Publisher Graffiti Games sent out a press release on April 1 for Turnip Boy Commits Tax Evasion, but despite the timing and unlikely name it was not an April Fool's joke. No, Turnip Boy and his scandalous financial problems are very real, housed in a diverting Zelda-like action-adventure game. Thanks to some fun characters, breezy pacing, and a handful of entertaining boss battles, it's not bad. Unfortunately, there's just not much to the game. Its mechanics are basic, its dungeons and puzzles in short supply, and the whole thing ends just as it's getting good.

In Turnip Boy, players control a cute rascal of a turnip who has just been evicted from his home for failing to pay taxes. In order to pay back his massive debt, Turnip Boy accepts a dangerous quest from Mayor Onion. 

At first, the game's story seems like little more than an excuse to send Turnip Boy on a series of errands, but by the second half of the game it becomes clear there's something deeper and darker going on. Indeed, there are some genuinely surprising twists and turns in this unassuming, modest game. Regrettably they're not fully unpacked, and when the credits roll you might be left with more questions than answers.

As with the story, the game's mechanics and gameplay loop aren't fully developed. That's not to say they're bad, just underripe. From a top-down perspective you'll control Turnip Boy as he moves from screen to screen, talking to silly NPCs, fighting baddies, and diving into dungeons. If you've played a top-down Zelda before, you know what to expect. Apart from movement controls, which are a little slippery, everything here is serviceable. Melee combat works, the puzzles make sense, and there are a lot of ironic side-quests to keep you busy. But the enemies aren't challenging, the puzzles don't evolve significantly, and most side missions — however humorous — are really just fetch quests. It's all very passable.

The big exception to this is the game's collection of 5-6 boss fights, each of which usually leverages some puzzle-solving element in an interesting way. Like the game in general, boss battles are on the short and easy side, but at least they're fun and different. 

The greatest drawback to Turnip Boy is that it's over too soon. You could beat the game in 2-3 hours. As a result, the story, mechanics, and gameplay systems just don't have enough time to evolve. Now, there are some amusing things to extend your playing time. Talking to certain characters and completing their quests will earn new hats for Turnip Boy, and off the beaten path you might find heart pieces or paperwork. Turnip Boy, being a menace to society, will tear up each piece of paper he sees, whether it's a deed, an invoice, or a love letter. Pro tip: if you find and destroy every piece of paper, you might trigger something special.

In graphical terms, Turnip Boy looks decent; it has an early SNES visual quality to it. The real stars, though, are the anthropomorphic fruits and vegetables that inhabit the land. There's a gangster pickle, an avocado explorer, a snooty hot pepper barber, and many, many more. The best of the lot might be the "Olive Guard", who is represented by three olives on a plastic cocktail sword. Music is also decent — the dreamy title song and the Forsaken Farmhouse theme are two of the finest tracks.

Although Turnip Boy Commits Tax Evasion sounds like a joke, in reality it's a perfectly acceptable game. For a couple of hours you can meet some zany veggies, beat a handful of dungeons, and stick it to the IRS — Idiot Radish Squad. Due to the short running time, however, the game never satisfactorily unpacks its story, mechanics, puzzles, or gameplay systems. This is one turnip harvested just a little too soon.