PWND

About

PWND is a multiplayer casual shooter game. It was developed by Skydance Interactive and was released on April 6, 2018. It received mostly positive reviews from players.

Get closer to victory with every “Pwn” dance completed over downed opponents in this arena shooter. Pwnd is a no-holds-barred sport that rewards taunting, “Death is temporary, humiliation is forever!

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70%

Audience ScoreBased on 542 reviews

gameplay28 positive mentions

optimization3 negative mentions

Fast-paced, energetic gameplay reminiscent of classic arena shooters like Quake and Unreal Tournament, with smooth movement and rocket jumping.
Unique and humorous 'PWND' mechanic that requires team coordination and adds a fresh twist to kills by 'teabagging' downed enemies for points.
Attractive and well-crafted art style and characters, with solid optimization allowing play on modest PCs, and free-to-play availability making it accessible.

Extremely small and dwindling player base leads to long matchmaking times or inability to find matches, making online multiplayer difficult or impossible.
Limited content with only a few characters, maps, and mostly one game mode, resulting in low replay value and shallow gameplay experience.
The PWND mechanic, while unique, slows gameplay pacing and can frustrate players due to vulnerability during execution animations and impact on match flow.

gameplay
98 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
29%
66%
5%
The gameplay is fast-paced, smooth, and reminiscent of classic arena shooters, featuring unique mechanics like the "pwning" system that adds a team-focused, strategic layer but also divides opinion due to its interruption of game flow. While many praise the game's polished core mechanics, character abilities, and engaging action, others find the pwning mechanic frustrating, pacing issues, and matchmaking limitations detract from the overall experience. Despite some flaws, the gameplay offers a fresh, energetic arena shooter feel with potential if certain mechanics and player base issues are addressed.
- “The central mechanic of "pwning" while rather juvenile is actually a fantastic gameplay mechanic that forces players to look out for their teammates - even after they're dead, unless they want the enemy to rack up easy points.”
- “Gameplay is great, fast-paced, and easy to learn.”
- “Each of the 4 characters offers their own abilities and weapons, and a mix of the 4 (in a 3v3 situation) makes the game very fun- with one person flying above you shooting rockets down with their hover ability, and a second person supplying a shield with a different ability, they all combine for awesome gameplay.”
- “Matchmaking is completely broken, time to pick character too long, gameplay too fast and not paced with the game, not enough people per match, and it's pretty much a knockoff Overwatch.”
- “You are required to stand still over your downed enemy and perform a very unfunny "pwning" animation in order to gain points and win which is just a bad game mechanic and kills the "fast-paced" action of the game.”
- “The gameplay is about as quality as the title, and that's even a stretch.”
graphics
43 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
63%
30%
7%
The game's graphics receive consistent praise for their unique, charming, and well-optimized art style, often compared to titles like Borderlands and Loadout with cartoonish, artistic visuals. While visually appealing and smooth, some note the graphics can be intensive on PC performance. Overall, the distinctive and attractive graphics contribute positively to the game's appeal, despite some criticism of originality.
- “The visuals and characters are so charming and the art style complements it even more; it's a solid and well-optimized game that needs more attention.”
- “The graphics are extremely nice and super smooth with the characters having a bit of a Borderlands-ish look to them.”
- “Graphics top notch, sounds and atmosphere on the maps are great.”
- “Failed attempt to look different and original by copying Borderlands art and graphics style and introducing a completely pointless objective, while having the classic lootbox free-to-play recipe.”
- “Cheap MOBA-style shooter with poor cartoon graphics for players too incompetent or immature to play a proper FPS.”
- “F2P Lawbreakers without graphics, suitable for schoolkids.”
humor
23 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
96%
4%
The humor in "pwnd" is widely praised for its absurd, over-the-top antics and silly, madcap animations, especially the unique "pwning" mechanic that adds a comedic twist to fast-paced arena shooter gameplay. While many find it hilarious and a refreshing break from conventional shooters, some criticize certain animations and jokes as forced or disruptive to the game's pace. Overall, its blend of playful macho humor and entertaining character interactions creates a fun and memorable experience for players who enjoy lighthearted, competitive action.
