Long before the Y2K bug was “invented”, we all lived in a pleasant technological bubble where our greatest fears were viruses from Napster. We would gather with our friends to play couch cooperative games and speak to each other face to face rather than on party chat. This era of gaming brought us some great and memorable titles and some of my favourites were the Mario Party franchise. Its colourful characters, crazy maps, and exciting mini-games kept me busy for hours. However, I haven’t experienced anything similar in years, until I tackled My Singing Monsters Playground.
Developed by Big Blue Bubble and published by Sold-Out Software, this is a colourful couch mini-game title. Focussing on casual fun and an array of events, you’re assured an entertaining time. You control monsters who compete to be crowned the champion. The selection of available games will test your stamina, reactions, and guile, and a friendly get together will soon become a heated affair.
My Singing Monsters Playground gets right to the point.
Unlike others in this genre, My Singing Monsters Playground doesn’t beat around the bush. You are chucked into the action immediately with three game modes available to select from. You can try Free mode, Tournament, or Solo Gauntlet. Furthermore, you can spend tokens at a prize machine to unlock decorations and cosmetics. Its allure is its lack of complexity and the ability to play, even if you have limited time.
The developers have focused on creating a vast selection of games that’ll test an array of skills. There is something for everyone and this balances the playing field. This four-player title asks you to tackle free-for-all matches, 2v2, and 3v1. The reward for winning an event is three diamonds, 2nd awards two, 3rd one, and 4th leaves you empty-handed. It was amazing how quickly the tournaments became competitive and arguments were commonplace. Think of Monopoly on Christmas Day and multiply it by ten! That’s how quickly things escalated.
Excellent fun, but it lacks depth.
It reminded me of the Mario Party franchise. Sadly, though, My Singing Monsters Playground doesn’t have the depth that its behemoth peer is famous for. The action doesn’t revolve around a board game, nor does it take you on an adventure. No, it simply wants you to compete repeatedly with no advancements in the gameplay.
This was okay for a short period of time, but it quickly became stale, especially when playing solo. With friends in tow, you can mask the repetition as you mock one another, or team up to annoy a friend. Unfortunately, hammering the computer players regularly isn’t as appealing. Even with three difficulty settings to select, it was never challenging.
However, if you can put aside the lack of story and underperforming competitors, you experience some wonderful and interesting moments. You must run away from stampeding monsters, drive race cars, dodge logs, match shapes, avoid gloop, power up a rocket, and more. I had no issue with the amount of variety. I just wanted there to be more structure to develop the ideas further, and tougher foes. Unfortunately, though, this never materialised, and this stagnates the gameplay very quickly.
My Singing Monsters Playground looks wonderful.
I’m a sucker for a bright and colourful experience, and My Singing Monsters Playground is eye-wateringly vivid. Thanks to its excellent stage designs, cartoon monsters, and variety of traps and activities, it was interesting to look at. The action is helped by the smooth movement and well-animated characters. Furthermore, this makes the hectic gameplay easier to manage. Visually, this is finished to a high standard, and I loved the selection of heroes and the additional cosmetics that could be unlocked.
Unsurprisingly, a whacky game requires a zany soundtrack, and that’s exactly what is delivered. The high tempo songs blended with the unusual sound effects add energy and amusement to the gameplay. Fortunately, the developers incorporated a vast amount of songs, and this reduced the feeling of repetition.
Simple to play.
With so many events to enjoy, it would be easy to become confused. Luckily, a clear tutorial overcomes this issue. Furthermore, you can experience a practice round to familiarise yourself with the controls. This was an excellent choice, and it ensured that less confident players had a fighting chance.
The party genre is excellent fun and creates memorable gaming sessions. However, its appeal is reduced when your friends stop playing. Subsequently, solo gaming becomes tedious very quickly. If the developers had incorporated online play, then this would be a truly moreish title. Sadly, though, it’ll be hit and miss for longevity and replay value.
My Singing Monsters Playground is great in short bursts.
Party games normally keep you playing for hours, yet, My Singing Monsters Playground probably won’t. It’s excellent fun in short bursts, but you’ll tire of the action quite quickly. As a multiplayer title, it is brilliant, but the solo action lacks depth and challenge, and this undermines the fun. However, I liked it and recommend you to buy it despite its shortcomings. Pick your monster, win every game, and become the champion of every tournament.
