KNOCKOFF

About

KNOCKOFF is a single player and multiplayer arcade role playing game with a horror theme. It was developed by plushcatboy and was released on January 22, 2026. It received positive reviews from players.

KNOCKOFF is a first of its kind Mall Brawler / Isometric Fighting Game set in a dead mall, developed by one person over the course of four years...It is a small indie project made in my spare time, in between work and school and the like! It features a blend of bullet hell mechanics and fighting game combo-heavy combat.After beating a spoooooky tutorial and wicked boss fight, you earn the local Pv…

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89%

Audience ScoreBased on 27 reviews

music3 positive mentions

grinding1 negative mentions

Unique and appealing art style combined with an atmospheric, vaporwave-inspired mall setting.
Catchy, high-quality soundtrack that complements the game's aesthetic and mood.
Engaging and innovative combat system blending beat-em-up and fighting game mechanics, with diverse character movesets and interesting story hooks.

Combat can feel janky and inconsistent, with unclear hit registration and confusing mechanics leading to frustration.
Tutorial is lengthy and sometimes unclear, making it difficult to understand the game's complex mechanics early on.
Technical issues including occasional performance problems, awkward menu navigation, and occasional bugs affecting gameplay and progression.

graphics
13 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
23%
54%
23%
The graphics feature a distinct, polygonal, and abstract aesthetic that effectively conveys a surreal, non-Euclidean atmosphere, drawing praise for its vaporwave and analog influences. However, users note inconsistency and jankiness, including lag and framerate drops, which sometimes blur the line between intentional design and technical issues. Despite these flaws, the visuals are widely appreciated for their unique style and potential.
- “Really, it's peak visuals.”
- “With the polygon aesthetics and the abstract, the undetailed environments and bleeding lights genuinely sell the non-Euclidean nightmare of the mall.”
- “I'm obsessed with the analog/vaporwave influenced aesthetic and liminal setting.”
- “The visuals are a bit all over the place sometimes (I haven't played much, admittedly, just the tutorial).”
- “Appreciate that knockoff is free, but the thing barely works; the game is very janky and barely functional at the moment, with constant lag and framerate drops even on low graphics mode.”
- “The visuals have a distinct style and are definitely cool and I think it has a lot of potential but a lot of improvement in the way of combat needs to be made.”
music
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
67%
The music in the game is widely praised for being energetic, fitting perfectly with the gameplay and visual style, and adding a unique, lively atmosphere. Reviewers describe the soundtrack as catchy, exciting, and enhancing the overall experience.
- “The music is an absolute bop.”
- “This game has so much sauce, the soundtrack is bangin' too.”
- “The music pairs with it perfectly.”
gameplay
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
24%
38%
The gameplay offers a unique blend of fighting and beat-em-up mechanics, combining strong character and story integration with visually stunning presentation. While the tutorial effectively teaches core mechanics and the style is engaging, some pacing issues and occasional jankiness can cause confusion and disrupt enjoyment. Overall, it’s a fresh and fun experience that may require some adjustment.
- “In teaching fundamentals, it has lows (moving light section is slightly too long) and highs (the introduction of heavies is an actual showcase of character, story, and gameplay strength I've never seen done better in a fighting game, genuinely). Overall, it's nice and brisk, and replaying it revealed extra background lore.”
- “The tutorial sets the scene and lays out the core movement and fighting mechanics well.”
- “The art is great, the music is great, and the gameplay is great, although confusing at first just because it's not really a mix I've seen anywhere else.”
- “Wrap around the game's aesthetics and mechanics as an aid and an issue, to the point I wonder what is real and what is a bug.”
- “In teaching fundamentals it's got lows (moving light section is slightly too long) and highs (the introduction of heavies is an actual showcase of character, story and gameplay strength I've never seen done better in a fighting game, genuinely) so overall it's nice and brisk, didn't miff me doing it again, and doing so made me find extra background lore.”
- “The easiest way to describe the actual gameplay is half beat-em-up, half fighting game.”
story
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
57%
43%
The story is notably engaging for a fighting game, featuring interesting hooks and a compelling premise that enhances the gameplay experience. It combines narrative depth with character showcase elements, offering both visual appeal and intriguing lore that encourages replay. Overall, the story mode stands out as a strong, well-integrated aspect of the game.
- “In teaching fundamentals it's got lows (moving light section is slightly too long) and highs (the introduction of heavies is an actual showcase of character, story and gameplay strength I've never seen done better in a fighting game, genuinely) so overall it's nice and brisk, didn't mind doing it again, and doing so made me find extra background lore.”
- “Shaping up to be one of the first fighting games with a compelling story mode!”
- “And if you like a little story to flavor your beat downs, this one has a very interesting premise.”
character development
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users find the character designs intriguing but express a desire for clearer and more detailed views of the models to better appreciate their development.
grinding
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users find the grinding aspect engaging enough to motivate continued play, especially early on, driven by curiosity to explore more content beyond the tutorial.