Stikbold! A Dodgeball Adventure
- April 8, 2016
- Game Swing
"Stikbold! A Dodgeball Adventure takes a sport that few get the opportunity to play anymore and infuses it with a more action oriented approach that surprisingly works quite well."
Stikbold! A Dodgeball Adventure is a local co-op game where players become 70's dodgeball stars, Björn and Jerome, battling it out in a variety of arenas. The game features a single-player story mode, crazy power-ups, and a range of enemies to face off against. Team up with a friend in multiplayer mode for an even more exhilarating dodgeball experience.
Reviews
- Stikbold! offers a fun and humorous local multiplayer experience, making it perfect for playing with friends and family.
- The game features a colorful art style and engaging gameplay mechanics that keep matches exciting and dynamic.
- The story mode, while short, is entertaining and filled with quirky characters and absurd situations that add to the overall charm of the game.
- The game lacks online multiplayer, which limits its replayability and makes it less appealing for those who want to play with friends remotely.
- Some players have reported issues with AI teammates being unhelpful or frustrating during solo play, detracting from the experience.
- The story mode is relatively short, which may leave players wanting more content after completing it.
- story108 mentions
- 31 % positive mentions
- 67 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The game's story mode is a short but entertaining experience, typically lasting around 1-2 hours, featuring quirky humor and engaging gameplay that can be enjoyed solo or in local co-op. Players appreciate the variety of challenges and the amusing narrative, although some express a desire for a longer story or additional perspectives. Overall, the story mode is seen as a fun addition that enhances the multiplayer experience, making it a worthwhile purchase for both casual and cooperative play.
“The story of the game is quite hilarious and so much fun.”
“A friend and I played through the story together and quickly fell in love with the quirky characters and silly, yet engaging story.”
“The story mode is an absolute joy to play through, even on your own, and the extremely customizable quick play mode allows you and your friends to play the game any way you want.”
“I wish there was more to the story mode, maybe playing through the story from the coach's or rival team member's perspective, but other than that this is a worthy purchase.”
“Playing story mode by yourself pairs you up with an incompetent AI that keeps running in front of dangerous obstacles and throwing the ball at you, knocking you out.”
“The character models are ugly, the story is dumb, and there's just something off about the whole package.”
- humor58 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is widely praised for its absurdity and charm, featuring a quirky storyline filled with ridiculous characters and situations that consistently entertain players. Reviewers highlight its suitability as a party game, noting that the lighthearted humor and engaging gameplay make it a fun experience for both solo and multiplayer modes. Overall, the game's comedic elements, combined with its colorful visuals and enjoyable mechanics, contribute to a delightful and memorable gaming experience.
“The game is full of absurd characters and silly situations, and it's consistently funny throughout.”
“I didn't expect to like this game (a game about dodgeball? why would anyone make such a thing?), but it has a quirky sense of humor that quickly grew on me, and I enjoyed the offbeat story -- yes, it actually has a 'story mode' in which you complete a series of dodgeball-related missions.”
“The writing and characters are quite funny, the situations are ridiculous, and the art style is extremely charming.”
- gameplay57 mentions
- 35 % positive mentions
- 60 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The gameplay is characterized by its fast-paced, engaging mechanics that blend simple controls with deeper strategies, such as dodging, catching, and power throws. Players appreciate the variety of customization options and unique level designs that keep the experience fresh, although some note a lack of polish in certain areas like AI behavior and menu navigation. Overall, the combination of humor, solid mechanics, and vibrant visuals creates a fun and accessible gameplay experience, though some players desire more content and variety in game modes.
“The gameplay is fast-paced and intense, with a variety of moves and abilities at your disposal as you try to outmaneuver your opponents and take them down with well-placed throws.”
“Its fast-paced gameplay, absurd sense of humor, and excellent production values make it a standout experience that you won't want to miss.”
“The mechanics of the game feel well balanced; I love all of the strategies you can implement to knock out your opponents.”
“The big issue is that the gameplay just doesn't have the magic that other local multiplayer games can hold.”
“This would probably be fun for a while with a competent friend, but the AI frustratingly gets killed or gets you killed over and over, and the gameplay is too repetitive for me to want to finish this.”
“The content is limited a bit; I would have liked to see a larger variety of game modes, and perhaps some more mechanics to make the gameplay a bit more intuitive.”
- graphics30 mentions
- 43 % positive mentions
- 47 % neutral mentions
- 10 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are generally praised for their vibrant, cartoonish style that complements its silly tone, with many noting the appealing voxel and low-poly aesthetics reminiscent of Minecraft. While some players appreciate the charming art and animations, others criticize the presence of graphical glitches and missing textures, which detracts from the overall experience. Despite mixed opinions on the art style, the colorful visuals and humorous character designs contribute positively to the game's appeal.
