Slapshot: Rebound

About

Slapshot: Rebound is a single player and multiplayer tactical shooter game. It was developed by Oddshot Games and was released on April 11, 2024. It received positive reviews from players.

Slapshot Rebound is a physics-based multiplayer game where you play an arcade style match of hockey. No shoot button, no puck glue, no RNG. It’s up to you and your team to take control of the puck, rotate your stick to pass, shoot, outplay your opponents. Score the most goals before time runs out to win.

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83%

Audience ScoreBased on 8,929 reviews

gameplay155 positive mentions

story7 negative mentions

Free to play with no pay-to-win elements, making it accessible to everyone.
Unique physics-based hockey gameplay with a high skill ceiling that rewards practice and mastery.
Great fun to play with friends, offering chaotic and competitive matches that create memorable experiences.

Very steep learning curve and difficult controls, making it challenging for new players to pick up.
Toxic community and poor matchmaking negatively affect solo play and overall experience.
Server and connectivity issues cause lag and input delay, impacting gameplay especially in online matches.

gameplay
395 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
39%
54%
7%
The gameplay of Slapshot: Rebound is praised for its unique, physics-based mechanics that offer a high skill ceiling and rewarding mastery, drawing comparisons to Rocket League with fluid, intense, and skill-dependent matches. While the mechanics are simple to learn but difficult to master, requiring practice and hockey IQ, some players find them challenging or frustrating at first due to input responsiveness and steep learning curve. The game delivers fun, fast-paced, mechanically rich hockey gameplay with an emphasis on player control and skill over assists or RNG, though issues with matchmaking, toxic community, and occasional lag can detract from the overall experience.
- “Its physics-based gameplay, the precision it demands, and the level of mechanical control it offers turn every match into a pure skill battle—something rare in today’s free-to-play landscape.”
- “The mechanics encourage creativity, with moments of brilliance emerging from a perfect pass, a well-timed shot, or a last-second save.”
- “With intuitive controls and fluid mechanics, players can seamlessly skate, shoot, and pass their way to victory as they compete in online matches against friends and rivals from around the world.”
- “Broken and not fun mechanics.”
- “The mechanics of this game don't work and it sucks.”
- “Terrible mechanics and bad servers, fix this game devs.”
humor
140 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's humor is widely praised for its goofy physics, chaotic gameplay, and hilarious moments, especially when played with friends. While the difficulty and controls can be challenging, these often contribute to the comedic and fun experience. Overall, players find it endlessly funny, with laughter stemming from both the game's mechanics and social interactions.
- “It turns into this chaotic, competitive, hilarious experience that almost no other free game on Steam replicates.”
- “Every flick of the stick, every scramble in the crease, every hilarious moment where you collide with your teammate instead of the puck—all screaming: game of the year.”
- “My friend was looking through Steam, he found it, he convinced me to play it, downloading took around 10 seconds, and we spent 2 hours laughing our brains off.”
graphics
81 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
58%
9%
The game's graphics are generally described as simple, low-poly, or rudimentary with a toy-like, kid-friendly art style that some find charming, while others see it as underwhelming or outdated. Though not graphically cutting-edge or highly detailed, the visuals are functional, smooth, and suited to low-end devices, emphasizing gameplay over flashy effects. Overall, the aesthetic fits the game's arcade-style feel but may deter players seeking high-fidelity graphics.
- “The graphics are stunning, and the controls are smooth and responsive.”
- “The clean graphics and fluid animations keep the focus on the gameplay, while the soundtrack and sound effects add a layer of immersion that pulls you in.”
- “Updated graphics with a fun and light style and smooth lighting and new mechanics that make the game even more engaging.”
- “While this is on PC, it has all the hallmarks and deficiencies of a console game, from the clunkier than needed control scheme to the less than cutting edge graphics.”
- “In terms of visuals, this features fairly low quality low poly 3D graphics which will deter a lot of gamers, understandably.”
- “Graphics, lighting, sounds,... everything is giving away a very cheap, low-effort, mobile, pay-to-win feel.”
story
49 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
10%
76%
14%
The game’s story reception is mixed, with some players praising its emotional depth and impactful narrative, while others highlight the absence or minimal presence of a story, focusing more on gameplay. Certain users find the story touching and transformative, whereas others consider the game largely story-free or secondary to gameplay mechanics.
- “This game changed me forever. The story made me cry. I love this game so much. This is the best game ever made. I don’t think I’d be the man I am today without it.”
- “Very interesting and touching story with a lot of depth into the characters.”
- “Between the random events, gear, progression, light and funny story with some great comic relief, blended with cool features like arrows sticking in your enemies permanently and the hilariously 'accurate' physics for dying enemies leads to a game full of fun, frustration, and hopefully, maybe, triumph.”
- “☑ no story”
- “As we started playing, we realized there's no shoot button - talk about a plot twist!”
- “☑ only gameplay, doesn't include a story.”
monetization
34 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
9%
29%
62%
Monetization in the game is mostly based on cosmetic microtransactions and subtle in-game advertising, which some users find intrusive or overly commercialized with military and corporate ads. However, many appreciate that these microtransactions do not affect gameplay and view the monetization model as relatively fair and non-predatory for a free-to-play title. Despite criticisms of ads and occasional "cash grab" sentiments, the system allows players to earn cosmetics without spending money, offering a generally acceptable balance.
- “The best way I can put this is that it's a hockey version of Rocket League with way better monetization, with battle passes that stick around forever.”
- “Also, it's free and has a very friendly monetization model.”
- “For a free-to-play game, there's not much more you could ask for in terms of their monetization strategy, since the only things you can buy are cosmetics, and if you play the game enough, you'll just earn enough currency to get them without paying.”
- “Even after that, this still isn't really free as the game is infested with mobile app store-like microtransactions.”
