Punch A Bunch

Punch A Bunch may be an evening-sized title, but its exciting one-on-one combat and challenging gameplay make it an experience that I genuinely wish I had had more of.

76%Game Brain Score

gameplay, graphics

stability, story

76% User Score Based on 1,496 reviews

Critic Score 78%Based on 2 reviews

Platforms

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About

Punch A Bunch is a single player and multiplayer sport game with a comedy theme. It was developed by Pontypants and was released on January 20, 2023. It received mostly positive reviews from both critics and players.

"Punch A Bunch" is a physics-based boxing game where you currently spar with an invulnerable dummy to test out the controls and fighting mechanics. The game is still in early development, with more features to be added in future builds. A controller is required to play, and updates on the game's progress can be found on the developer's YouTube channel.

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76%

Audience ScoreBased on 1,496 reviews

gameplay100 positive mentions

stability42 negative mentions

The game features unique and creative bosses that keep the gameplay fresh and engaging.
The physics-based combat system is fun and rewarding, allowing players to feel a real sense of accomplishment as they improve their skills.
The visuals and music are charming, contributing to an overall enjoyable experience.

The controls can be unresponsive and frustrating, especially when using mouse and keyboard, leading to missed punches and unfair losses.
The difficulty spikes significantly between tournaments, making some bosses feel unfair and reliant on luck rather than skill.
The requirement to earn stars to progress through tournaments can feel tedious and disrupt the flow of the game.

