Ultimate Chicken Horse – Nindie Spotlight – Party Platforming at its Best
Ultimate Chicken Horse dropped on the Nintendo Switch back in 2018, and due to the unbelievable amount of indie game releases on the hybrid platform, it is easy to forget about this wonderful gem and how perfect of a party game it actually is. Ultimate Chicken Horse takes the party game idea and applies customized levels in a chaotic way and gives proper 2D platforming a party shtick, and you know what? It works!
My name is Jason, and this is your Nindie Spotlight for today: Ultimate Chicken Horse!
Ultimate Chicken Horse
Ultimate Chicken Horse is a party platformer where you and your friends build the level as you play, placing deadly traps before trying to reach the end of the level. If you can make it but your friends can’t, you score points! Play online or locally with your animal buddies and experiment with a wide variety of platforms to find new ways to mess with your friends.
This is truly one of the most entertaining party games on the Nintendo Switch, and it is thanks largely to the fact that this is not a standard party game where chance plays a key role. No, no. Ultimate Chicken Horse is a party game for gamers who love trolling their friends and themselves as the whole group builds a nightmare-ish level that is seemingly (If not completely) impossible.
There are numerous stages to choose from, and thanks to free updates, the game has gotten even bigger since initially launching in 2018. You can customize your animal avatar, dance as you taunt your opponents, and you can even create new rules to do things like editing gravity, zombie mode, and more. These customization options allow for a variety of experiences and for a silly, good time.
Simple in Theory, Difficult in Execution
Where Ultimate Chicken Horse shines most is in its actual gameplay. This is a party platformer for up to 4 players locally or online, and the goal is to reach the flag without dying. Since the game is played in rounds, and players receive random items to add to the stage, each passing round should increase in difficulty, making the reaching of the goal even more challenging. This is what separates the good players from the great players.
The reason why this is difficult in execution is because you want to create a stage that is near-impossible but still doable. The reason for this is that if everyone reaches the goal, no one gets any points, so you want to be the only one to reach the goal or at least one of a couple to guarantee good points. However, if you make the stage too hard, the problem of no one getting any points continues from the opposite direction. That means that there is a sweet spot in regards to gameplay, stage building, and execution.
This is why each round of Ultimate Chicken Horse feels unique, but at the same time, the challenge is never lowered because of experience. This is a game that continues to thrust challenges at you while also making you think outside the box as you try to find new ways to reach the goal and avoid death at all costs.
Death at Every Corner
One of the things that is so entertaining about Ultimate Chicken Horse is the massive amount of ways to die. It’s as if Clever Endeavor Games wanted to find every way possible to kill a character in a 2D plane and mostly accomplished it, because it doesn’t matter if it is saw blades, punching flowers, arrows flying across the screen, or black holes, danger is lurking. But it is not simply the most obvious things, as death can surprise you in the form of traps or even being squished under a moving platform.
This is what makes the building process in Ultimate Chicken Horse so amusing, because there are certain items that are more attractive than others, and players race to those items before they are claimed by their opponents. This means that the value of the death-bringing item depends on the current landscape, and how you place the item and where can make for even more damning and challenging scenarios. Learning how to place traps and items just right so that your opponents think there is no way around it while you know you can is what separates the winners from the losers.
Another fun item that completely changes the game are the bombs, and these can blow up certain items placed on the stage. But you have to be careful, because blowing up some things can make the stage too easy again and no one gets points. Strategic bombing is just as important as item placement, and again, taking advantage of this is key to reaching the goal alone and receiving those big points!
Ultimate Chicken Horse is one of the most entertaining party games on Switch for the sole reason that it is not a silly chance-based party game where anyone can win without deserving it. This is one of those titles that rewards good gameplay, and it is one that expects the use of a lot of strategy to ultimately win.
It may not be everyone’s cup of tea, as some people out there do not like platformers or fun, but if you think you have what it takes to be a champion of the 2D party platformer, then maybe you can truly be the Ultimate Chicken Horse.
There is your Nindie Spotlight on Ultimate Chicken Horse. Check back again next time for a look into another great Nindie title. What are some of your favorite indie games? Let us know in the comments below! Thank you for visiting Nintendo Link. Happy gaming, everyone.
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