Have you ever thought, ‘these karting games are cool, but cars aren’t my thing’? Or you’ve spoken to friends who said, ‘I’d really love to relive the days of snowboarding games like SSX Tricky with a modern feel’. The good news is, you’re not alone and there’s a game out there just for you and up to 7 friends through online multiplayer, or 4 through local co-op!

Slopecrashers by byteparrot is your next competitive party game! Whether in the snow or at the mall, these animals are here to race with style. It’s not just about who crosses the finish line first, but did you do it with flair? 

To start, choose from Lemur, Chicken, Penguin or Parrot to take to the slopes as you race against seven other animals on an epic tour. Did you fall a little bit behind? Put on a show for the crowd to get yourself a boost to catch up to that Capybara. Boost still not enough? Try throwing some fireworks at him or sending a mole. That’s not a metaphor, you can send a literal mole to dig up the ground and mess up the path for your competition. Keep in mind, you can also mess up the road for yourself so attack with discretion. 

Now that I’ve sold you on Slopecrashers, let’s talk about actual game play. The colors are bright and vivid as one would expect from a party game. When you open the game, you’re welcomed by the enthusiastic sound of upbeat music while navigating a clean menu. You can customize your racer with different outfits, check out the tutorials, or jump right into the game! The music by Benedict Nichols gets you ready to hop on the slopes right alongside our new furry friends. With a slight retro feel it’ll remind you of being in the arcades with friends and put a smile on your face. 

Once you’re ready to shred, you can pick your speed, from Casual, to Normal, to Too Fast for all you speed chasers. While getting used to game play, casual speed is perfect, especially if it’s been a while since you’ve played any sort of racing game with tricks involved. I’ll admit, this game recommends playing with a controller and so do I. For purposes of reviewing, I played both with  a controller and then WASD. In all honesty, the mouse and keyboard game play is just as smooth. So embrace whatever gamer you are! Once you get the groove down, hop to Normal or Too Fast if you’re a 200cc player.

You’ll have the most fun when you’re playing Slopecrashers with friends, but that doesn’t mean you can’t play alone! When you want to play solo, there are modes where you can focus on style. Try out the “Stuntshow” if you want to focus on your creativity or if you’re a precision master. Check out “Slalom” where you can shine during those solo gaming sessions. 

Of course, like any other arcade game, the game can get repetitive as it’s a snowboarding racer at is core. Overall though, if you want a neatly packaged and fun game for those looking for something slightly competitive, this is it.

Slopecrashers was reviewed on PC, and will also be releasing on Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series X/S and Xbox One on December 4th. Gamer Social Club was provided a review code by the developer.