MOAI 2: Path to Another World

MOAI 2: Path to Another World is the most recent entry in the enjoyable time management series by Alawar Entertainment. Not only is it a continuation of the story from the first, but includes many unique additions and improvements in game play that sets it as a worthy successor to the original.
Game play is generally the same consisting of multi-tasking activities as efficiently as possible while managing resources to complete specific tasks (build, gather, etc.) in an effort to beat the clock, but with the addition of the ability to store power-ups for use at your leisure. This small quality-of-life change makes a HUGE difference when you're trying to effectively strategize your actions. Each level now also has a second, harder version with completely different objectives and alternate strategies to complete them. This essentially doubles the amount of content in the game and encourages approaching each level in several different ways. Really cool change. You also have the ability to find and unlock (via achievements) artifacts that your character can equip to give him special bonuses. This alone adds quite a bit of strategy to the game play as you customize bonuses to your own preference and swap them out depending on the requirements for each level. Toss in the addition of an Easy/Expert level toggle, and the game now covers both casual and "hardcore" tastes.
The sequel offers the same high quality artwork and music with the only change being the removal of voiced narration during the interlude scenes. While the absence is noticeable for those who've played the first, it doesn't affect the game much at all. Oh, and we have female natives now! No longer is Bright Light the only woman on the entire island. YAY!
I normally do not gush this much over sequels, but MOAI 2 is a true improvement over the first in every way, and I LOVED the original. With full Steam integration including trading cards, and especially achievements, there's absolutely no reason to not have this game in your library if you are a fan of time management titles. MOAI 2 is up there with 12 Labours of Hercules as one of the best of its kind, and that's a huge compliment. If you loved MOAI: Build Your Dream, then you will absolutely enjoy MOAI 2. Even if you haven't played the first, or any time management game for that matter, this is a great introduction to the genre.
Bottom Line: Highly recommended for fans of time management games as well as those looking to try their hand at a more than solid entry in the genre.
Curated by: Chudah's Corner

After the happy end of MOAI, Bright Light and the Hero are living a peaceful life until the God of the Underworld kidnapped the princess, forcing the Hero to journey through many lands to save her.
MOAI 2 is following what the previous game established but with many revamps: indeed, now, you have only 40 levels in the campaign, contrary to the 60 from MOAI. However, this number is increased as you can play at least 38 alternate levels: same "level" with different objectives AND harder.
The gameplay didn't really changed: MOAI 2 is a casual time management game, where objectives must be met in order to advance. But you have to respect the timer if you want to win the "gold star" (in other words, respecting the time) - which is changing from a timer divided in three and representing stars.
In each level, you sent workers to remove obstacles (down trees, rocks or holes), to build/upgrade/repair buildings (fields, quarries, houses, temples, markets, bridges, trees, statues), to trade with bandits or hindus, to open chests, to fish or even to cut down trees. The novelty here is a new building: the bakery that allows you to produce more food by giving a certain amount of food. About the chests, there is also a difference: golden chests have artifacts or bonus while normal chests will contain resources.
Indeed, you have five types of resources - all of them can be traded with hindus or found in chest): food (obtained by fishing or by building fields), stones (obtained by removing rocks or by building quarries), essential oil - replacing the sandalwood - (obtained by building trees), wood (obtained by cutting trees or by trading other resources at the market) and mana (obtained by praying at the temple by giving sandalwood).
However, the game includes also bonus: a wealth scales to have more wood at the market, a horn to have more produced resources, sandals to make your workers work faster, a shield to repel ghost.
Indeed, many levels has waves of ghosts attacking your buildings: you can whip them by clicking on them or build statues (Moai Statues) that will destroy them. The ghosts are of three types: blue (easy to kill and giving 5 mana), red (fast and giving 10 mana) and purple (slow but hard to kill and giving 20 mana).
Moai 2 adds also a backpack that can give advantage to the Hero: more wood, more food, more stone, more essential oil, more mana, less sick workers, faster workers, etc. etc. It will come handy for alternate levels but also for the normal levels later in the game.
However, Moai 2 perpetues the legacy of bugged achievements: you have to play the game in English if you want to unlock Steam achievements (else it will be unlocked only ingame). So, make sure to change the properties of the game to English (your Steam can stay in your language). Add to that that the achievement On Your Own was hard to unlock as you can't use any bonus unless they're stated in the objectives and that many people unlocked it differently. Indeed, some couldn't despite not using bonus or artifacts, others did with artifacts, others unlocked it only while playing normal levels when the rest had to play the alternate levels. As far as I know, for me, artifacts were used and I had to play alternate levels to see it unlocked.
Anyway, while the game isn't really getting many novelties, the bakery idea is nice, like the backpack and the reduced number of levels in normal play.
Graphics are still nice and exotic, with the Hero now living like a local, despite him being a Westerner and making new friends. The soundtrack is also good.
If Moai 2 is a good game, it's really MOAI 3 that will see many novelties. However, it's like 12 Labours of Hercules, you can easily play all games and enjoy yourself very much. Go ahead, seriously, MOAI 2 is really a good sequel.