gameplay
209 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
48%
46%
6%
The gameplay is characterized by its challenging mechanics that require players to learn and master various skills, making progress feel rewarding. While many players appreciate the unique and fun boxing mechanics, some criticize the janky controls and inconsistent gameplay, which can lead to frustration. Overall, the game offers a satisfying experience, especially in multiplayer, but is noted for its short length and the need for further content to enhance replayability.
- “The gameplay is rewarding, with customizable characters, and works great with local multiplayer as well.”
- “The mechanics of this game are brilliant and really make for a dexterity and skill-based boxing game.”
- “Overall, the gameplay is really fun but also challenging, but you improve quite quickly and you can definitely see your progress.”
- “Everything else is pretty bad; mechanically it is horrible when not using the punch assist because it's almost unsure what punch you will throw.”
- “The gameplay isn't very fluid and, visually, it's tough to even understand when what you're doing is actually working.”
- “My main issue with the gameplay is that I was able to 100% the game in about 2.5 hours.”
graphics
85 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
56%
40%
4%
The game's graphics have received mixed feedback, with many players appreciating the unique art style and charming visuals, often describing them as cute and appealing. However, some users noted a lack of advanced graphics options, which can hinder performance on lower-end hardware, and pointed out inconsistencies in the UI and animations. Overall, while the graphics are generally well-received, there is a desire for more customization and refinement.
- “I really enjoyed this game due to its unique art style and good gameplay.”
- “The graphics and presentation all look great and the controls are really fluid.”
- “For a first full game, extremely polished, nice art style and visuals, not shilling what-so-ever.”
- “But it definitely isn't for everyone, especially because of the inconsistent difficulty and not really refined graphics (especially the UI and animations).”
- “There are no graphic options for those with older hardware, and the only control option is adding button mapping to the bunches, which makes the game way closer to playable.”
- “But the only bad thing is that the game has no graphic quality settings and sometimes can be slow.”
music
48 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
59%
8%
The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with many players praising its catchiness and how well it complements the visuals and overall theme. However, some users noted that the tracks can become repetitive quickly, leading them to turn off the in-game music in favor of their own. Additionally, there were complaints about technical issues affecting the music playback and a perception that some of the sound design felt cheap or lacking depth.
- “For the game itself, the art style and music are charming and fit the game pretty well.”
- “Great music and artist choice.”
- “Music just makes you happy.”
- “The only thing I am not a huge fan of in the game is the music gets repetitive quite fast. The tracks are not bad or annoying, but the main theme got very repetitive to me and I just turned it off and played my own music.”
- “Music feels really cheap and the overall ambiance is so dry of any life. I really was hoping for this game but just didn't like it; hope to be helpful.”
- “2D art is borderline acceptable, the options in settings are very lacking, and music seems a bit too cheap.”
stability
42 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game currently suffers from significant stability issues, including frequent crashes, freezes, and various glitches that disrupt gameplay. Players have reported problems such as save data loss, animation errors, and unresponsive mechanics, indicating that the game may not have been ready for launch. While some users find it enjoyable despite these issues, the overall consensus is that the game requires further development and updates to improve its stability.
- “As it's still in development, there are bound to be some minor glitches, but this game was not ready for launch.”
- “Some of the glitches I've run into are when blocking, your hands glitch together and it doesn't let you block anything. The Mexican boss glitched out and got stuck in a wall, and worst of all, for no reason, the game deleted my entire save data, and now I have to start over.”
- “It was incredibly buggy and a glitch wouldn't let me get past the (incredibly tedious) tutorial.”
replayability
24 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
42%
45%
13%
Overall, the game's replayability is a mixed bag; while many players appreciate the fun characters, mini challenges, and cosmetic unlocks that enhance replay value, others feel that the AI issues and limited content may hinder long-term engagement. The star challenges and varied opponents do provide additional layers of difficulty and replayability, making it enjoyable for those seeking to master the game or play with friends. However, some users caution that it may not offer enough longevity for those looking for extensive replay options.
- “The characters are fun, have strong replayability, and great attention to detail.”
- “The challenges and cosmetics add a lot of replayability.”
- “The replayability is excellent.”
- “If you're looking for a game with longevity and replayability, however, this game is probably not for you.”
- “Though I appreciate the effort for replayability, the issues I had with the AI make some of these challenges feel impossible.”
- “My playtime reflects a pretty full playthrough and as of now, there's not much replayability, but it's absolutely worth it.”
story
20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
15%
70%
15%
The story in "Punch a Bunch" is generally considered unimportant, with some players noting that while the story mode and AI opponents are well-executed, the game lacks a compelling narrative hook similar to that of "Punch Club." Players have reported enjoying the gameplay experience, with one noting a completion time of 10 hours, but many feel the story could benefit from more engaging elements like music and visual appeal. Overall, the focus seems to be more on combat than on storytelling.
- “Took me 10 hours and I still have all the side missions to do, but all in all it was a great experience!”
- “Story mode and AI opponents are well-done.”
- “Story hook, proper music, eye-pleasing 2D attire, and more juice and narrative overlap in the matches themselves.”
- “It has the combat you wished Punch Club had; on the other hand, it misses that Punch Club story hook.”
- “Story: (is not important)”
- “☑ no story”
humor
16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is praised for its humorous graphics and entertaining physics system, which elicits laughter despite occasionally leading to frustrating gameplay moments. Players report having a lot of fun, highlighting the game's comedic elements and the enjoyment derived from its quirky mechanics, even if it may not appeal to everyone. Overall, the humor is a significant draw, contributing to a lighthearted gaming experience.
- “We were laughing and having a ton of fun the whole time.”
- “Very funny (and also difficult to master) game from a solo dev.”
- “The game is funny, though not my type of game, but you can have a good time with it.”
grinding
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
14%
15%
71%
Reviews on the grinding aspect of the game are mixed; some players find it enjoyable and rewarding, particularly when mastering challenging bosses, while others describe it as tedious and time-consuming, turning fun gameplay into a chore. The necessity of grinding for progression, especially in unlocking championships, has been criticized for being overly burdensome, with suggestions that reducing the tedium of certain challenges could enhance the overall experience.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “Bought this during the 30% off sale and treated myself to a fun time with almost no grinding.”
- “It was incredibly buggy and a glitch wouldn't let me get past the (incredibly tedious) tutorial.”
- “I really liked the idea and feel of the game but the process of unlocking the other championships seems tedious and quickly makes the gameplay go from fun to a chore.”
- “I have been watching him make this game since his first devlog and bought it day one; however, currently it is probably one of the most tedious games I have ever played.”
optimization
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
37%
13%
Overall, the game's optimization is mixed; while some players report smooth initial performance, many experience noticeable slowdowns after a few animations. There is a consensus that the game requires significant optimization improvements to enhance the overall experience.
- “Good, but it needs some serious optimization.”
- “I didn't have any performance issues because I'm not playing on a potato laptop.”
- “It has some performance issues: once you start to play, it runs smoothly, but after a couple of animations, it gets slower.”
emotional
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional experience of the game is mixed; while some players find it infuriating due to frequent stun-locking mechanics that lead to frustration, others appreciate the wholesome intentions of the solo developer and the fun elements of the gameplay. Overall, the emotional payoff is often overshadowed by the aggravation caused by gameplay issues, making it a challenging recommendation for those prone to anger.
- “Very wholesome 1 man dev team just trying to support his family and spread fun along the way, has a YouTube channel where he posts dev logs. The game is fun and just needs a bit of re-balancing and patching.”
monetization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The monetization strategy of the game has been criticized as feeling exploitative, with many users perceiving it as a cash grab rather than a well-thought-out approach to enhance the gaming experience.
- “There are lots of options the developers could have explored to fix or polish this game; it just feels like a cash grab.”
- “There are lots of options the developers could have explored to fix or polish this game; it just feels like a cash grab.”
atmosphere
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The atmosphere is highly immersive, effectively capturing the intensity and excitement of a boxing championship through its detailed settings and well-developed characters.
- “The settings and characters create an immersive atmosphere of a boxing championship.”
character development
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The character development in the game is highlighted by its strong design and engaging gameplay, drawing comparisons to "Punch-Out." Players appreciate the depth and uniqueness of the characters, which enhance the overall experience.