Half of the fun of gaming is cracking into it with a mate. Whether it’s couch co-op, versus mode, or some unholy mix of the two that Overcooked inevitably turns into, there’s no argument that having someone to play games with is probably the ultimate experience. Sure, we love a longwinded single-player RPG here at Prima Games but you just can’t beat a two-player scramble on a good day, and Melbourne was full of them last week. Check out our list of the top 5 multiplayer games from PAX Aus. We also have a list of the top 5 most relaxing games from the show if you’re interested.
Top 5 Multiplayer Games from PAX Aus – Wrestledunk Sports
The name alone won us over, but Wrestledunk Sports provides a nearly-giddy experience which reminds us of the melange of minigames offered up by Mario & Sonic Go to the Olympics, all rolled up inside a fever dream. With both local co-op and online multiplayer offered, you can smash your way through futuristic fencing with mates, or grapple each other in the messy and rewarding wrestling segment. The arena is your oyster, and this is one mixed bag of sports that we fully endorse. Wrestledunk Sports will be coming out soon for the Nintendo Switch, and is being developed by Team Fractal Alligator.
Top 5 Multiplayer Games from PAX Aus – Conan Chop Chop
Conan Chop Chop, as the name suggests, involves taking a knife to all of your problems. This rogue-like from the Mighty Kingdom team is no joke – playing alone was tough – but you can take other players into this dungeon diving experience with you and honestly, the chaos is intoxicating. You can crack into this game with up to four players, but beware of resources being spread thin: if it isn’t the enemies that’ll kill you, it’s the hidden traps that will be your downfall. Dying just means that you get a new roll with new items, but you don’t get skills or anything that really powers you up so it’s about trial and error in the best, most brutal way. You can wishlist Conan Chop Chop on Steam now.
Top 5 Multiplayer Games from PAX Aus – Hot Brass
Forget Hotline Miami for a little bit, even though the similarities are clearly there. In this top-down shooter, you forgo your human trappings for something a little more abstract. Hot Brass strips away a lot of modern graphical frivolities in favor of an experience that’s condensed right down to the second by second action. Each player is represented on a map by a single icon that will change based on status conditions, but don’t think for one second that this makes for a visually sparse game. This game from Walk With Kings almost seethes with energy and tension, and all eyes will be trained on the screen when you and your mates are limping through a level with enemies just on the horizon. You can now wishlist Hot Brass on Steam.
Top 5 Multiplayer Games from PAX Aus – Heavenly Bodies
Don’t let the positively poetic name fool you. Heavenly Bodies has you reaching for the stars and beyond in its outer space setting, but you’ll be firmly reminded that you and your astronaut partner are really nothing but glorified meatsacks. In this game from 2pt Interactive, you’re tasked with navigating through a spaceship and fixing it up. What’s the catch? Well, ever played Octodad? Spaghetti physics is your enemy here. You’re going to have to figure out how to grab things, yank them around, support struggling teammates, and also not fall out of an airlock. It’s definitely not as easy as it sounds, though it is pretty damn fun. You can wishlist Heavenly Bodies on Steam here.
Top 5 Multiplayer Games from PAX Aus – Spewjitsu
From the makers of Lethal Lawns comes a multiplayer versus splat-fest called Spewjitsu. While it’s still a prototype at this stage, the concept absolutely won us over. Your job is to play as one of many sauces (we’re talking soy, mustard, the works) and to, well, spew a saucy trail around an area full of traps like moving floors. The ultimate goal? Gun down your opponents in a hail of sauce-spew, or simply run them over by going super fast in one of your own sauce trails. We’ve said the word “sauce” an uncomfortable number of times, but you get the gist. It was fast, frenetic, and a bit bonkers. We loved it, and hope that we see more of this particular title from Kaiju Stomp.