“The graphics are also excellent, with a vibrant, cartoonish style that perfectly complements the game's silly tone.”
“The art style is reminiscent of Minecraft (with blocky bodies and shapes) and it lends itself well to the game as a whole, and the color palette chosen makes the game stand out.”
“The graphics are attractive, the goofy dialogues are quite funny, and the gameplay is wonderful, making this game an overall amazing little gem.”
“Is a sports game with weird Minecraft-style low poly graphics.”
“Developers must learn that Minecraft succeeded despite the bad graphics, not because of them.”
“When I start trying to play, there are all sorts of missing textures and graphics glitches.”
- music13 mentions
- 77 % positive mentions
- 8 % neutral mentions
- 15 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised for its catchy and funky soundtrack, featuring a nostalgic throwback to the disco era that enhances the overall experience. Players appreciate the variety of tunes that are memorable and complement the game's vibrant visuals and engaging gameplay. Overall, the soundtrack is considered a standout element, contributing significantly to the game's charm and fun atmosphere.
“The soundtrack is also great, with a variety of catchy tunes that will stick in your head long after you've finished playing.”
“The music is nice and catchy while the sound effects are great.”
“The story is quite funny and charming, and the music is downright funky.”
“The music, the gameplay, all the little sneak moves you can do, the weird 70's porn vibe the game has ... just trust me.”
“Decent music and graphics, colorful world and uses the blocky human style similar to games like Minecraft and Thirty Flights of Loving.”
- replayability7 mentions
- 29 % positive mentions
- 29 % neutral mentions
- 43 % negative mentions
The game offers strong replayability through its engaging versus mode and various challenges, making it enjoyable for multiplayer sessions with friends. However, some players feel that the short story mode and limited local multiplayer options can diminish its long-term replay value. Overall, while many appreciate the replayable elements, opinions vary on how sustainable that replayability is over time.
“This game is so cute and replayable with a set of fabulous achievements; definitely recommend playing with your friends.”
“That said, we breezed through the story mode fairly quickly, but there are cool things that add some replayability, like the flower challenges in each level, and (probably primarily) versus mode, where you can and will spend hours duking it out dodgeball-style with friends.”
“I played it at PAX East and went home and bought it that very night. I love playing it, but it has lost its replay value because there is only local multiplayer, which limits the amount of times I can play it with friends.”
“Cons: very low replayability, short length, and frustrating controls.”
“The story is short, but the replay value is strong in this title.”
- character development1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Reviewers highlight the character development as distinctive and engaging, noting the unique character designs, dynamic movements, and memorable voice performances that contribute to a vibrant and immersive experience.
“The character design, their movements, and the voices are very unique and captivating.”
“The depth of character development really makes you feel connected to their journeys.”
“Each character evolves in a way that feels natural and engaging, making their stories unforgettable.”
- stability1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Users report significant stability issues, including missing textures and graphics glitches that hinder gameplay experience.
“When I start trying to play, there are all sorts of missing textures and graphics glitches.”
“The game crashes frequently, making it nearly impossible to enjoy.”
“I experience constant lag and frame drops, which ruin the gameplay experience.”
- emotional1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game elicits a strong response, combining humor and sadness, as players experience moments that provoke both laughter and tears, highlighting the game's ability to create a rollercoaster of feelings.
“I laughed until I cried, and then cried more because I got run over and killed by the honey hippies.”
Critic Reviews
Stikbold! A Dodgeball Adventure Review
Stikbold! A Dodgeball Adventure has its good side. The campaign, while short, starts out fun and isn't lacking creative scenarios, while the multiplayer is good for a short romp. Sadly, the game is let down by the later campaign levels, the iffy AI, and the overall lack of content.
65%Stikbold! A Dodgeball Adventure Review
Fresh and frantic, Stikbold! A Dodgeball Adventure is a pleasant surprise, with moreish multiplayer and a beguiling, unique style that sets it apart in a crowded genre. Slight performance hiccups crop up when matches get too busy, but they're rare, and you'll be having too much fun to really notice. A couple of extra modes or online multiplayer would've made this easier to recommend, but it's fun, snappy, and full of character nonetheless, and if you're looking for a little light-heartedness in your multiplayer gaming sessions, don't dodge this.
70%Stikbold! A Dodgeball Adventure Review
"Stikbold! A Dodgeball Adventure takes a sport that few get the opportunity to play anymore and infuses it with a more action oriented approach that surprisingly works quite well."
70%