Game Information
"MOAI: Path to Another World" is a Strategy game. The game was developed by Toyman Interactive & Alawar Entertainment and published by Buka Entertainment.
"Path to Another World" is the second episode of "MOAI." Previous episode: "Build Your Dream."
The Game Review
Game Visuals
I want to mention the visuals in the game are well done. The visuals can be adjusted in the game's option menu.
Game Audio
I want to mention that audio for the game is well done. Even though the audio is somewhat simplistic and repetitive. The audio can be adjusted in the game's option menu as well.
Gameplay
There are two different difficulty game modes to choose from: Casual and Normal.
This is a strategy game, where careful planning is required, due to the limited amount of resources that are available.
There are four island masses with forty levels in total to playthrough in the game.
There are building structures that generate resources but they need to be collected manually by the player.
There are special power up bonuses in-game that allows the player to complete the levels much quicker. The special power up bonuses does have a time limit attached to them. These special power up bonuses show up much later in the game.
The character's rank updates after earning a certain amount of points from playing the game.
There are twenty-four different relics to collect in the game. All artifacts are stored in the player's backpack. These artifacts can be equipped and they have different purposes in the game.
There are fifty-four different achievements that can be unlocked from playing the game. Each of these achievements does come with some requirements that need to be completed before they can be unlocked.
Miscellaneous
There are six different trading cards to collect. Only three of those trading cards are given out by the game. There are several ways to get the rest of the trading card: Purchased from Steam's Community Market; Trade with friends; Booster Packs and its' Booster Pack Creator.
Final thoughts: I have found the game enjoyable to a certain extent. The replay value for the game is low. I would recommend this game, but not at the game's full price value.

MOAI 2: Path to Another World is the successor to Moai: Build Your Dream (from Buka entertainment who also publish Promised Land, Rescue 1 and a slew of other family friendly games). MOAI 2: Path to Another World is yet another delightful casual game featuring this publisher's trademark cutesy art style and family friendly content. Moai 2 is almost Identical in many respects to Moai: Build Your Dream. Both MOAI games sport very similar game play to Promised Land, but are slightly less complex but more demanding on reflexes and quick puzzle solving.
The game runs in 1920 x 1080p full HD in full screen mode. The art style is cute and would be at home in any children's story book. The sounds are cute and atmospheric and the music is pleasant easy listening and unobtrusive.
Game play is smooth and intuitive with helpful tool tips and a quest status tracker on the lower right of the screen.
The interface is well laid out and uncluttered. Stages are well designed and start out simple progressing in complexity as the player gets deeper into the game.
Before each stage there is a scenario-setting dialogue providing a story driven element. Between stages there are storyboard pictures with story text. Sadly MOAI 2 does not have the superb Voice Overs for the dialogue that the original title had.
Moai 2 picks up where the previous game left off. Unfortunately the peace is broken when the Chief's daughter is kidnapped. The player is then tasked to guide the hero through many scenarios and will meet many characters and challenges along the way. MOAI 2 is larger than the original game in game content and could take about 40 hours or more to complete and does have replay value.
Completing quests before the timer runs out will earn the player gold status for that level. Fortunately players can select to re-play any previously completed level via an easy to use map which tracks game progress. Games are automatically saved for each registered player and can be resumed at any time.
MOAI 2: Path to Another World is only 300Mb in size and will not hog valuable hard drive space. The game is fun to play and will provide several hours of enjoyment. MOAI 2 will appeal to casual gamers of all ages and is especially suitable as a family game for younger children. Children unable to read will need adult assistance as there is a need to read mission text.
Players familiar with the first game will feel right at home in MOAI 2 as the gameplay mechanics are identical and many of the original characters are featured in this new installment. It is however not a requirement to have played (or completed) the first game to play MOAI 2, but it would be a good idea for story continuity.
Overall this is a great budget game, offering family friendly casual gaming and will provide lots of fun and enjoyment. Those looking for something similar with more complexity should look at Promised Land.
Rating 8 / 10

This is a fun and challenging Time/Resource Management game! It is quite lengthy also, there is a alternate level for each level of the game, so it will give you many, many hours of fun! The graphics are great and it is brightly colored. Your little people are fun to watch as they go about their jobs! You will also receive upgrades along the way that will help you. You might receive a necklace that will give you a 10% increase when you are clearing stone obstructions. (That is just an example...I honestly can't recall what the various items do...so please don't think the necklace actually does that!)
Your bonus item you receive are kept in your "Backpack", which is at the top left of the map screen. When you get a new item, it will show a little notification. There is a story but to be honest I don't really follow it, I just care about the gameplay so I can't comment on the story itself. The goals for each level are clearly listed on the bottom right of your screen. As you complete each goal, it gets crossed out so you can clearly see what you have left to do.
You can keep playing when the timer runs out but of course you won't get the "goldtime", however you can go back and replay levels to try to improve your score. I tend to first play the regular levels, then the alternate ones and then go back and retry for getting all gold. However, that's just the way I do it. You can also choose to play an alternate level right after the regular level...it's up to you! Either way you play it, the bottom line is that this is a great game!
I hope you give this game a chance, and I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!!

Those misfit Villagers are back with more adventures. Really good time waster. The story is pretty decent, graphics are nice. Easy to learn and very enjoyable.

It is a good game of its type. The challenges generally get more difficult as you progress, but then an odd one is relatively easy. which adds variety. The more difficult levels need several goes while you work out which strategy works.