Tag Archives: arena

$10 or below, Competitive Games

Paperbound

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Do you like arena games where you need to defeat your friends? Well, add anti-gravity to that and you have this game.

Welcome to the Weekly Co-Op!

This week’s competitive game will be Paperbound!

Players: 1-4

Platform: PC, PS4

Price: $9.99

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image from http://www.paperboundgame.com

Paperbound is all about hacking and slashing. The point of the game is to get to your portal, but the path to get there often changes, and that is what makes this game so fun.

There are plenty of characters to choose from even though they are purely cosmetic; however, the map choice is wide and varying. Each map is an arena, but its construction is different. Some maps have spikes on the sides, some have no sides, some are really small maps that are completely enclosed. Apart from this, there is also different game modes to play. From simply killing each other to capturing an object and holding it (a la King of the Hill game types), there is enough variation to keep the game fun and new for a while.

Even though there is not a lot of actual content in the game (set number of maps, set number of characters, set number of game types), the reason I chose this game is because of its’ unique take on the genre.

In terms of gameplay, this game is relatively hard to jump into. There is figuring out how to attack, how to throw effectively, and using the environment in the map appropriately. Once you figure that out, there is the entire anti-gravity addition that changes the game entirely. Anti-gravity is such a weird concept to mess with that it alone is what puts this game on my radar. It completely changes how you approach winning. Instead of trying to get to your enemy across the map and hitting them, you can now just switch gravity and “fall” towards them and slash them as you pass them. There is so much opportunity to experiment with how to traverse each map that it makes each time you play feel just different enough to keep you around.

While this game may be a little hard to just introduce to casual gamers, it is definitely a lot of fun and has given me and a few different groups of friends a lot of memories. For $10, this game is well worth the price for how much use I have gotten out of it.

 

$10 or below, Competitive Games

Stikbold! A Dodgeball Adventure

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Playing dodgeball in school has always been a fan favorite of many kids. Once you leave school, however, dodgeball becomes less and less prevalent. This game can help revive that nostalgia in a very… unique… way.

Welcome to the Weekly Co-Op!

This week’s competitive game will be Stikbold! A Dodgeball Adventure!

Players: 1-4

Price: $9.99

Platform: PC, PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch

image from https://store.playstation.com

Stikbold is all about accuracy and strategy. The point of the game is to take out your friends in whatever way you can. Most of the time this means a ball, but that can change.

There is a story to this game, but the fun really comes from the multiplayer. There are a couple game types such as regular dodgeball or a soccer-inspired dodgeball game mode. There are only 5 levels to play these on, but the developers do a great job of making each one feel like its own environment. Each level has its own environmental challenges such as crabs that can kill you on the beach level or a hot dog stand that drops throw-able hot dogs in the gym level.  The levels feel fleshed out and fun to interact in.

The reason I chose to put this game on the list is because it is a fun to play yet hard to master game. Knowing when to dodge out of the way, knowing how to throw at an angle to catch someone, or even just knowing when to bump into someone or not can win or lose you the game. If you do get hit and tossed out of the arena, fear not! You are not done! Stikbold allows players who are out to move around the arena and send in environmental hazards of their own to try and get some of the other players out as well.

This is a unique game that offers gameplay that isn’t seen very often and does it in a wonderfully goofy way. The game is pretty cheap as well, so make sure to pick it up today!

Above $10, Competitive Games

Towerfall

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Shooting arrows, dodging monsters, or even dodging your friends! More in store if you pick up Towerfall!

Welcome to the Weekly Co-Op!

Players: 1-4

Platform: PS4, PC, PS Vita, Xbox One, Ouya

Price: $14.99

image from towerfall-game.com

Welcome to the world of Towerfall, a strategic nightmare. This game is easily in my top 3 of favorite competitive multiplayer games. There is so much to do and so many ways to change up what starts as a simple game.

Before I continue, I should let you know that there is a cooperative mode for this game too, but that is only 2 players (unless you buy the DLC).