- “Gey devs milking the cosmetic items for a cash grab instead of improving the game, the graphics suck, there is a noticeable delay when you swing the stick, really poorly made game.”
- “Hiding ads in the game might be a support to the dev but it's sneaky and this game isn't worth the time to waste watching ads midgame.... I hate advertising in games like for real.”
music
25 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
48%
12%
The music received mixed feedback: while the main menu soundtrack is praised as immersive and enjoyable, many users find the in-game music lacking or absent, often preferring to play their own tracks for a better experience. Overall, the soundtrack adds some atmosphere but could benefit from more engaging or continuous background music during gameplay.
- “The clean graphics and fluid animations keep the focus on the gameplay, while the soundtrack and sound effects add a layer of immersion that pulls you in.”
- “Best game I have ever played, even the music slaps.”
- “Also the main menu music is awesome.”
- “W devs for knowing their choice of music is awful and making an achievement for making music volume 0.”
- “After I got on YouTube and started playing the NHL 99 soundtrack, the experience improved immensely.”
- “It needs a bit of background music during the game, but otherwise totally worth the time.”
optimization
18 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
22%
39%
39%
User feedback on optimization is mixed, with many reporting frequent lag, stuttering, and input delay that negatively impact gameplay, especially on certain servers or higher pings. However, some note improvements over time and praise smooth performance on lower-end hardware, though issues with controls and frame rates persist for others. Overall, optimization remains a significant concern affecting player experience.
- “The game runs smoothly without any lag or glitches and feels well-optimized.”
- “Runs smoothly on my laptop.”
- “It improves on the original in almost every way with better stick handling and puck physics (including the ability to raise the puck, which is a complete game changer!), a vastly improved new player experience (including fantastic offline practice modes and extremely customizable private lobbies), and impressive performance options for an indie game.”
- “So I can't recommend this game anymore, as you'll get into it and get better but then just get frustrated by performance.”
- “I've seen more and more comments in game, on Reddit, and here about performance so I know it's not just me.”
- “That said, this is the laggiest game I've played for this long in my life. If you have more than 40/50 ping you are at a huge disadvantage. At 50 ping here it's not like other games: you have so much input lag it feels like you wait almost 1 full second before your input goes through. On top of that, the game has lag spikes and stuttering every other minute, so it doesn't matter how good you become, there's always gonna be a dude with 10 ping that makes you wonder why you're here.”
grinding
17 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
18%
23%
59%
Grinding in the game is notably intense and time-consuming, with players often feeling a significant skill gap between newcomers and long-time grinders. While some find the grind challenging and requiring a substantial commitment ("second life"), others enjoy the process and find it rewarding, though the coin acquisition and daily challenges could feel overly grindy at times. Overall, grinding is a core but demanding aspect that may appeal to dedicated players.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “You'll need four lives for grinding.”
- “A bit grindy... sometimes.”
- “A new player comes in, plays a couple of matches, sees others who have been grinding for months, and instantly feels the gap.”
- “I played the original and rebound is a bit more fleshed out... maybe too grindy on the coins, perhaps daily challenges would be fun too?”
- “Gaining in-game coins to purchase cosmetics for your player can be a bit grindy, but that's my only complaint.”
emotional
17 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game evokes a deeply emotional experience, with many players moved to tears by its impactful story and memorable moments. While praised for its heartfelt and transformative narrative, some users also mention moments of frustration and anxiety during gameplay, creating a complex emotional rollercoaster. Overall, it is celebrated for its profound emotional resonance and lasting impression.
- “This game changed me forever. The story made me cry. I love this game so much. This is the best game ever made. I don't think I'd be the man I am today without Slapshot. The Last of Us story is a a dumpster fire compared to this beauty. Please, for the higher powers above, play this game. It will cure your ADHD, AIDS, depression, autism, and more. I truly have fallen in love with this title. I even found my wife here on this game.”
- “I cried for weeks, maybe even months.”
- “Very interesting and touching story with a lot of depth into the characters.”
stability
15 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Stability in this game is inconsistent, with many users reporting frequent bugs, glitches, freezes, and crashes that impact gameplay, especially with puck mechanics and AI behavior. However, some players experience smooth performance without major issues, indicating varied experiences across the player base. Overall, the game still feels unpolished and in need of substantial fixes to improve stability.
- “A horribly controlled game with buggy AI.”
- “Lots of crashes, glitches, and an auto-ban system where you can get banned just from people reporting you without any warning.”
- “Sometimes the game even freezes, making matches unplayable on European servers.”
replayability
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
44%
23%
33%
The game offers strong replayability, with users rating it around 7/10 and appreciating its almost endless play potential. However, some technical issues like inconsistent servers can occasionally hinder the experience. Overall, the skill-based gameplay keeps it engaging and worth revisiting.
- “Awesome game with endless replayability.”
- “ Infinitely replayable (or almost).”
- “Fun with high level skill gaps makes for entertaining and replayable game.”
- “In order to make this game far more playable; the devs should have made the controls so that when you move in a direction, your character faces that direction.”
- “Weekends are still a nightmare to get consistent servers that are playable.”
- “5/15 game time / replayability”
atmosphere
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
25%
The atmosphere is generally praised for creating a fun and engaging environment, especially when playing with friends, blending casual enjoyment with competitive intensity. However, only a small portion of users (13%) have specifically highlighted this aspect.
- “On the surface, the mechanics coupled with the fun atmosphere make this game look like a perfect fun time for anyone looking to have a casual competition with friends or other players, while also filling the role of a high-level competitive sports game.”
- “Graphics and atmosphere (with friends).”
- “The game itself is quite fun; I like its atmosphere and style.”