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Geek Review: YamaYama

Back in the day a certain party game named Mario Party ruled the roost. For those that were fortunate enough to own a Nintendo 64, Mario Party was the source of many broken controllers and friendships. In present day, a new contender to the crown has arrived and its name is YamaYama.

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Like many indie games, YamaYama possesses a unique art style and one that might split opinions into two very distinct camps. Opting to go with an art style more commonly seen on modern american tv channel, Adult Swim, the aesthetically experimental style would instantly hit you in the face. Whether or not the art style is to your liking really depends if you’ve been fed a steady diet of Adventure Time or Rick and Morty. Otherwise, underneath it all is a game that is a treasure box of fun waiting to be discovered.

The Rules

With only two buttons needed for the entire game, one for a ‘Fat Suit’ used to bump opponents into hazards or to defend yourself, and another being a speed boost to mainly get out of harm’s way or traverse the map quickly, YamaYama is easy on the controls, tricky on real functionality.

Similar to how Mario Party went about, players would play YamaYama over a series of round with a new game mechanic at every turn. With a small briefing before the start of every game, players get a chance to vote if they’d like to proceed or select another game. This is great as it allows players, especially those that are new to party games, to take some time to take it all in and decide to move on if otherwise. With the rules laid out right from the start, this saves the host plenty of breathing room when entertaining his guests.

Why this game should be part of your Steam Box library

Having played many hours of YamaYama with friends the amount of levels in rotation were substantial enough for us to keep things fresh. Although the game uses the Fatsuit and Speed boost mechanic exclusively, the ways that the mechanics are implemented to each level gives it a fresh take for every round. Mini games flip between free for alls and 3v1s for the most part, as we were new to the game, every game as a new experience. Thankfully, if YamaYama’s levels wear out their stay, players can choose to skip the less interesting levels. My group seemed to lean towards games where we were free-for-all trying to avoid hazards or being a solo bomber trying to take everyone out. Depending on the group, due to the varied nature of the game, your mileage might vary.

If you’ve grown up with a steady diet of Mario Party, this is the title for you. Even if you haven’t, here’s a chance to find out what the fuss was all about and the format of YamaYama is certainly perfect for the attention flippant generation we live in. Each round is short and timed just right so a runaway leader does not drag out games which only creates for angst for the losers.

Entering this series as the lowest priced multiplayer game, YamaYama probably has the best value when compared to depth of content relative to its price. Parties can sink in many hours into this title and still find the game as exciting as the first time they picked it up. When it comes to longevity, this game is king.

Support the indie developers, Lumenox ehf, and pick up the game on Steam!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rB9p9QHpw1s

YamaYama is part of the Steam Box series that we’re developing on Geek Culture. We try to check out the best games, tips and tricks to bring Steam Box gaming to the next level. Let’s bring back local multiplayer for endless fun in the living room!

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GEEK REVIEW SCORE

Summary

Quick, accessible and fun, YamaYama will find its place in any Steam Box library.

Overall
8.1/10
8.1/10
  • Gameplay - 7.5/10
    7.5/10
  • Presentation - 7/10
    7/10
  • Value - 10/10
    10/10
  • Multiplayer Satisfaction - 8/10
    8/10
User Review
0 (0 votes)