Joggernauts

Joggernauts is a cooperative game that can make us lose our patience at many times. With a nice premise and childlike appearance, we are facing a hard and difficult to master game in which coordination will be essential to move forward. The absence of an online mode weighs heavily on it and it could have been much better than it is. In general, a game to kill time effectively.

Joggernauts is a surprisingly fun take on the auto-scroller but a fairly short one filled with its fair share of frustrating moments. As a single player experience it feels clumsy but gather a group of friends and there’s a good amount of amusement to be had even if most of the time it’s from everyone yelling at each other and trying to orchestrate themselves. A short, simple and laugh-filled time.

Joggernauts tasks players with a challenging runner game, but becomes a bit of a chore unless you have a friend or two to play with

Joggernauts is a stirred mess throughout, and while most of its current issues could be resolved through patches, updates, and perhaps a new platform of choice, it's current Switch version is simply not there yet.

I wish I had good things to report from my time with Joggernauts, but it was more sour than sweet. While it may hold some fun for the first few levels, the appeal quickly wears off. If you are in the mood for a unique, challenging runner with co-op play, Joggernauts may provide some fun for you. However, you might want to wait for a sale.

Despite my issues with Joggernauts, I still had fun with it. It’s a short game for $14.99, but it can keep you entertained for 2-5 hours. I managed to beat the game with 55% of everything unlocked, but sadly have little desire to spend hours trying to find those Glowtonium trophies. Still, it’s a colorful and enjoyable experience, and I thoroughly enjoyed the character of C.O.A.C.H. The domineering little robot was the cherry on top of a brightly colored sundae. That said, I don’t think Joggernauts is for everyone, and would only really recommend it to hardcore fans of the genre. For everybody else, there’s probably more frustration than satisfaction to be found here. But I still applaud this effort from Space Mace and Graffiti Games, and look forward to the next game they come up with.

Overall, this game is hilariously entertaining. Friends who joined me could not stop raving about how much they loved its cuteness and appeal, and this game had us in absolute hysterics.

While the presentation is charming and amazing, Joggernauts ultimately fails as a casual party game. With its unfair death mechanics and steep difficulty curve, it's one that will appeal to groups that want a challenge, less so for ones that want to have a fun time.

Of course, this game is best with, well, a group of friends. Otherwise, while you still may have that same motivation playing the game as an individual, it doesn't feel nearly as rewarding as a team victory. I'm lucky to be a part of groups of people that gather on weekends to play games such as this, and Joggernauts is certainly one that I intend to add to our regular rotation. I think that attempting to play through the whole game as one unit may be too much to ask due to the game's difficulty, but it may be fun in short bursts and a few levels at a time. I won't be too hyperbolic and say something outlandish like “local multiplayer is dying,” but for anyone who may think that, it's wonderful that we have games like Joggernauts to keep that spirit alive.

The game isn't for everyone but definitely has its audience. If you're looking for a fast-paced auto-running platformer to play with friends, Joggernauts is probably up your alley. Just don't go in expecting more than a fun, little title to keep yourself entertained with for just a little while.