Shufflepuck Cantina Deluxe

About

"Shufflepuck Cantina Deluxe" is a game where you play air hockey in an interstellar casino to earn parts for your spaceship. After defeating 13 opponents across 5 floors, you must face the casino owner to repair your ship and return home. The game features responsive controls, quests and missions, and a progress tracking system. It can be played with or without a VR headset.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

79%

Audience ScoreBased on 304 reviews

story11 positive mentions

grinding45 negative mentions

The game successfully captures the nostalgia of the original Shufflepuck Cafe while introducing new mechanics and characters.
The graphics and sound design are charming, creating an engaging atmosphere reminiscent of a sci-fi cantina.
The gameplay is addictive, with a variety of missions and unlockable content that keeps players invested.

The game can become grindy, requiring players to repeatedly face the same opponents to unlock content, which may lead to frustration.
There is no multiplayer mode, limiting the potential for competitive play with friends.
Some players have experienced issues with save data and bugs, which can detract from the overall experience.

story
88 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
13%
83%
5%
The game's story is set in a sci-fi universe where players must complete numerous missions to earn parts for their spaceship, featuring a variety of unique opponents, each with their own backstory. However, many reviews highlight that the mission structure is repetitive and grind-heavy, often reducing the narrative to a series of similar gameplay tasks rather than a compelling storyline. While the character biographies and lore add depth, the overall narrative experience is considered lackluster and overshadowed by the grind required to progress.
- “The character biographies are well thought-out and consistent, and provide a backstory to the player to explain some of the feuds between characters the player will notice during the game.”
- “Shufflepuck Cantina Deluxe delivers that backstory for you in very detailed biographies for each opponent, that you can buy with hard-earned in-game currency.”
- “The plot is that you have crash-landed on a planet and need to raise money to buy the parts to put your ship back together.”
- “At first it looks like a nice air hockey arcade game with interesting characters and lore, but it eventually shows how grindy and artificial it is, with an insane amount of repetitive and empty missions.”
- “It's a fun game unless you actually want to progress in and eventually complete the story - in which case you're going to need a metric ton of the in-game 'credz' tokens to buy 19 'biography entries' for every single one of the 13 opponent characters.”
- “The graphics are good for such a small download and so is the music, and the only thing that lets it down is the story - there isn't really one, just to earn the spaceship parts and leave.”
gameplay
63 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
43%
52%
5%
The gameplay is generally described as smooth and engaging, with a simple yet addictive core mechanic reminiscent of air hockey. While some players appreciate the variety of characters and special moves, others find the gameplay repetitive and grindy, lacking sufficient depth and updates. Overall, the game offers a fun experience with decent graphics and controls, but may not hold long-term interest due to its simplicity and limited variety.
- “The gameplay feels fluid and relatively fun.”
- “The actual gameplay is fluid, very challenging and you can choose between a variety of modes.”
- “The gameplay is simple and fluid.”
- “The core gameplay has you shift a paddle left and right on a comparatively small table, and the dubious physics are only partially masked by using high-tech little anti-gravity pucks.”
- “Leveling up feels pointless; it doesn't change gameplay.”
- “Gameplay didn't feel quite right - the responsiveness of the puck and the collision detection both seemed off to me, and I got more frustrated at the game than at myself for losing points.”
graphics
47 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
57%
36%
6%
The graphics of the game have received generally positive feedback, with many users praising the vibrant visuals and immersive 3D environments that evoke a charming, Tatooine-inspired aesthetic. While some noted that the graphics are a significant improvement over the original, others felt that despite the appealing visuals, the core gameplay remains simplistic and somewhat grindy. Overall, the graphics are considered good for a casual game, enhancing the overall experience but not compensating for gameplay shortcomings.
- “The graphics are amazing and the controls are perfect.”
- “The graphics and sound effects are very good, you do feel as if you are in an alien cantina, the aliens have the same Star Wars vibe as the original.”
- “The visuals are great, and the feel of being in that specific cantina that was obviously a large inspiration for the aesthetic here is very well developed.”
- “This remake is a shameful disgrace, just wrapped in pretty graphics.”
- “But otherwise, being limited to a shufflepuck game, and lacking advanced graphics settings and no HD support over 1080p limits this game to a thumbs down.”
- “Graphics options are very, very poor as well, barely has anything.”
grinding
45 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The reviews highlight that the game features significant grinding, often described as tedious and repetitive, particularly for unlocking characters and upgrades. While some players find the grind enjoyable and rewarding, others feel it detracts from the overall experience, making it feel artificial and overly time-consuming. Overall, the game's appeal seems to hinge on the player's tolerance for grinding, especially in the context of its air hockey mechanics.
- “At first it looks like a nice air hockey arcade game with interesting characters and lore, but it eventually shows how grindy and artificial it is, with an insane amount of repetitive and empty missions.”
- “The spaceship parts take credz (cash) to obtain, and those are collected by grinding, that is playing hundreds, thousands even, of boring, repetitive matches against inept opponents.”
- “I found it's a shame that the game is heavily grindy (and I mean heavily), to the point to make you uninstall the game sooner than you'd want to, especially considering the game is essentially just one big mini-game.”
music
45 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
31%
62%
