Use Your Head – Bulb Boy Anthology Doubles The Disgusting Fun

TheXboxHub News...Xbox Series X News By Neil Watton

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November 12, 2026

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Some heroes carry a sword, others have a trusty sidekick. Bulb Boy has a glowing head that can be unscrewed and used to solve puzzles. It’s fair to say he’s rather different.

Bulb Boy Anthology is out now on Xbox Series X|S for £14.99, bringing together two wonderfully weird horror adventures from developer Bulbware and publisher Dark Product. If you’ve somehow missed this little glowing oddball until now, there’s never been a better opportunity to enter his thoroughly unpleasant world.

At A Glance

• Game: Bulb Boy Anthology
• Developer: Bulbware
• Publisher: Dark Product
• Platforms: Xbox Series X|S
• Price: £14.99
• Genre: Horror, Point-And-Click Adventure

Two Adventures, One Very Strange Family

The anthology brings together the original Bulb Boy and its follow-up, Bulb Boy 2: Jar of Despair, offering a double helping of surreal horror, peculiar puzzles and cartoon-inspired nastiness.

In the first adventure, Bulb Boy wakes from a nightmare to discover that darkness has swallowed the Bulbhouse. His family has disappeared, grotesque creatures have taken over and it’s up to our unusual little hero to investigate. Exploring the house, solving puzzles and uncovering its secrets are all part of the journey to bring the light back.

The second outing begins with a seemingly harmless request from Grandparaffine. Sent down into the basement to retrieve a precious jar of jam, Bulb Boy soon discovers that this is no ordinary household chore. Jelly monsters, twisted puzzles and a particularly unpleasant creature with an interest in his head await.

Put Your Head To Good Use

Both games lean into classic point-and-click adventure mechanics, but there’s plenty here to distinguish them from more conventional puzzlers. Bulb Boy’s detachable head isn’t just an amusing character design choice. It can illuminate dark places, withstand electrical shocks and be used independently of his body to overcome some of the challenges.

The visual style is equally distinctive, taking inspiration from classic animation and 1990s cartoons. Expect expressive characters, grotesque monsters and environments that somehow manage to be both charming and deeply unpleasant. There’s also no conventional dialogue to lean on, with animated expressions, visual storytelling and bubble speech doing the work.

Dark humour sits alongside the horror throughout, giving the anthology a personality all of its own. It’s cute, creepy, occasionally disgusting and frequently rather funny.

A Welcome Return For Bulb Boy

We actually reviewed the original Bulb Boy back in 2017, awarding it a recommendation for those prepared to embrace its unusual approach. At the time, we said: “For the cheap price Bulb Boy is worth a gamble, especially if you’re up for something very different.“

We also praised its strange little world and looked forward to seeing more from Bulb Boy and his family of weirdos. Nearly a decade later, that opportunity has arrived with both adventures collected together.

At £14.99 from the Xbox Store, Bulb Boy Anthology offers two complete journeys into one of gaming’s more peculiar horror worlds. Just don’t be surprised if you start looking at the family basement a little differently afterwards. And perhaps keep a close eye on the jam.

• Tags
• Bulb Boy
• Xbox Series X

Previous articleHidden Squirrels ReviewNext articleRings, Loops And Teamwork Await In SONIC PICO PARK Neil Wattonhttps://www.thexboxhub.com/An Xbox gamer since 2002, I bought the big black box just to play Oddworld: Munch's Oddysee. I have since loved every second of the 360's life and am now just as obsessed with the Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S - mostly with the brilliant indie scene that has come to the fore. Gamertag is neil363, feel free to add me to your list.

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