Squish
Spooky Scary Skeletons
Before I begin my first impressions on Squish, I'd like to give special thanks to GRG and PM Studios for allowing me a chance to play this before release. Squish is an interesting game because I've enjoyed and had quite a bit of fun with the game itself. The premise is simple, you are a skeleton who is joined by your skeleton friends with one goal only. Party and rave until the last skeleton remains standing. What makes Squish interesting is that it is the latest game in a variant of the "party game" genre that needed more games. The "local pvp" variant.
In an era where Fall Guys is given a new lease on life due to its "free-to-play" model, games like Among Us had thrived due to word of mouth and streaming services. Squish has the potential to skyrocket itself to the moon via the streaming community as it's very simple yet offers a lot of fun with its gameplay. Like most games, Squish's online mode thrives from friends who happen to play at the same time. If someone is streaming and they need a quick couple of hours to play a fun title, Squish fits the criteria well. There are some negatives to this, but it's not the fault of Squish. It's made to be a game played with others and it does that considerably well.
Sending Shivers Down Your Spine
Squish has several maps each with a different gimmick, yet the controls are the same no matter the game mode. It's a two-button game where the player jumps and dashes into blocks respectively. The objective is to force the other player into a predicament where they are Squished by the blocks, pushed off the stage, or destroyed by the various routine hazards. Certain maps may alter the gravity, causing blocks to land slowly as players jump higher. Other maps may require the players to collect treasure while the same rules apply.
The other competitors aren't the only things to watch out for as various hazards will attempt to make things difficult for everyone. Occasionally, red skulls of death will spawn at a random lane, crashing down on any skeleton in its path. There's another red skull of death that homes in on the player and the way to avoid certain squish-ment is to let the skull crash into someone else. Various blocks will freeze players, a bomb will explode in a general radius, and a laser block will melt everything above, below, and to its sides.
I Don't Have A Lot Of Friends But That Is Perfectly Fine
The environment wants to squish you just as much as other players, but it's all in good fun. Unfortunately, I can only imagine how fun the multiplayer for Squish is, as I hadn't had the chance to play with others. At the time of this writing, finding players online was a challenge as I couldn't find any rooms at all. When I'm able to get some multiplayer action, I'd love to write a short follow-up and give Squish a final score, but I feel it wouldn't be fair to do so now.
What I can say is that I wish there was more single-player content to take advantage of the "block pushing" that Squish centers around. The only mode available is one where players feel a floating green skull known as "Gooby" with green blocks. These blocks spawn and can be broken to reveal the green goop. At the same time, players must avoid the various hazards I listed above as well as the falling blocks. This was the first mode I played and I thought about Mr. Driller in how the block mechanics worked.
Squish Prevents Itself From Getting "Squished"
A suggestion I'd have for future single-player content would be a mode based on Tetris where the skeletons push the blocks to clear lines. It would make for a cool addition with its own set of rules. Introducing a reward or unlock system in relation to how many games a player has won would also be a good incentive to play more. The sky's the limit for the blueprint established, but at its core, Squish is a simple if not barebones experience.
I'd recommend giving this game a try if only you have a group of friends willing to join you in the rave. A party by yourself is fun for a while, but it's more valuable if you have friends to shove, or, Squish off the dance floor. In its current state, it fits all the criteria for what a solid multiplayer party game should be. It's certainly no Mario Party, but it's an enjoyable experience.
Squish is now available on the Nintendo Switch and Microsoft Windows.