Knuckle Sandwich

About

Knuckle Sandwich is a single player role playing game. It was developed by Andy Brophy and was released on November 22, 2023. It received positive reviews from players.

In "Knuckle Sandwich," guide a young man through his first day in Bright City, a vibrant island paradise with a dark secret. Solve a mystery involving a ludicrous gang and a fanatical cult by defeating enemies in turn-based battles using minigames. With over 100 fast-paced minigames, a massive cast of characters, and a huge soundtrack, this RPG offers an offbeat and humorous story set in a fictional Australian island.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

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85%

Audience ScoreBased on 612 reviews

story81 positive mentions

grinding21 negative mentions

The game features a unique combat system that combines turn-based mechanics with WarioWare-style mini-games, keeping battles engaging and fresh.
The art style and soundtrack are vibrant and memorable, contributing to the overall charm and atmosphere of the game.
The humor and writing are quirky and entertaining, providing a fun experience throughout the game.

The story feels disjointed and loses focus after the initial chapters, with many plot points introduced but not fully developed.
Inventory management is cumbersome, with limited slots that include key items, making it frustrating to manage resources.
Some mini-games and puzzles can be tedious and frustrating, leading to a slower pace in gameplay and diminishing enjoyment.

story
362 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
22%
70%
8%
The story of "Knuckle Sandwich" has received mixed reviews, with many players noting its intriguing start that quickly devolves into a disjointed and meandering narrative. While some appreciate the quirky humor and unique twists, others criticize the lack of cohesion and character development, feeling that the plot fails to deliver on its initial promise. Overall, the game is seen as entertaining but ultimately disappointing in its storytelling, with many wishing for a more focused and satisfying conclusion.
- “The world feels pretty alive, the characters are all grounded despite the absurdity of the story and the events that are happening in the game.”
- “The story is funny and enjoyable, the gameplay is challenging, and all the characters are terrific.”
- “Knuckle Sandwich takes you on a 3200rpm spin-cycle with a story that’s packed with crazy fun silliness.”
- “The story just goes wherever with no good payoffs; every interesting plot thread gets cut short and is replaced with this really boring, random twist that makes no sense.”
- “My biggest complaint by far is the story; I can't even begin to describe how disappointing it was. There's quite a bit of interesting buildup, but it quickly becomes apparent that the game bit off way more than it could chew.”
- “The game then immediately disregards this premise and introduces a bunch of nothing characters that drive a nonsense plot that you never feel any way about or care about at all.”
music
208 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
53%
46%
1%
The music in "Knuckle Sandwich" has received widespread acclaim, with many reviewers praising its eclectic and catchy soundtrack that enhances the game's quirky atmosphere. Composed by talented artists, including Nelward, the music is described as funky, vibrant, and integral to the overall experience, often leaving a lasting impression on players. While some noted that certain tracks could become repetitive, the majority found the soundtrack to be one of the game's standout features, contributing significantly to its charm and appeal.
- “The music is amazing; even if you end up not playing this game or not liking it, you should at the very least listen to the songs that were made for it. The artists that contributed to the sound and music added such elements of life and identity to the game. I would definitely say it's one of the strongest points of the experience.”
- “The music knocks it out of the park! I really love all the tracks of the game and I'll be adding quite a few to my playlist soon.”
- “The music, visuals, and story are so cohesive and feel like a living, breathing place.”
- “The soundtrack and varied visual aesthetics present throughout the game are nice but serve as nothing more than treats to tide you through the hours of dredge and slog.”
- “The music is fine, the art is well made, but those things don't make the rest of the game fun.”
- “Knuckle Sandwich is a truly hollow, frustrating experience, that is still considered decent by most who played it purely due to its visuals, charm, and music tricking you into believing you are playing something better.”
gameplay
155 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
37%
55%
8%
