My Playtime: 6.6h (100% achievement, finished the game)
Grindy Achievement(s): No.
Optional Achievement(s): Yes (~19 achievements).
Difficult Achievement(s): No.

12 Labours of Hercules II: The Cretan Bull is the second title of the 12 Labours of Hercules series, a time management game where you need to complete some objectives to finish a level. You'll have to allocate your resources to clear the path in the shortest time possible to get better scores, although you still can finish each level at your pace. It has 40+5 levels in total with a minigame at every 10 levels.

Pros:
- 40+5 levels
- 3 difficulties
- Future actions can be placed in a queue

Cons:
- Unable to undo actions once the workers are doing it, even if it's for collecting resources that have been looted by a thief

Specs
Intel Core i5-9300H 2.40GHz, 8GB RAM, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650

Yes.
If you enjoy time management games, get this game. You don't have to buy the first game to enjoy this one.

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12 Labours of Hercules II: The Cretan Bull looks like 12 Labours of Hercules (my review), its first title, or most time management games in general. Objects are drawn realistically with some paths that are connected to each other. Obstacles and resources are drawn in a large size and put on the pathways. The pathways make it easier to see how the workers can reach the objects, and the UI is easy to understand with minimal text.

The story can be confusing. It was told in rhymes with a voice that is too soft. I liked the dubber in the first game more; the voice in this game seems to be lacking soul - the rhymes sound flat and it doesn't make you feel like you are in the middle ages due to the soft voice. Moreover, the story seems to be all over the place. There is no correlation between the first and the second cutscene, although they tried to salvage it in the last few cutscenes.

Gameplay
If you have played the first game, the gameplay is the same. You have some workers that can collect some resources, whether it's by picking them up from the ground or by destroying obstacles blocking your way. You need to allocate them to do these tasks, making sure that you are not "soft-locked" and have to wait for some resources to regenerate before you can continue. All obstacles require some resources to be destroyed, but only some can give you other resources in return. You also can build some buildings that can generate resources, although the availability will depend on the level you are in.

Each level has a different layout. One level might have a building that can generate resources, another might require you to build it first. Some levels might even not have any of that, forcing you to rely on other means to gather resources. That being said, each level is still similar to the other, in the sense that you need to fulfill some goals to proceed.

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1430316190

Just like in the first game, you can queue future actions to be done once your workers have finished their current tasks. It helps to save time required from waiting until they are idle, although sadly, you are only allowed to stack 3 actions. It becomes an issue once you have 3+ workers that have been sped up; it slows down your planning because you need to wait until the actions have been used up. Moreover, there is no way to cancel your action once it's being worked on; there are some levels with thieves that can steal your resources and it'll waste your workers' time when you allow them to pick up the "resources" that have been looted.

The game has 40 levels in total, with 5 bonus levels that can be unlocked after you collect some collectibles. There will be a minigame after 10 levels which mostly requires you to click on some objects to finish. Unlike the first game, most minigames look too similar to me. I got bored doing some of them, although luckily, there aren't many to begin with.

Length and Difficulty
I finished the game in 6.6h. There are 3 difficulties - I mostly play in the normal difficulty because I can't get an achievement in the easiest one. The only difference between the difficulties is the time it takes to 3-star the level, with the hardest difficulty having a stricter time for it. The easiest difficulty has no time restrictions, allowing you to finish the game without being rushed. It's still easy to finish the game with normal difficulty.

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=607550833

12 Labours of Hercules II: The Cretan Bull is a time-management game that delivers what you expect. It's short enough to be finished in one session, although you still can split it up into shorter sessions if you want. If you are a casual gamer that like these sorts of games, feel free to buy this game.

