# You Must Build A Boat

> Match Tiles. Build A Boat.

Canonical page: [https://chrome-stats.com/d/id811397653](https://chrome-stats.com/d/id811397653)

## Overview

- **ID:** `id811397653`
- **Platform:** Apple
- **Type:** Apple app
- **Status:** Available
- **Publisher:** EightyEight Games LTD
- **Category:** Action
- **Rating:** 4.80 / 5 (1,847 ratings)
- **Version:** 1.6.1097
- **Last updated:** 2019-11-11
- **First published:** 2015-06-04
- **Size:** 115 MB
- **Data as of:** 2026-09-22
- **Store listing:** [Apple App Store](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/you-must-build-a-boat/id811397653)
- **Website:** [http://www.youmustbuildaboat.com](http://www.youmustbuildaboat.com/)
- **Privacy policy:** [http://www.eightyeightgames.com/privacy.txt](http://www.eightyeightgames.com/privacy.txt)

## Description

You Must Build A Boat is a turbocharged mash-up of match-three puzzle mechanics and endless-runner sprinting on a 6x8 tile grid. Slide rows or columns, form matches of three or more, and race to the right while you focus on two areas of the screen at once. Build your crew, upgrade your magic staff, and trade for gold as you pursue a quirky, quest-filled voyage across a retro arcade world.

With a tongue-in-cheek cast—including undead navigators, a lizardman, and a blue bean man—the game invites you to disarm traps, unlock chests, and trade junk for treasure. It blends puzzle and arcade action in a way that rewards persistence, experimentation, and optimism, delivering a deeply replayable Chrome extension game for fans of clever, bite-sized challenges.

## Rankings

- #41,343 — Overall

## Review summary

Players praise You Must Build A Boat for its addictive puzzle-RPG loop, deep progression, and standout music/retro style, with strong long-term replay value across platforms. Common criticisms focus on stability issues, price/value concerns, a challenging, luck-influenced difficulty, and genre labeling confusion. Overall, the title is loved by many for its uniqueness and depth, but stability, pricing, and accessibility of strategy are the main recurring drawbacks.

### Pros

- Addictive, loop-driven puzzle RPG with extensive content, progression, and upgrades.
- Great music and retro lo-fi visuals that set a distinctive mood.
- Strong replay value and long-term appeal across years and platforms with multiple platform purchases.
- Unique mechanics that differentiate it from standard match-3 games, including tile sliding, boat progression, and RPG elements.
- Engaging difficulty and sense of challenge that rewards mastery.

### Cons

- Frequent crashes and stability issues on iOS devices after updates.
- Perceived value concerns; some players feel the $3 price is too high.
- Difficulty is very high and can rely more on luck than skill, which some players dislike.
- Genre labeling can be confusing or misleading; not a traditional match-3 game.
- Limited easy mode or accessibility options for players who want a lighter experience.

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Source: [Chrome-Stats](https://chrome-stats.com/d/id811397653)