The gameplay of "Knuckle Sandwich" is a unique blend of traditional RPG mechanics and engaging mini-games reminiscent of WarioWare, which keeps players entertained and invested. While the combat system is generally fun and innovative, some players find it can become repetitive and tedious over time, particularly due to frequent enemy encounters and a lack of variety in mechanics. Overall, the game is praised for its charming visuals, humor, and engaging gameplay, making it a worthwhile experience for fans of quirky RPGs.
- “The gameplay is genuinely innovative and incredibly fun.”
- “The gameplay is an extremely fun combo of traditional RPG elements and many WarioWare-like mini games.”
- “Knuckle Sandwich is one of the most fun little indie RPGs I've played in the last decade, the mixture of an Earthbound feel with WarioWare mechanics is just unlike anything I've played before.”
- “Unfortunately, the story and gameplay mechanics flat pretty quickly.”
- “The gameplay starts to get monotonous over time as enemy encounters are way too frequent and last way too long.”
- “The game feels like an extended cutscene with 'gameplay' in between, rather than the other way around.”
graphics
99 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
54%
43%
3%
The graphics of "Knuckle Sandwich" are widely praised for their charming and eclectic art style, which seamlessly blends 2D sprites with lo-fi 3D visuals, reminiscent of retro games. Reviewers highlight the game's vibrant aesthetics, unique character designs, and impressive mixed-media presentation, noting that the visuals significantly enhance the overall experience. While some critiques mention gameplay and story inconsistencies, the stunning graphics and engaging soundtrack consistently stand out as major strengths of the game.
- “The visuals are incredibly charming and well-made, having a very distinct style even if it changes from time to time, which only adds to the charm.”
- “The art style is so great, I'm always excited to see a new enemy or location just for aesthetic reasons.”
- “The music, the visuals, the writing, it's all more than stellar, and the gameplay, a freaky Earthbound-Warioware hybrid, plays like a dream.”
- “At one point, I was genuinely thinking that despite loving the game's aesthetic and vibe, it was the worst RPG I had ever played.”
- “Knuckle Sandwich is a truly hollow, frustrating experience that is still considered decent by most who played it purely due to its visuals, charm, and music tricking you into believing you are playing something better.”
- “The absolute last thing I expected was for all of the aesthetic and narrative sensibilities promised by the demo to be pulverized and promptly thrown into the garbage disposal.”
humor
98 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
97%
3%
The humor in the game is a mixed bag, with many players finding it consistently funny and charming, often likening it to titles like "Undertale" and "Earthbound." While some appreciate the quirky dialogue and unexpected comedic moments, others criticize the humor for being hit-or-miss, with certain jokes falling flat or feeling forced. Overall, the game's comedic elements contribute significantly to its appeal, making it a fun experience for those who enjoy absurd and irreverent humor.
- “The soundtrack is seriously a banger, and the humor is silly and loves to blindside you with the funniest thing that could happen in the moment.”
- “The game is just consistently hilarious, unexpected, and weird.”
- “Hilarious characters, fun combat, and really, really good music put this above most other indie RPGs.”
- “There's an incredibly unfunny and annoying railroaded fight with the author's self-inserts accompanied by vine booms.”
- “They had a Deltarune Lancer-like character, except this one was extremely insufferable and not funny at all. While there were a few chuckles upon the first encounter, they continued to bring him back into the game for several chapters just to extend the non-existent story.”
- “Everything else is either 'lol xd random', not funny, or straight-up bad.”
grinding
21 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The reviews highlight a pervasive sense of tedium associated with grinding in the game, with many players finding the combat and dungeon designs repetitive and uninspired. While some appreciate occasional breaks from monotony through new mechanics or mini-games, the overall consensus is that the grinding experience becomes a chore, detracting from enjoyment and engagement. Despite some moments of variation, the game struggles to maintain a compelling pace, leading to frustration with its repetitive elements.
- “Sorely disappointed by the meandering story, milquetoast cast, horridly repetitive battle system, and tedious dungeon designs.”
- “Combat becomes a tedious painful chore.”
- “This makes the majority of battles drawn out, tedious, and, most importantly, not fun.”
emotional
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is polarizing, with some players finding it deeply engaging and others feeling disconnected from the characters and their struggles. While there are attempts to evoke feelings of hurt and accomplishment, many reviewers criticize the emotional moments as unearned and lacking depth, leading to a narrative that feels hollow and unfocused. Overall, the game struggles to balance its comedic elements with genuine emotional weight, resulting in a finale that fails to resonate as intended.
