Heave Ho

About

Heave Ho is a local multi-player game that supports up to 4 players in both co-op and PvP modes. Players must work together to reach the end of each level without falling to their deaths, using their own two hands and their friends' outstretched grips to swing and climb to safety. The game features excellent gameplay, customizable characters, and will definitely make you laugh. A controller is required for local multiplayer.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Local Multi-Player Play with friends in the same physical space using split-screen or multiple screens
2-Players Play with one other player, either online or locally, in a cooperative or competitive game mode
Multi-Player Compete or cooperate with other players online
Co-Op Team up with friends to complete levels or missions together
Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo
PvP Player versus Player - Fight against other players in real-time, often in arena-style combat
Split Screen Play with multiple players on the same screen, often with divided or shared screen real estate

92%

Audience ScoreBased on 1,277 reviews

humor162 positive mentions

story4 negative mentions

Heave Ho is an incredibly fun and hilarious game to play with friends, providing endless laughter and chaotic moments.
The game features simple controls that are easy to learn, making it accessible for players of all skill levels, including non-gamers.
The cooperative gameplay encourages teamwork and communication, resulting in memorable experiences and bonding moments among players.

The game lacks online multiplayer support, which limits the ability to play with friends who are not physically present, making it less accessible for some players.
There are reports of technical issues, such as unresponsive controls and bugs that can hinder gameplay, particularly on certain platforms like Mac.
The game can feel repetitive after a short time due to its limited number of levels and lack of additional content or modes.

