown between strikes.
Obtuse point-and-click logic is the main friction, with very few interactable objects making answers harder to find. The dog-and-flea section is the big stumper, requiring a solution the game never hints at.
The pronounced butt-crack gag wears thin, dominating the view whenever Bulb Boy walks upward. Moments of genuine confusion about what can be done punctuate an otherwise creative run, with inventive detours such as the voodoo-doll segment keeping the ideas flowing.
Overall, art, mechanics and puzzle creativity make the sequel a worthy return to the Bulbhouse. The short run ends with a stinger that teases a third instalment.