OddBallers

OddBallers has been around for a long time, but it's only now that the game has officially been released. Perhaps it was gauging and biding time to tweak and perfect this little dodgeball party game. There may have been less confidence in its previous state. But whatever the case, the title is out, and its sole aim is to bring a fun-filled party game that suits a night at home.

It's not like we haven't seen any top-down dodgeball games before. Still, OddBallers is more insistent on the casual element of gameplay. The title wants anybody to be able to pick up their Switch and immediately get immersed in the high-octane dodgeball action, instantly being a valid challenger to keep things interesting. Does the game succeed in that respect?

Holding All the Balls

OddBallers keeps things simple, which can be a refreshing outlook for casual players tangled up in the intricate mechanics of party games. Essentially, players will go through rounds of dodgeball, through balls at each other to take them out of the game. However, there's more to it than meets the eye. You'll face an arena with additional assets through into the mix, such as chickens, grenades, lawnmowers, and other wacky tools.

That's where OddBallers gets fun, showcasing your cognitive skills to grab a chicken and create obstacles for your opponent strategically. It's what this party game manages to get right is keeping things simple while enhancing the fun factor in various ways. The additional minigames also exploit the liberal, straightforward mechanics to create gameplay diversity, where the standard dodgeball rounds start to get tiresome.

OddBallers does have its nuisances, though. If you have to play against bots in gameplay, they aren't smart enough to make things exciting. There are also frustrations like game freezing, extended loading times, and menu access can feel slow. However, most of the drawbacks of the game are minor, and the core gameplay is solid and entertaining for the most part.

So to answer the question of whether OddBallers is a decent party game? It certainly does its job. There aren't many casual gamers who won't be able to enjoy a few action-packed rounds of dodgeball and be able to leverage the game's content to have a great time with friends.

Duck, Dodge, and Wail

So amidst the countless party games out there, does OddBallers contend with them? Yes, as the game's dodgeball premise threads everything together neatly. However, it also limits how you can play the game, as even the minigames are dodgeball-based. It doesn't have the broad diversity of party games such as the Mario Party series.

Round-Up - Pros & Cons

Pros:

• Great casual game to play with friends
• The simple learning curve to get everyone involved
• The environmental assets make each round entertaining

Cons:

• Occasional freezes hinder gameplay
• Bot players lack any challenge
• Loading times can be painfully long