humor
162 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in this game is widely praised, with players reporting that it delivers a consistently hilarious experience, especially when played with friends. The chaotic gameplay, absurd physics, and silly character designs lead to moments of uncontrollable laughter, making it a standout choice for party gaming. While some find it less engaging in solo play, the multiplayer experience is described as a riot, often resulting in tears of laughter and memorable moments.
- “One of the few party games that actually make me cry laughing.”
- “This game is hilarious, and an excellent choice for a co-op game with people of varying skill levels.”
- “Get ready to test your friendships and your patience with 'Heave Ho', a hilarious and chaotic platform party game!”
gameplay
54 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
41%
54%
6%
The gameplay is characterized by its simple yet engaging mechanics, making it accessible and enjoyable for players of all ages. While the game offers a unique art style and humorous elements, it excels in multiplayer settings, providing hours of fun through cooperative and competitive play. Although some players desire additional features like online co-op, the overall experience remains entertaining and filled with laughter, thanks to its clever level designs and physics-based interactions.
- “The gameplay is simple - move your arms and grab with your hands to navigate various levels - but more challenging to master.”
- “The mechanics are satisfying and simple to pick up, the difficulty curve is gentle enough to be challenging but forgiving enough to avoid frustration, and the charming sound and graphics set the mood perfectly.”
- “Perfect for 2-4 players, guaranteed loads of laughter, great physics mechanics, easy to learn and simple puzzles for anyone to pick up.”
- “The gameplay is not very easy to handle at first but original and fun!”
- “The game artificially holds the player(s) back by level mechanics (electric surfaces) which makes the whole point of having a 'new record' balloon fly up as you finish a level.”
- “Even though you and your friends will likely die a lot, the game never felt frustrating or impossible because of a few assistance mechanics.”
graphics
20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
45%
15%
The game features a unique and charming art style that many players find visually appealing, though some criticize the simplistic 2D graphics as lackluster and in need of improvement. While the graphics are generally described as cute and fitting for the gameplay, they can feel rough around the edges, and the resolution options do little to enhance the overall quality. Overall, the graphics contribute positively to the game's fun and humorous atmosphere, despite some mixed opinions on their execution.
- “The art style is very charming and unique, the gameplay is fun and will never fail to make you laugh.”
- “The graphics look good, the challenge increases gradually.”
- “The game offers some really nice graphics and a nice yet simplistic aesthetic which is pleasant all the same and has some amazing attention to detail even though it is a little rough around the edges.”
- “While there are options to change the resolution for the game, all this does is scale up the simplistic 2D art assets used to make the game, which makes little or no difference to the graphics quality.”
- “Without any other substantial graphics tweaks, it's not possible for gamers to improve the lackluster 2D visuals.”
- “Without any other substantial graphics tweaks, it's not possible for gamers to improve the lackluster 2D visuals.”
music
11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
36%
36%
27%
The music in the game is generally described as quirky and catchy, enhancing the fun and chaotic gameplay experience. While some players find the soundtrack forgettable, others appreciate its fitting tone and humor, often opting to play alternative tracks for added enjoyment. Overall, the music contributes positively to the game's atmosphere, even if it doesn't stand out for everyone.
- “Cooperation often turns into a delightful mess, and the wacky music just adds to the hilarity!”
- “Good music & sweet visual pixel.”
- “The music is quirky, fits the tone of the game, and never became distracting.”
- “The music in the game is very much forgettable and the graphics aren’t that appealing to me either.”
- “I don't love the soundtrack but have found that playing Animal Crossing music instead adds to the hilarity.”
- “Sure, if a few people sit down and play this together, they won’t really care about the lack of music or how the characters look or why there’s no story because they’ll be too busy having fun falling and completing levels.”
replayability
11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
27%
45%
27%
Overall, the game's replayability is mixed; while some players find it highly enjoyable and replayable, especially in local co-op modes, others note a lack of content and limited replay value after completing the levels. Suggestions for improvement include adding workshop support for custom maps to enhance replayability.
- “Workshop support would be the best addition this game could have and would add endless replayability.”
- “This is an absolute gem with a shocking amount of replayability (especially if you change around who you play with).”
- “Good replayability especially with local co-op.”
- “Just keep in mind it's really short; you'll likely beat it in 3 hours and there's not much replayability from what I've seen.”
- “The game is a good laugh, but be aware that there is not much content, and after a few rounds in versus mode, there is no real replayability.”
- “It's just a shame that it lacks replayability, making it fairly boring after you've completed the levels.”
story
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
56%
44%
The game lacks a narrative or character development, focusing solely on level completion and mini-games, which has left many players disinterested. While some may enjoy the gameplay experience with friends, the absence of a story is a significant drawback for others. Overall, the consensus is that the game fails to deliver a compelling story.
- “There are no story or characters to follow, only completing levels and mini games.”
- “The game also doesn’t have a story and, I guess, expects you to complete levels for the sake of completing levels.”
- “Hardly a success story; gamers just weren't all that interested in the game.”
stability
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
43%
86%
Overall, the game's stability is mixed, with users reporting occasional freezes when tabbing out and issues with remote play, which is often described as buggy and glitchy. While some players have a solid experience, others express frustration over unresolved issues, particularly with the Mac port and controller screen freezes. Despite these problems, the game runs well for many when played locally.
- “Runs great.”
- “The game maintains a smooth performance without any noticeable lag.”
- “I haven't experienced any crashes or bugs, which makes for a very stable gameplay experience.”
- “Remote play ends up being very buggy for me sometimes, and I'd honestly prefer to just have a copy and get my friend a copy in order to play together smoothly.”
- “Fix your Mac port of the game already, it freezes on load.”
- “Freezes at controller screen; there is a support thread open from a year ago and the developer has not addressed it.”
grinding
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
67%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be excessively time-consuming and tedious, often requiring a significant investment of time to progress through linear levels.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “Most of the levels are very linear and somewhat tedious, to be frank.”
emotional
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the game emotionally engaging, often experiencing laughter and joy that leads to genuine emotional responses, such as crying from laughter. The camaraderie and shared experiences with friends enhance the emotional impact, making it a memorable and touching experience.
- “It's been a long time since I cried from laughter, but this game supplies that in spades.”
optimization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
150%
50%
The game's optimization for controllers is noted, but users report significant issues, including a half-second input lag, frequent disconnects, and stuttering, particularly when using multiple controllers across different computers.
- “Yes, this game is optimized for controllers.”
- “The performance optimization in this game is impressive, allowing for smooth gameplay even on lower-end systems.”
- “I appreciate how the developers have fine-tuned the graphics settings, making it easy to find the perfect balance between visuals and performance.”
- “Then when we finally found a workaround (4 controllers on 2 computers), input lag was consistently 0.5 seconds or more with numerous disconnects and stuttering.”