Stikbold! A Dodgeball Adventure Review

Screenshot of tutorial level in Stikbold! A Dodgeball Adventure
Stikbold! is easy to pick up and can be played using a keyboard/mouse combo or a controller

  • Reviewed by: Mark Goninon
  • Developer: Game Swing
  • Publisher: Curve Digital
  • Release Date: 2 Apr 2016
  • Time played: 4 hours

What is it

Game Swing is a Danish, indie game development studio located in Copenhagen and was founded in 2013. The developers came together during the Nordic Game Jam where they developed a well received prototype for a dodgeball-type local multiplayer game called Stikbold!. After showcasing their progress on the game, Game Swing eventually secured funding through the Nordic Game Program and Stikbold! A Dodgeball Adventure was released on Steam on the 2nd April 2016.

Stikbold! A Dodgeball Adventure is a colourful, local multiplayer game similar to dodgeball. There are multiple game modes available including a campaign mode (that you can play cooperatively with a mate) and a four-player mode where you can play in teams or against everyone in a free-for-all.

The PC version of the game doesn't have a Metascore but it fared well on Steam where the game holds a "Very Positive" rating with 88% of the 148 user reviews being rated as positive.

Steam users praised the game for its balance, fun couch co-op campaign, intuitive gameplay, silly humour and colourful art style. However, there were some criticisms made about the lack of online play and content.


How I got it

In March 2019, the publisher Curve Digital had a Humble Bundle available that included the games Serial Cleaner, Stealth Inc 2: A Game of Clones, The Little Acre, Human: Fall Flat, Smoke and Sacrifice, Stikbold! A Dodgeball Adventure, For the King and Bomber Crew. I know for a fact I was interested in the game Bomber Crew so this game was the biggest drawcard for me, but there were a couple of other games in the bundle that piqued my interest including Stikbold! A Dodgeball Adventure because I'm always on the lookout for colourful, kid-friendly games I can play on the Steam Link with family and friends.

Screenshot of the Free for All mode on the Roundabout map in Stikbold! A Dodgeball Adventure
Watch out for that Kombi van! It could spell doom to any who gets in its way!

What I like:


Silly but hilarious campaign

The game comes with a co-op campaign mode which is chock full of silly, off-the-wall, Pythonesque humour. You play the role of two dodgeball players called Björn and Jerome who have made it to the finals of a championship. Björn falls in love at the sight of one of the opponents called Heidi and not long after she is kidnapped and taken away. Björn is determined to rescue her and this takes him and Jerome all over the place using their dodgeball skills in encounters against hippies, bikers, whale conservationists and even Satan himself!


Bright, colourful graphics

The game has colourful yet appealing, blocky, low poly art that fits the silly, light-hearted mood of the game.


Local multiplayer is a blast

Local multiplayer is where it's at and besides the co-op campaign the game allows four players to either play dodgeball free-for-alls or in teams. Also, the fun doesn't stop when you're out of the game, as eliminated players are able to affect players still in the game by throwing objects at them (such as bees, jellyfish and whales) or driving objects over them (such as hot dog carts, floor waxers or Kombi vans). The few times I've played it with friends and family it's been heaps of fun and many laughs were shared.


Works on Steam Link

The game works on Steam Link using Logitech F710 controllers.


Family Friendly

The game is an off-the-wall version of dodgeball so it's more-or-less family friendly (well, except maybe for the streakers, but they're not naked, so I'm going to call it and say it still makes the cut).


Steam Achievements and Trading Cards

There are 26 Steam Achievements you can earn and 8 trading cards to collect.

Screenshot of Bjorn from one of the cutscenes in Stikbold! A Dodgeball Adventure
Stikbold!'s campaign mode is silly and hilarious, but it's over in only a matter of hours

What I dislike:


Campaign may be a bit short

The campaign takes less than three hours to complete which might be a bit too short for some but I would argue that one advantage is that it's the perfect length to complete in one sitting (which is what my sister-in-law and I ended up doing).


Score – 9/10 (Heaps of Fun)

Stikbold receives a very high score from me since it's really difficult to find any faults with the game besides the campaign maybe being too short for some. Otherwise, the game fills its niche extremely well: it's a silly, colourful, local multiplayer dodgeball game that up to four players can have a hilariously good time with.


Is the game worth $14.50 AUD?: Yes. Although there are only a limited number of levels to play, provided you've got friends or family to join you for some local multiplayer, this game can be a whole lot of fun and it's worth it for 15 bucks. As I type this review, the game is half-price on Steam so it's a steal if you get it now.


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[ LINK: Stikbold! Official Website ]

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