Welcome to EXPlay, (Explain & Play) the review series where we care not for scores but tell it how it is when it comes to every game we get our hands on, whilst also taking the time to include some lengthy gameplay, to give you the reader, the chance to shape your own impressions and views whilst watching and reading. In this installment, we’re covering Which Way Up: Galaxy Games by developer Turtle Flip Studio.
Which Way Up: Galaxy Games: (The Explanation)
Which Way Up: Galaxy Games is a 4-player party game that is inspired by the gravity mechanics of Super Mario Galaxy. It is developed by Australian game developer Turtle Flip Studio and consists of 12 cosmic-themed minigames that will have you hopping from planetoid to planetoid, trying to outrun a black hole, teeing off to score a hole in one, playing intergalactic football of sorts with a comet, and so much more.
The game has two main modes; Single Player and Multiplayer. There is also a practice mode for anyone who would lke to get to grips with the basics of jumping between planetoids and hitting comets which sounds simple in premise but executing it efficiently does require plenty of practice and patience. The Single Player Mode has a number of stages that are centered around some of the minigames like Nebula Nab, Hole in One, and Comet Collect. Completing these can reward the player with medals depending on how quickly they can make it through each stage. They also serve as a kind of story mode and give some background into the different characters in the game like Spark, Sprout, and Luna, as well as shed a light on their personalities. So far, there are only three available chapters but more will be added in future updates.
The Multiplayer Mode is where you will probably be spending the most time as this is where you can play the 12 different minigames with your friends. There are two sub modes, with Party Mode and Choose Game. Choose Game is for those who would prefer to play a singular game at a time without point scoring and the winner is decided after beating the round. As for Party Mode, you can opt to play a number of rounds of random minigames and the winner is whoever has the most points at the end.
All the minigames in Which Way Up: Galaxy Games offer something different from one another. Overload is a game of tag where the one player who is tagged will explode after a set time has passed unless they tag another player beforehand. Nebula Nab tasks players to collect objects called pips and deliver them to the goal. Hole in One is golf in space where you must putt the ball into the hole in a single shot. Berry Barrage has players running around, trying to avoid the exploding berries that fall from above. Puff Panic is another avoidance game where you must dodge the fire balls coming from the dragon in the center of the stage. Gastronomer makes on player a ravenous planet who must eat the other players whilst they throw bombs at it to keep him at bay. These are just a examples of the minigames you can play and they are all a lot of fun in their own way. Although some of the minigames may not quite be your cup of tea, there is something for everyone and you are bound to enjoy some of the minigames a lot more than others.
One subject that I should touch upon is that Which Way Up: Galaxy Games is very local multiplayer focused. There isn’t any online multiplayer so you cannot play with friends online and there aren’t any bots that you can use to fill up a party of four if you wanted to play the minigames on your own. It is something that I did ask the developer at Turtle Flip Studio and he is open to the idea but it does depend on fan support and whether it is viable for the game to add bots in a future update.
Which Way Up: Galaxy Games is a surprising bag of tricks that seems like its not for you on the surface, but when you start playing it, you realise that it is actually a lot of fun. The gravitational mechanics can take a little getting use to when you jump between celestial objects and the controls can feel a tad floaty at times but to be perfectly honest, it does add to its charm of the game and you are bound to have plenty of laughs playing this game with friends.
Game Specifications:
Developer: Turtle Flip Studio
Publisher: Turtle Flip Studio
Platform: Nintendo Switch (eShop)
Category: Action
No. of Players: 1-4 players (Single System)
Release Date: March 27, 2025 (EU & NA)
Price: $24.99
File Size: 761 MB
Nintendo.com Listing
