Do we ever get tired of creature collecting games? Maybe some players, and for them the solution is simple – they play something else for a while. But if you love the serotonin rush of meeting and bonding with new animals, whether it’s the furry inhabitants of Neko Atsuma, the strange hybrids of Cassette Beasts, or the familiar creatures of the Pokemon world, there’s always a desire for more. Beastieball, from Wishes Unlimited Studio, targets that need, but with an unexpected twist: this game is all about sports!
Committed to this unique idea, combining immersive and almost obsessive elements, the world of Beastieball takes familiar narrative points, but fuses them with a fresh approach that will make you wonder why GameFreak never tried this. With the demo of this yet to be released game available, it’s time to see if this game manages to achieve its goals.
Beastieball introduces you to the game with a cel-shaded and paper aesthetic that perfectly matches what the game wants to portray. A small character creation option allows you to create a version of yourself that is idealized but also palatable to a player who may now be middle-aged. It’s refreshing to play as a character that isn’t a child or teenager – my trainer in Beastieball looks just as tired and grizzled as I do, with a purple and black clothing style that I can freshen up in stores in other cities.
As a coach, you will quickly encounter the expected but perfect narrative tasks: you must challenge rival teams. This time, you’re doing it to prevent a giant Beastieball stadium from being built on the site of your hometown’s nature preserve. In this game, the League is not only a sports competition but also a corrupt force similar to Team Rocket. The similarities to the real world are obvious – reminiscent of John Oliver’s diatribes about FIFA corruption. Because you can’t keep recruiting new creatures if you’re destroying their habitats!
The game follows a well-known formula – you have a team and you choose one or two creatures to fight in a match. However, Beastieball insists on a sports concept, so the fights are actually matches that resemble volleyball. Teams of two players try to avoid elimination (which earns the opposing team a point) and to keep the opponent’s shot from landing on an empty field, which earns them another point.
This system allows even weaker teams to overcome stronger opponents, but requires a lot of tactical thinking and knowledge of the skills of their creatures. The creatures you recruit have different skill sets that you can use to modify hits, change the order of creatures on your team, attacks and buffs, or lower your opponent’s stats. Outside of combat, you can freely change their skills, and losing a match isn’t a big step back. However, due to the flexibility of the actions per turn and the variety of creatures, the beginning of the game can feel a bit confusing, even for experienced Pokemon trainers.
If you lose a match, simply adjust your skills and try again. Beastieball requires more tactical thinking than expected – there is no “quick win” here without extra effort.
The demo version of the game is already impressive, with fast controls and a clear tutorial that introduces you to the world of the game. While the start is promising, I have a small gripe with the jump control. Like its related games, Beastieball gradually gives you new options to explore the world. The first new skill is the jumping ability, which you need to complete the requirements in Jasper’s team.
The solution to the first jumping puzzle is simple, as the towns are small and it’s easy to spot the natural stairs that lead to the guy on the roof. However, jumps can be “floaty”, and occasionally it’s unclear where you’re supposed to land. If you miss a jump, you’re sent back to the beginning of the puzzle, which can be frustrating, especially when you accidentally enter a nearby training room and have to start over.
Overall, this is a minor complaint. If the jumping controls are improved, or if the puzzles don’t get too complicated later in the game – because some of us aren’t very good at Mario games – this won’t be much of a problem. With an already solid aesthetic, lovable creatures, and ESPN-inspired match previews, Beastieball has a lot of potential.
As one NPC says in Jasper: I’m not a sports expert. I lived in football-obsessed Pittsburgh, but even if I met Ben Roethlisberger at a gas station, I wouldn’t recognize him without his arrest picture. Still, Beastieball won me over with its witty, charming style, and now I love my team like I organized a tournament of chipmunks playing football with acorns.
Yes, there are a lot of creature collecting games out there, but there’s always room for more. The key is to find a game with a unique approach and style that appeals. Beastieball took the optimistic route and I went from the “sport?” phase to the “yeah, I can’t wait for the full version” phase. Try the demo and if you like it, add this game to your Steam wishlist.
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