- “Hilariously over-the-top and thrillingly addicting, pwnd is a crazy shooter game that combines rocket arena-style combat with “excessive celebration.” This game unapologetically encourages every player to be a bad loser and a shameless winner.”
- “The cooperative teamwork required to achieve victory, coupled with the hilarious and often absurd antics, made each match a memorable adventure.”
- “Pwnd has the makings to be a large title, the art style is attractive and well done, voice work is funny and entertaining, and the concept is silly but rewarding.”
optimization
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
37%
38%
The game's optimization receives mixed feedback: some users praise its smooth, seamless performance and solid optimization from launch, while others criticize it as poorly optimized, especially on slower machines. Overall, it shows potential but still needs improvements for broader hardware compatibility.
- “The game runs smoothly and quickly throughout, and it was refreshing to have such a seamless experience right from launch when some competing big budget titles give me a headache with their minor glitches.”
- “The visuals and characters are so charming and the art style complements it even more; it's a solid and well optimized game that needs more attention.”
- “A horribly, abysmally, catastrophically unoptimized experience.”
- “Optimizations still need a bit of work.”
- “Hopefully it becomes better optimized for slower machines in time.”
music
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
57%
14%
29%
The music is widely praised for its upbeat and fitting style that complements the fast-paced gameplay, earning high ratings such as 9/10 and 10/10. While appreciated, some users feel the game overall could benefit from more content beyond the soundtrack.
- “Music is upbeat and fits the fast paced gameplay perfectly.”
- “Soundtrack 10/10”
- “The game does not work properly; it feels stuck and never runs, only the music plays well.”
- “While I kinda like the game and really love its setting and music, it is very barebones and could use more content, especially more game modes.”
story
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The story aspect is minimal, with no real progression or detailed narrative, focusing instead on simple mission objectives like winning games or defeating enemies. There is a lack of deeper world-building or character backstory, and the experience leans more toward casual, lighthearted gameplay rather than a serious storyline.
- “Almost no sense of progression: only missions like 'win 3 games', 'pwn 10 enemies', but no stats, no profile page, no rankings.”
- “I think this game could do better with a back story for the universe and the characters.”
- “Do not expect a serious storyline; rather, expect your inner immaturity to unleash itself in full force.”
monetization
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
75%
Users suggest that the game lacks effective advertising and visibility, which impacts its popularity and sales. They recommend increasing marketing efforts, including targeting platforms like Facebook and collaborating with influencers, as well as considering repositioning the game’s price and name to attract more buyers. Overall, players feel better promotion is key to improving monetization.
stability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game generally offers a smooth and seamless experience with minimal glitches, especially impressive for an early access title. While there are some bugs and occasional unfinishable parts, the responsive developers actively address issues through community feedback.
- “Somewhat enjoyable challenge mode, but with buggy or unfinishable parts”
- “Obviously it has its bugs and small glitches, but it's still early access, and you can report any bugs/issues on the discord, where the devs will reply within hours.”
emotional
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional experience of the game is described as heartfelt and impactful, though slightly diminished by technical issues and bugs that need addressing.
- “It's heartbreaking to review games like pwnd.”
replayability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Replayability is limited due to a lack of variety, with users suggesting the need for more playable characters, including those with diverse weapons like sniper rifles and assault guns, to enhance ongoing engagement.
- “I mean it's not a terrible game, but there is not really any replay value it seems.”
- “Just needs more playable characters/heroes. At least one with a sniper rifle and machine/assault gun.”
grinding
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users indicate that grinding in the game requires having a second character or live session, suggesting that the process can be time-consuming or demanding.
atmosphere
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The atmosphere is highly praised, featuring top-notch graphics and immersive sound design that significantly enhance the in-game environments.
- “Graphics are top notch, and the sounds and atmosphere on the maps are great.”