7%
The music in the game is a mixed bag, with many players appreciating its nostalgic references to the Star Wars cantina theme, but finding it repetitive and grating after extended play. While the soundtrack is described as enjoyable and fitting for the game's atmosphere, the lack of variety and volume control detracts from the overall experience, leading some to prefer playing their own music instead. Overall, the music serves as a charming homage but can become tiresome over time.
- “The graphics are really nice and the soundtrack is very good, too.”
- “Great gameplay and soundtrack, and it definitely stays true to its roots.”
- “A beautiful homage to a longtime favorite, with fantastic artwork, music, animation, and gameplay.”
- “The music is an attraction, but it quickly gets repetitive, with very few tracks.”
- “But the music gets old after a few hours, since you have a looping song per floor.”
- “I like this game and its many, many nods to Chalmun's Cantina on Mos Eisley -- though you'll have to mute the song after an hour or it will drive you insane.”
atmosphere
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
33%
33%
The atmosphere of Shufflepuck Cantina Deluxe is a vibrant blend of sci-fi references and retro charm, set in a cantina reminiscent of iconic space locales. Players appreciate the engaging and entertaining ambiance, enhanced by fitting music and graphics, although some note that the gameplay can become monotonous over time. Overall, the game successfully captures the spirit of its classic predecessor while offering a fun casual gaming experience.
- “Shufflepuck Cantina Deluxe is a modern tribute to this old classic, in a less dark atmosphere but still full of sci-fi references from Star Wars to The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.”
- “The atmosphere and music are entertaining.”
- “This reboot/sequel does a decent job of capturing the gameplay and atmosphere of the original.”
- “The graphics are nice and unobtrusive and work well with the atmosphere the developers tried to create: the game now takes place not in a cafe but a cantina on a desert planet - very reminiscent of a similar establishment in a certain wretched hive of scum and villainy.”
- “And, I'm happy with the atmosphere they've created here.”
humor
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is praised for its humor, featuring funny characters and a lighthearted backstory that enhances the overall experience. Players find the comedic elements engaging and suitable for short gaming sessions, although some critiques mention that certain gameplay aspects, like boss difficulty, could have been better executed. Overall, the humor adds a delightful layer to the game's charm.
- “Great game, funny and exciting, too bad no multiplayer.”
- “A fun and addicting game with a funny backstory and characters.”
- “Characters are much deeper than they seem at first glance; humor is present, ideal for small sessions of gaming.”
replayability
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
Overall, the game is praised for its high replayability, with many users noting its rewarding gameplay and extensive content. However, some feel that the absence of multiplayer options limits its potential for added replay value and enjoyment.
- “Good replayability, rewardingness, and a good universe.”
- “A polished, well-crafted air hockey style game with tons of content and high replayability.”
- “Worth $5-10; lots of replay value!”
- “Replayability value of this game is high.”
- “It is apparent there is much replay value to this game.”
stability
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's stability is criticized for being poor, with reports of bugs, freezing issues when alt-tabbing, and incompatibility with Oculus. While some users note occasional physics glitches, they are generally seen as beneficial rather than detrimental. Overall, the game is described as a "sad mess" due to its lack of updates since 2013.
- “Buggy, unupdated game since 2013 and really just a sad mess.”
- “It was poorly done, and it freezes my computer when I alt-tab.”
- “Game does not work with the Oculus; I have followed the troubleshooting steps and other information to try and get it working.”
monetization
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
75%
The monetization aspect of the game reflects its origins as a free-to-play mobile title, with players noting a significant reliance on grinding for in-game currency to access content and upgrades, rather than traditional in-app purchases. While there are no current microtransactions, the game's design still feels influenced by its app roots, leading to complaints about the grind required to progress.
- “The game started life as an iOS title, and we can see where the in-app purchases would have been.”
- “Before you dive into the trenches of this game, be warned: this was originally a phone game that was free to play with in-app purchases.”
- “Most defining trait is the grinding, which many people have complained about; there's no in-game purchases inherited from its former app game nature, yet you will need tons of in-game currency to buy everything, from access to more challenging enemies to new mallets and their upgrades.”
- “The game started life as an iOS title and we can see where the in-app purchases would have been.”
- “Before you dive into the trenches of this game, be warned first, this was originally a phone game that was free to play with in-app purchases.”
optimization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
100%
Overall, users note that while there are occasional rare performance issues, they are brief and do not significantly disrupt gameplay. The price/performance ratio is also questioned, suggesting a mixed perception of optimization.
- “I encountered some very rare performance issues, but they were brief enough not to disrupt my gameplay.”
- “A rational question arising is the price/performance ratio.”
- “I encountered some rare performance issues, but they were brief enough not to significantly disrupt my gameplay.”
character development
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
Character development is criticized for lacking depth, as it undermines personality in character design and makes progression frustrating for players.
- “It completely undermines any personality in the character design and makes progression downright aggravating.”
- “The character development feels shallow and uninspired, leaving me disconnected from the story.”
- “I expected a rich narrative, but the lack of meaningful growth in the characters made the experience feel flat.”