Fall Guys has another problem: team games

Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout is Mario Party written big – a fighting experience that I have trained all my life. But for all the stupid nonsense and the nice framework, Fall Guys is a competitive experience. When the “show” ends, there will be one winner and 59 losers.

But when I go to the crown every game, I find myself in the selection of mini-games. Not because Fruit Chute bothers me, but because I do not want to hang out Fall Guys‘worst feature: team games.

Mediatonic is aware of the team game issue, and has already tried to implement a few fixes – such as reduced timers on some of the more frustrating games, such as Team Tail Tag. And while these changes are welcome, they do not solve the real problem: team games make me powerless.

What makes Fall Guys team games so different?

Image: Mediatonic / Devolver Digital

In most of Fall Guys‘mini-games, I’m just out for myself. In race minigames, like The Whirlygig, I have to make my own way through the fans, on the spinning platforms, and through the finish. Sure I can troll some people along the way, and they may try to push me around, but I’m responsible for myself. And when I lose, that responsibility falls on me.

Team games in Fall Guys take a different approach. In Rock’N’Roll, my team has to push a ball down a hill for the other team. No matter how on point I am, or how hard I push that ball, my little jellybean body can’t move it alone. I need help and temporarily force myself to rely on others so that I can get the profit in the long run. As a solo player, this is a frustrating barrier to victory.

In games like Team Tail Tag, I can only do so much to win my team. I could be the best Team Tail Tag player, and my team could still end up with just one tail, my own. When I grab a tail, I’m ready to contribute to my team – I’m at the mercy of my allies, waiting for them to reach a goal I’ve already achieved.

That’s why Hoopsie Daisy is one of the only team games where you can really carry on – I can step my little body through dozens of hoops in a match, and get in touch with my friends. If my team is bad, I can do my best to try and win – sometimes I can even make sure we qualify. But that’s the main difference: one great player can make a difference in Hoopsie Daisy, but not in Team Tail Tag.

Why the team modes in Fall Guys are more frustrating

Image: Mediatonic / Devolver Digital via polygon

If I lose in competitive games like that League of Legends of Apex Legends, I want losses I take to come from a superior opponent or a mistake I made. When I lose to a god-tier Hex-A-Gone player who ends up at the top level somehow, I’m bummed, but I feel OK – they’re better than me. But first end up in two race games to get out only by getting through stuck on the terrible yellow team ends up mostly putting in me Fall Guys down for the night.

Team games are often great when you play with your friends. If you are in a dive Fall Guys matching up with a pre-arranged group, you will stay with your friends in team games. It’s a completely different experience – one that is fun in the right circumstances. Friends can join in to protect an ally in Team Tail Tag, or work collectively to win Rock’N’Roll. But as a solo player, these team mini-games keep you competitive Fall Guys experience.

One of the best parts about playing a fighting royal game with friends is when you come in with a great game for the win. Your friends may not be very helpful in other games of the fight, but at least they do not keep you active against your own gain. Fall Guys takes the opposite approach, punishing you for the poor performance of your most random teammates.

It makes sense to add variety Fall Guys – and the team games pay for themselves in pure comic value and shadow joy in a co-op setting. But as a battle royal I love to win, Fall Guys‘Team games usually feel more frustrating than fun.