Stumble Guys

Genre: Arcade / 3D Platformer

Players: 32 Competitive (Online)

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Review:

WARNING: THIS GAME HEAVILY PUSHES MICROTRANSACTIONS AND ITS PAID SEASON PASS

Stumble Guys is a free-to-play multiplayer-focused Arcade-style Platformer released in 2021 on PC and ported in 2024 to Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and Nintendo Switch. And this is as blatant a copycat as you’re likely to find in a videogame, in this case clearly copying Fall Guys. However, as I always say, it’s okay to be a copycat as long as you’re a good copycat. So, is Stumble Guys a good copycat?

The copying starts right away with the presentation, which uses similarly colorful 3D visuals in abstract environments with simply-looking character designs, and they even copied Fall Guys’ issues with framerates (though it’s a bit less of an issue here). This is joined by an extremely repetitive energetic soundtrack that may get you reaching for the mute button on your TV remote before too long.

When it comes to the gameplay itself, again, the similarities abound here – these games are mostly set up as 3D Platformers with various goals. Most levels have you racing to a finish line, but some have you trying to stay on platforms as you’re being bombarded with attacks, and others have you trying to collect items. There’s a good variety here, and while some of these game modes are clearly copying Fall Guys, there’s a little creativity here too, such as one level that has you dodging exploding sharks.

Is it better than Fall Guys? No. The controls are more loose and slippery, and the game has your character collapsing if they receive the tiniest bump. What’s more, the balancing seems a bit off here, and I had multiple matches lost because the last opponent I had pulled some sort of oddball jerk move. And of course there’s also the smaller number of players in each game. This plus the repetitive music and the more generic-looking visuals all add up to a lesser experience.

That said… it’s still fun, and I could definitely see players swapping between Stumble Guys and Fall Guys to take advantage of the variety. Both games are free-to-play, so it’s not like you’re going to be losing money by playing both (unless you purchase microtransactions). If you like one, I think you might as well give the other a try.

tl;dr – Stumble Guys is a free-to-play multiplayer-focused Arcade-style 3D Platformer that is clearly copying the Fall Guys formula, with players competing against others in various tasks. However, while it’s not quite on par with Fall Guys, it’s close enough that if you enjoy Fall Guys you should probably give this game a try too, since it won’t cost you anything to check it out. Definitely give it a try!

Grade: B-

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