Setting and characters Bugsnax takes place in a world populated by furry
muppet-like humanoids called Grumpuses. The game is set on Snaktooth Island, a mysterious island inhabited solely by creatures called Bugsnax who are "half bug and half snack." The ruins of an ancient Grumpus civilization can be found around the island, along with their skeletal remains. Upon discovering the existence of Bugsnax, disgraced explorer Elizabert "Lizbert" Megafig (Helen Sadler) leads an expedition team to the island to study them, establishing the makeshift town of Snaxburg as a base of operations, but disappears under mysterious circumstances. As part of the "Isle of Bigsnax" update, the small neighboring island of Broken Tooth becomes accessible later in the game. The player controls an unnamed newspaper journalist who is invited by Lizbert to visit Snaktooth Island over the objections of their supervisor, C. Clumby Clumbernut (
Barbara Goodson). Aiding the journalist is Filbo Fiddlepie (
Max Mittelman), the self-appointed Mayor of Snaxburg who was left in charge by Lizbert before she disappeared, despite lacking self-confidence. Over the course of the game, the journalist meets several other Grumpuses who joined Lizbert on her expedition. These include Wambus Troubleham (
Fred Tatasciore), a stubborn sauce-farmer; Beffica Winklesnoot (
Cassandra Lee Morris), a gossip-seeking photographer; Gramble Gigglefunny (
Sam Riegel), a rancher who treats Bugsnax as pets instead of food; Wiggle Wigglebottom (Kenna Ramsey), a washed-up musician; Triffany Lottablog (Haviland Stillwell), Wambus's estranged archaeologist wife; Cromdo Face (Rick Zieff), a greedy entrepreneur and con-man; Snorpington "Snorpy" Fizzlebean (
Roger Craig Smith), an inventor and conspiracy theorist obsessed with the "Grumpinati"; Chandlo Funkbun (
Yuri Lowenthal), Snorpy's overprotective bodybuilder boyfriend; Floofty Fizzlebean (
Casey Mongillo), Snorpy's antisocial scientist sibling; Shellsy "Shelda" Woolbag (
Debra Wilson), an alleged prophet who preaches the evils of Bugsnax; and Eggabell Batternugget (
Fryda Wolff), the town doctor and Lizbert's romantic partner who also went missing. In the "Isle of Bigsnax" update, the player can also find several messages left behind by researcher Alegander Jamfoot (Tom Taylorson).
Story A struggling newspaper journalist receives a film strip in the mail from Lizbert, who encourages the journalist to come to Snaktooth Island and document the Bugsnax living there for the world to see. Intrigued, the journalist takes an airship to the island, only to discover that Lizbert has gone missing and all the other Grumpuses that joined her on her expedition have scattered due to interpersonal conflict. Filbo requests that the journalist help him bring the others back to Snaxburg, as they may have clues regarding Lizbert's disappearance. The journalist gradually convinces each Grumpus to return to Snaxburg. However, the Grumpuses regularly argue with each other, and each of them suffer from their own personal issues that they believe can be solved by eating Bugsnax. Some of them believe that there is a secret conspiracy behind the island: Snorpy thinks that the "Grumpinati" are controlling the Bugsnax, while Shelda warns of their harmful "toxins". One night, Snaxburg is attacked, and signs appear warning its residents to leave the island. Wiggle claims that the "Queen of Bugsnax" is planning to eat the Grumpuses. In the "Isle of Bigsnax" expansion, the journalist can discover a secret room with audio recordings from Jamfoot. These recordings reveal that the supposed "Grumpinati" are actually the Snakolytes, a secret order Jamfoot is a member of whose goal is to create a new Bugsnak Queen and gain control of all Bugsnax. After the journalist brings all residents back to Snaxburg, a volcano erupts, triggering an earthquake that destroys the town. Eggabell arrives and leads the journalist and Filbo to a hidden chamber beneath the island, which is itself revealed to be made of Bugsnax. There, they discover that Lizbert has been mutated into a giant creature made up of various Bugsnax. Lizbert explains that Bugsnax are actually mind-altering parasites that eventually transform anyone who regularly consumes them into more Bugsnax, as they had done to the island's previous inhabitants, and she has been attempting to keep the Bugsnax under control as their queen. With her control waning, Lizbert urges the group to flee the island, and Eggabell becomes part of the "queen" as well to support her efforts. Filbo and the journalist return to Snaxburg, which is now under attack from various Bugsnax. If the player fails to defend the Grumpuses during the sequence, they can die from eating the Bugsnax attacking them, becoming Bugsnax themselves. However, any Grumpus whose side quests have all been completed will fight back against the Bugsnax and automatically survive the encounter. After fending off the Bugsnax, the journalist, Filbo, and any survivors escape on the journalist's airship. Upon returning to the mainland, Filbo acts as a witness for the journalist's story, passing Bugsnax off as fictional creatures. Clumby is impressed with the story, but fires the journalist anyway. Filbo then decides to run for Mayor of New Grump City, asking for the journalist's help. Saving every Grumpus during the finale unlocks an alternate credits sequence revealing each Grumpus's current whereabouts, including that Filbo has been elected Mayor and Lizbert and Eggabell have been de-transformed, and a post-credits scene. In it, Clumby can be heard talking to Jamfoot, believing that the journalist is hiding the truth and deciding to keep watch on them, revealing herself to be a Snakolyte. If the player also listened to all of Jamfoot's audio recordings, an alternate scene plays in which Jamfoot calls Clumby, fearful that the journalist knows all the Snakolytes' secrets, and orders her to find out all she can about the survivors of Snaktooth. The game ends with a single Strabby emerging from inside the airship. ==Development==