- “And oh boy, it was emotional, funny, and kept me invested for the entire 15-16 hours of play.”
- “All that pain made me feel like I wasn't ready, and the game made me think that maybe it's okay to feel hurt.”
- “Tons of interesting puzzles, combat mechanics, and heartfelt implementation.”
character development
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
34%
33%
Character development in the game is largely criticized for being shallow and lacking depth, with party members feeling more like gameplay tools than fully realized characters. While the unique character designs and charming art are praised, many reviewers express disappointment over the absence of meaningful growth and relationships, suggesting that the focus on humor detracts from potential world-building and character arcs. Overall, the game fails to deliver on its promise of significant character development, leaving players wanting more.
- “If that doesn’t make sense, that’s basically the essence of the game—so many twists and turns, with plot and character developments that make me question what I'm playing, yet love it all the same.”
- “Character designs are pretty unique and quirky enough, and I don't think they ever get overwhelming; you certainly won't have a hard time recognizing anyone.”
- “It has a lot of good going for it: very fun gameplay mechanics, excellent music, really charming art and character designs, and an overall enjoyable story.”
- “Your party members don't really get any character development growth or feel natural to the group; they are just there to exist for gameplay purposes in terms of having a party system.”
- “The game often chooses these small jokes over any world building or character development, and the characters suffer as a result.”
- “I wish it went a bit deeper on character development and depth, especially in regards to their relationships with you/the protagonist.”
atmosphere
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's atmosphere is highly praised for its solid music, impressive graphics, and engaging aesthetic, contributing to a captivating overall experience. While the characters may be one-dimensional, the atmosphere and story effectively enhance the game's appeal.
- “The game's atmosphere, aesthetic, and music are all top notch.”
- “And most importantly, it has a great atmosphere and story.”
- “The music, graphics, and atmosphere are all solid, and I liked the characters, one-dimensional as they were.”
stability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game has been reported to have significant stability issues, including bugs that prevent character movement and launch failures. Users have expressed frustration over the lack of troubleshooting support, highlighting a disconnect between the attention given to accessibility features and the neglect of basic stability needs.
- “The game is a tad buggy; I had to redownload it twice due to my character being unable to move after I finished the first chapter.”
- “The game wouldn't launch for the first day I owned it, and there was little to no help with troubleshooting.”
- “It's puzzling how much attention was given to accessibility during development, yet basic necessities like these were overlooked, all while the game remained buggy.”
optimization
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
67%
The game's optimization has received mixed feedback, with some users experiencing bugs and performance issues, particularly in specific areas like a room with a large reflecting pool that drops frame rates. While adjustments to settings like v-sync were attempted, they did not significantly resolve the performance dips, though these issues did not detract from the overall gameplay experience.
- “I tried to mess around with settings like enabling/disabling V-Sync, changing the screen performance settings, etc., or even trying to see if alt-tabbing the game was the cause.”
- “The only performance problem I had was a combination of awkward V-Sync settings and a very specific room with a very large reflecting pool. That room, no matter what I did, ran at about 40 FPS instead of the usual 60, but from the game being slow for a few seconds, it didn't affect anything important.”
replayability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The game offers a unique blend of character charm and humor, contributing to a satisfying gameplay experience; however, it is considered less replayable compared to many other indie titles, leaning more towards an experimental approach.
- “Drips with character charm and humor in every moment, and gameplay feels satisfying and incredibly replayable.”
- “Well, compared to many other indie games on the market, this game is less replayable and more experimental, if anything.”