Kabuto Park Review - Is It Worth Buying?

Kabuto Park is a short and cozy insect-collecting game. Spend a month as Hana, a little girl on her summer vacation. You’ll get to catch cool bugs, evolve them, build your team carefully, and face off against other kids to become the champion of the Summer Beetle Battles.

Beyond being incredibly cute and packed with charming little critters (some even shiny!), Kabuto Park is fun, fast, and easy to 100%. It offers a laid-back experience, perfect for anyone looking for a relaxing pastime, but also has smart strategy elements for players who enjoy trying out different approaches within a single game.

We'll talk more about the game below!

Technical Sheet

Developers: Doot, Zakku

Platforms: Microsoft Windows, Linux, macOS

Studio: Doot Tiny Games

Release Date: May 28, 2025

Genre: Casual, Indie, RPG, Strategy

Look at this start screen! It has that nostalgic childhood vibe that just warms your heart.

As soon as you click play, you're greeted by a little girl who tells you about the insect park. You're spending your vacation there, and apparently, among the local kids, bugs are a big deal!

The Kabuto Park Map

On the map, you'll collect insects. Some might have special traits, or even be shiny (with different colors). Plus, some are rarer than others.

Then you build a team of bugs to… yep, battle other kids’ bugs!

Each bug type has different “power cards,” so the idea is to create strategies and synergies between your insects to knock your opponent’s bugs out of the ring.

Between Beetles, Butterflies, Bees, Dragonflies, and more, there are over 40 incredible bug species living in Kabuto Park for you to catch. Each species has its own unique powers!

For example, Beetles focus on Boosts and Knockbacks but generate energy slowly.

Bees, on the other hand, have low strength but high-energy generation, ideal for players who enjoy “combo” styles with lots of clicks.

And so on with the other bug types. Just read their ability cards and build your strategy. Mixing bugs with synergy is super helpful to cover your team’s weaknesses!

Battles in Kabuto Park

As you climb the rankings (by defeating your rivals), you can buy items that unlock new areas... with new bugs!

So there you are, listening to the game’s soothing soundtrack and searching for the perfect insects. Bugs you decide to “sell” turn into candy that you can use to level up your battle bugs.

After a while, you get a lovely terrarium that displays your “favorite” bugs.

The conversations with other kids are full of cuteness — genuine little kid talk, like “I like bees! Do you?” or “My bugs are named after snacks! Wanna be friends?” It’s the kind of dialogue that makes you smile and remember what it felt like to be a tiny kid with tiny dreams and little bugs.

Your opponents get tougher as you go! I won’t show too many images because the game is short and I don’t want to spoil the fun. You’ll also face “Boss” battles that award you with badges!

That’s it.

It’s a bug-fighting summer vacation game, drawn in an adorable art style with a perfect, chill soundtrack.

This is a game you can complete 100% pretty naturally. I recommend just enjoying the story, experimenting with strategies... Once you finish, check if you missed any achievements to get that full completion.

In my case, the ones I missed were “Challenger” and “my fav”:

So here are some tips for those!

If you’re missing these when you finish the game, I recommend restarting and getting them early, since the early-game opponents are easier.

I did it with a team of 3 maxed-out “Rosemary Beetles” (level 5 right at the start), and then I faced the next opponent with one bug less in my party.

It was tough, with lots of clicking, but I won with only two bugs!

Pros

> Cute and cozy atmosphere

> Relaxing soundtrack

> Gorgeous art and visuals

> Learn about cool bugs

> Simple, easy-to-learn mechanics

Cons

> No online mode (single-player only)

> Very short — about 3 hours to complete

> Lacks post-game content

If you’re on the fence about buying it, let me assure you: if you love adorable, relaxing games, this one’s for you!

Just remember: it’s a short game. I took about 3.5 hours to 100% it, playing slowly and enjoying the cute creatures.

I wish this game lasted, like, 20 hours. With more stages, more bugs, and more goofy kids. If there’s ever a sequel, I’m buying it day one.

Hope you liked the review! If you have any questions or suggestions, feel free to drop them in the comments below.

See you next time!