Ophelia Payne

Gaming is often full of games that are focused on competition between friends or online players, or story-driven solo adventure games. Cozy co-op adventures are a bit rarer, but here comes Studio Mantasaur (with support from Wikkl), a four-person development team from the Netherlands, to change that. They have released their first game, All Hands on Deck, a cozy 2-player co-op puzzle platformer adventure available on Steam and Switch. Players can jump into this easy-going title where you play as two cheerful hands named Lefty and Righty. You will work together to solve puzzles, collect trinkets, and save your plushie friends. Using special items and the abilities of ‘rock, paper, scissors’ power.

Cozy co-op games are making a bit of a resurgence, with the likes of It Takes Two and Unravel Two, games that emphasize communication, creativity, and charm over competition. The plush toys have disappeared from the daycare, and it’s up to Lefty and Righty to find them. Each chapter has a unique theme over multiple levels, with the last level being where you get to save the plushie friend. The first chapter is a city level, the second is beach theme,d etc. Portable extendible arms, rubber band slingshots and using abilities of ‘Rock’ to punch things, ‘Scissors’ to cut paper, you will use communication with your partner to combine actions to traverse the level. Each level introduces new skills, tools and mechanics, keeping even seasoned gamers invested. It is also worth noting that All Hands on Deck seems like a perfect game for parents to play with children, too, as it has a local co-op option as well.

Expect a decent mix of puzzles and platforming involving item manipulation and time-based events. Through each level, you will collect coins that will allow you to visit the shop in the main hub. This provides the opportunity to customize your hands by changing everything from facial features and ‘body’ colour, to having them wear costume pieces like sunglasses, hair flowers, long fingernails, a backpack, or butterfly wings.

Each level has two buttons to find, as well as a timed puzzle event where you have to collect a certain number of pieces in a defined time (all while working through obstacles). I found this bit a little stressful, but once we realized that now everything reset, we could use any ‘failed run’ as an opportunity to set ourselves up for success on the next attempt. As you move through the levels this number of pieces increases.

What makes All Hands on Deck stand out is its hand-based control scheme. Each player can share any gadgets they pick up, so it’s simply up to you to determine which of you needs which gadget as you move through the game. Some of the puzzles require a bit more thinking when determining the correct combination of moves and tools needed, like using the slingshot to launch one player across a gap and then having that player use their extendible arm and having the first person jump onto it to be pulled across behind them. Most puzzles are fairly straightforward, but some required a little more thought and planning. Only once did we get soft locked, due to falling off a level and not being able to complete that level. Thankfully, you are able to restart any level and, since they aren’t too long, get back into the game. One mechanic that made me smile every time was the random spots where you had to high-five one another to start an event. Adorable.

The game eases you into the mechanics with a simple tutorial while playing. Random characters will give you tips, but I found them more distracting than anything, as they often covered up a significant portion of the screen, blocking gameplay.

The menu, levels, etc. are all designed to look like a child’s imagination brought to life. The toys are oversized, colourful, and full of charm. The music is light and playful and fits well with the toybox aesthetic.

As a debut game from a small studio, we did encounter a few bugs. Anything mentioned to the developers while playing, they responded to and it looks like some were fixed even before we finished playing. We also found that while using the online multiplayer in-game, there were issues with minor input lag, frame rate issues and desynchronization with the characters, which made the game unplayable at times. For example, one of us would be right on top of one of the puzzle pieces in the timed event and not be able to collect it. The other player would let us know we weren’t even close to it.

However, when using Steam’s Remote Play Together function, these issues were non-existent. The fixed camera was also an issue for me as it made it difficult to judge distance, angles and affected depth perception.

Rated E for everyone and priced at only $16.99 CAD, this is well worth the price for the hours of gameplay Stuart and I put into it. All Hands on Deck is a clever and cozy co-op game suitable for most ages and abilities and great for friends, partners, and families. It focuses on communication and creativity instead of high scores and competition. It’s an easy recommendation from me. High-five your favourite gaming partner and join the fun.

Huge thanks to Stuart (StuartYeah on all platforms) for being my other hand in this review, and look for us to play this again in full on his Twitch channel soon.

**Game codes graciously provided by Game Drive -NL and reviewed on Steam**