You've heard of Fall Guys, but have you heard of Stumble Guys? This is an incredibly popular multiplayer game on mobile (and even Steam), and its arrival on Xbox today marks its first ever console version. It'll be coming to PlayStation at some point down the line - and who knows, maybe Nintendo Switch - but it's an Xbox console exclusive for now.
So, what's it like? We had a chance to go hands-on with the game earlier this week prior to its Xbox launch, and we had a fun time with it! In many ways, it's a Fall Guys clone as you'd expect, in which you compete across various obstacle-style courses against other online players (or bots) as you attempt to become the last player standing. There's a slightly different feel to the controls in Stumble Guys that takes some getting used to, but ultimately this is a familiar experience that you're likely to enjoy if you're a fan of this ever-expanding genre.
The thing we really like about Stumble Guys so far is how it never leaves you waiting around. The menus are snappy, getting into games is fast, rounds don't take very long at all, and once you're eliminated you can be back in the menus almost instantly. It has this sense of being quite lightweight compared to Fall Guys, as that game bombards you with an abundance of features these days, and it's actually quite refreshing to dip into something a bit more simplistic.
Another interesting part of Stumble Guys is the branding on display. You can collect costumes built around Ubisoft's "Rabbids", for example, and some of the stages are based around famous IP such as Hot Wheels, Barbie and even the YouTube sensation himself, Mr. Beast. The level designs here are pretty fun, and the Hot Wheels one in particular is a Pure Xbox favourite as you have to drive to the finish line at the end!
Something we were advised about during our hands-on session is that customisation is a big part of the game, with absolutely loads of skins, emotes and other special animations for your character to equip. Unsurprisingly, this is the focus of Stumble Guys' progression model, which includes the ability to spend real money on customisables and a Premium Pass along the way, but there's certainly no need to dip into your wallet if you don't want to.
You can try all of this out for yourself right now on Xbox One, Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S (just search for "Stumble Guys" on the Xbox Store), and it's certainly worth a play if you like the look of it so far. The gameplay is fun, it has some enjoyable level designs, and at the very least it'll give you a few laughs with your friends. Enjoy!