Towerfall is a game focused on shooting things with arrows. That is the basic concept of the game. The reason the game is so fun is because of how it accomplishes this goal. The game is a 2-D arena shooter. You pick the little pixel person you wish to destroy with, and then make your way into the game. The base game lets you shoot in any cardinal direction, pick up used arrows, dash away (or towards) arrows, and wall jump. There are so many tiny nuances to the game that can change these mechanics up. Want to regenerate arrows? Sure! How about wings that let you fly? Why not! There is so much customization within the variant options for the game. One of the main changes that the game allows you to make is to the arrow type. Instead of shooting a regular arrow, maybe you’re shooting an arrow that can blow up. Maybe your arrows can drill through walls. There are so many zany and wacky options to pick from.

On top of the base game being fun and enjoyable, there is DLC for the game priced at $9.99 that I would recommend if you plan on playing this with friends. The DLC adds more variants (like a double jump or longer dash) and some new maps and cooperative arenas.

This is a must-get for anyone who plays games with their friends often. 10/10 would recommend.

Above $10, Competitive Games

Gang Beasts

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Are you looking for a game that pits you and your friends against each other in hilarious fights? Ever want to see really funny ragdoll physics combined with fun local-multiplayer? Well look no further!

Welcome to the Weekly Co-op!

This weeks competitive game will be Gang Beasts!

Players: 1-4

Platform: PC, PS4

Price: $19.99

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image from gangbeasts.game

Gang beasts is a hilarious game involving blob-people who meander their way around an arena to hit the other blob-people. Punch, kick, or headbutt, trying to knock your friends out is the name of the game. There are a few different game modes, but all focus around beating your friends.

To keep this from getting repetitive and annoying, Gang Beasts offers a plethora of customization for anyone who gets bored easily. Mix and match how your character looks, change the settings for the match, change the arena, there is plenty to make the game feel just different enough to keep you playing.

The game play itself is what makes this game stand out. Since the characters are basically gelatin-people, they move sluggishly; not too slow, but just enough to make your little guy feel drunk sloshing it’s way around the arena. The attacks feel like they have some weight behind them, so knocking someone down feels extra rewarding. On top of all of that, to get players out of the map (the way to eliminate them), you have to pick them up while they are down and throw them off the arena!

Gang Beasts is a wild adventure to sink some time into, and I highly recommend that every person who is thinking about getting a good local multiplayer game check this one out!

Above $10, Competitive Games

Starwhal

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Tired of playing Call of Duty and Rocket League with your friends? Interested in finding a new, cheap game to play with your friends? Well, look no further! Welcome to the Weekly Co-Op!

 

Today’s recommendation will be Starwhal!

Players: 1-4

Platform: PC, Xbox One, PS4, WiiU, PS3

Price: $11.99

Image from Steam

Starwhal was released a few years ago (2013), but it has taken the couch co-op world by storm. It is a simple game with only a few mechanics, but it is hard to master and fun to play! You are a narwhal set in an 80’s style theme. The 2-D game is focused on stabbing the other narwhals in the heart.

 

Violent, I know; however, it is not as bad as you might think. Since the game is already a goofy theme (narwhals stabbing each other with their noses set in an 80’s theme) the game follows suit with this. When you get close to other ‘starwhals”, time slows down. When you get to the other player’s heart, the heart explodes in a 2-D, non-graphic explosion. The game is safe for children and adults to play together.

There are multiple game modes in the game, specifically 4. There is a classic mode, a mode where one player has a special heart (plays like king of the hill except the hill is a special heart) called Heart Throb, Zones (which is like king of the hill), and Score Attack (instead of losing hearts, you gain score when you stab someone else).

There are plenty of customization options to make your Starwhal unique, and plenty of different options to change up the game every time.

The game is only $12, and has been giving my friends and I hours of fun since I bought it almost 4 years ago. Starwhal is a great game for any person on a budget and looking to play something new with their friends.

That’s all for the Weekly Co-op, check back in soon for another game! Have a great week!