I am almost always up for a good challenge, and puzzle games are among my favorites. Death Squared has been a puzzler that has not only challenge me, but it has given my wife and friends some great opportunities to work together — because if we don’t, this game will quickly make us enemies.
I had the privilege of playing this game before it launched at PAX East 2017. I was instantly amazed by its simplicity, charm, and, of course, challenging levels. I quickly became attached, and I was happy to see the free update in 2019.
At its core, Death Squared is a cooperative puzzler. Yes, you can play it on your own by moving each robot yourself, but it is much more fun when you are playing with someone else. Your goal is to get your robot to its goal, which is color-coded. Along the way, however, you will have to avoid traps and work with your teammates to keep your robot from falling off the platform or dieing by spikes, lasers, and more. It even keeps a death count.
The main campaign of 80 levels is designed for up to two players, but you can also take on 40 more levels with up to four players. This can get intense, as you could probably assume. Once you have bested those, you can take on the 30 Vault levels for a bigger challenge.
Not only is the game a great challenge, but the developers have added in hilarious voice-acting, camera controls, and extra challenge modes that change the graphical style and gameplay. If you are color blind, they even have you covered now with the new color-blind filter. The HD rumble features are also used to help create an immersive experience.
This is one of my favorite puzzle games in recent years. If you’re looking for a great puzzler, especially one you can play with your family and friends, look no further than Death Squared. Just don’t come complaining to us if you have some fights while you’re playing. It can and probably will happen, but it’ll be fun. Trust us!
GAME: Death Squared
PLATFORM: Nintendo Switch
DEVELOPER: SMG Studio
PUBLISHER: SMG Studio
ESRB: $14.99 US
MSRP: E for Everyone (Alcohol References)
OBTAINED: Code provided by Developer/Publisher for press purposes
Steve is the Senior Editor of NintendoFuse and co-host of the NintendoFuse Podcast. He’s been a Nintendo gamer since age 6 and has been on staff with NintendoFuse since 2008.