[b]My Playtime:[/b] 6.6h (100% achievement, finished the game) [b]Grindy Achievement(s):[/b] No. [b]Optional Achievement(s):[/b] Yes (~19 achievements). [b]Difficult Achievement(s):[/b] No. [h1]Intro[/h1] [b]12 Labours of Hercules II: The Cretan Bull[/b] is the second title of the [url=https://store.steampowered.com/search/?term=12+labours+of+hercules&supportedlang=english&developer=Zoom+Out+Games&ndl=1][i]12 Labours of Hercules[/i][/url] series, a time management game where you need to complete some objectives to finish a level. You'll have to allocate your resources to clear the path in the shortest time possible to get better scores, although you still can finish each level at your pace. It has 40+5 levels in total with a minigame at every 10 levels. [b]Pros:[/b] - 40+5 levels - 3 difficulties - Future actions can be placed in a queue [b]Cons:[/b] - Unable to undo actions once the workers are doing it, even if it's for collecting resources that have been looted by a thief [b]Specs[/b] Intel Core i5-9300H 2.40GHz, 8GB RAM, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 [h1]Should you buy this game?[/h1] [b]Yes.[/b] [i]If you enjoy time management games, get this game. You don't have to buy the first game to enjoy this one.[/i] [hr][/hr] [h1]In-Depth Review[/h1] [h3]Visuals[/h3] [b]12 Labours of Hercules II: The Cretan Bull[/b] looks like [url=https://store.steampowered.com/app/342580/12_Labours_of_Hercules/][b]12 Labours of Hercules[/b][/url] ([url=https://steamcommunity.com/profiles/76561198132503739/recommended/342580]my review[/url]), its first title, or most time management games in general. Objects are drawn realistically with some paths that are connected to each other. Obstacles and resources are drawn in a large size and put on the pathways. The pathways make it easier to see how the workers can reach the objects, and the UI is easy to understand with minimal text. [h3]Story[/h3] The story can be confusing. It was told in rhymes with a voice that is too soft. I liked the dubber in the first game more; the voice in this game seems to be lacking soul - the rhymes sound flat and it doesn't make you feel like you are in the middle ages due to the soft voice. Moreover, the story seems to be all over the place. There is no correlation between the first and the second cutscene, although they tried to salvage it in the last few cutscenes. [h3]The Game[/h3] [b]Gameplay[/b] If you have played the first game, the gameplay is the same. You have some workers that can collect some resources, whether it's by picking them up from the ground or by destroying obstacles blocking your way. You need to allocate them to do these tasks, making sure that you are not "soft-locked" and have to wait for some resources to regenerate before you can continue. All obstacles require some resources to be destroyed, but only some can give you other resources in return. You also can build some buildings that can generate resources, although the availability will depend on the level you are in. Each level has a different layout. One level might have a building that can generate resources, another might require you to build it first. Some levels might even not have any of that, forcing you to rely on other means to gather resources. That being said, each level is still similar to the other, in the sense that you need to fulfill some goals to proceed. https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1430316190 Just like in the first game, you can queue future actions to be done once your workers have finished their current tasks. It helps to save time required from waiting until they are idle, although sadly, you are only allowed to stack 3 actions. It becomes an issue once you have 3+ workers that have been sped up; it slows down your planning because you need to wait until the actions have been used up. Moreover, there is no way to cancel your action once it's being worked on; there are some levels with thieves that can steal your resources and it'll waste your workers' time when you allow them to pick up the "resources" that have been looted. The game has 40 levels in total, with 5 bonus levels that can be unlocked after you collect some collectibles. There will be a minigame after 10 levels which mostly requires you to click on some objects to finish. Unlike the first game, most minigames look too similar to me. I got bored doing some of them, although luckily, there aren't many to begin with. [b]Length and Difficulty[/b] I finished the game in 6.6h. There are 3 difficulties - I mostly play in the normal difficulty because I can't get an achievement in the easiest one. The only difference between the difficulties is the time it takes to 3-star the level, with the hardest difficulty having a stricter time for it. The easiest difficulty has no time restrictions, allowing you to finish the game without being rushed. It's still easy to finish the game with normal difficulty. https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=607550833 [h1]Conclusion[/h1] [b]12 Labours of Hercules II: The Cretan Bull[/b] is a time-management game that delivers what you expect. It's short enough to be finished in one session, although you still can split it up into shorter sessions if you want. If you are a casual gamer that like these sorts of games, feel free to buy this game.