This game had my eye as it looked to me to be inspired by Overcooked, try to perform a task within the allotted time and constant pressure. The main difference is that this one was for home improvement, not cooking food! So does it live up to Overcooked’s lofty heights…
Tools up is developed by The Knights of Unity, who have games under their belt such as Gwent: The Witcher card game and Disco Elysium, which is a pretty proven track record. Unfortunately, in my opinion, Tools Up doesn’t live up to the standard of their other games… But it isn’t necessarily an awful game, just very simple fun. Which makes it quite hard to review as there’s really not a lot to say.
You start simply enough, you’re tasked with decorating a house (painting the walls) and quickly learn that you can drop the paint and slip on it… The thing is the game doesn’t really teach you what to press or hold – and i’m unsure if this is supposed to be part of it’s ‘charm’. It took me a while to figure out what to press or hold to actually use my tools before the game starts to get wacky. Anyway, we figured this out, painted the walls and completed the level. The next level comes along where the added ‘craziness’ is laying a carpet, and you now need to clear your mess up, so a little more management required. A delivery man comes to the front of the house to give you the item but will leave if you don’t get to him quick enough. The game progresses to add putting in furniture, levels with snow and ice (slowing you down or making you slide around), ghosts who steal your stuff, houses that act more like mazes etc. etc. The idea is to slow you down from doing your task of decorating the house and work as a team to overcome the obstacles and get it done and that’s kind of it.
The idea is there and it is fun, to a point, but the game really doesn’t excel itself. There’s a certain lack of insanity here for me and I really just felt like i was decorating rooms at a slightly fast pace. The game does get a bit wackier and more challenging as you progress through the levels but never to the point that other games in a similar vein do, I wanted more party/insanity and to be honest… Fun. I found myself trying to enjoy it and perhaps I would with more than 2 people much later in the game, but I felt like it just needed an earlier hook, something more catchy to draw you in early doors but this isn’t a game i’d rush to with friends.
The thing is that’s all I really have to say. It’s a cute and simple game that’s not doing anyone any harm but probably isn’t going to scratch that coop party game itch that hard, but hey it’s £16 and has a tonne of levels on offer and will probably be fun after a few drinks.
In summary, Tools Up is a simple indie party game with slight zaniness but doesn’t excel other games in the genre. I give Tools Up:
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