Shoe It All!, Developed by Amberbite and published by Bright Gambit, is a lighthearted physics-puzzle game that took me back instantly to being a kid on the swing set at the playground. We’ve all done it, swinging back and forth until we’re high enough to kick our shoes off and make them fly.
In Shoe It All! You’re a teenager named Lace who uses their playground swing and a whole pile of shoes to cause chaos and outsmart grumpy grownups. The premise is simple: build momentum, set, aim, and fling your shoes at targets. The concept is simple, but my knowledge of physics failed me at times.
Over 65 handcrafted levels reward you for creative trick shots instead of offering a single correct solution. Some levels have only one target, while others have multiple targets. For example, one has you fling a shoe through the front door of a house, then smash a top-story window and then hit a woman coming to confront you outside.
Between the levels and boss fights, be sure to also collect the 200 stickers on offer, especially if you are an achievement hunter and completionist. You collect the stickers by completing each task, like finishing the level or doing it under a certain number of shoes. I love that you could replay a level from the pause menu if you wanted to grab all the stickers before moving on.
I played on the XBOX Series X, and the controls were smooth and responsive, no issues there. It looked amazing, graphically and a vibrant, punk-inspired aesthetic paired with high-energy original music that matches the angsty teen vibe. I loved the sound effects, including that satisfying thud when my shoe hit a solid item like a vending machine. While the graphic style is simplistic, the screen was always full of colourful artwork that kept me captivated.
There are 2 modes: a campaign to work through the levels of varying difficulty and a speedrun mode with a leaderboard and bonus unlockable stages. The main campaign is short, taking only around an hour, but you can replay as often as you’d like, especially if you want to climb those leaderboards.
Until next time…be good to yourself and be good to each other.
**Special thanks to Bright Gambit for the review code**
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