Ultimate Chicken Horse, by Clever Endeavour Games is really not what it sounds like; actually it kind of is exactly what it sounds like, a completely unexpected and random game that you may not see as fun at first, it’s the game Mario maker should have been.

But once you see past it’s childish looking graphics (Unless it’s a bonus for you) and realize its immense potential as a competitive battle arena you run the risk of never seeing the daylight again, and instead hosting tournaments for you and your friends on the weekends to see who can make their way through endless death traps and platforming challenges your party designs on the fly.

Let me explain in a bit more detail, now I got this game out of the sheer fact it had four player co-op and looked relatively family friendly, little did I know how addictive this gem from a small team of four people could become.

The objective of the game is to be the first (And hopefully the only player) to reach the end of the map zone, here’s the interesting part, there is not actually any set designs or maps to play on, instead at the start of each round a party box is filled with a random selection of traps, blocks and other goodies for the four players to scramble over and select, you are then given the opportunity to place the traps and devices all over the map, in some ways to stop other players or help all of you reach the end zone.

With a selection of moving buzz saws, deadly crossbows, trampolines, conveyor belts, barbed wire and a list of other hazards, literally no map is ever the same.

There are multiple rounds for the arena to develop and change as you play so, one round you might all finish with ease, the maps gets modified and someone decides it would be funny to stick ice on top of a crucial block to reach the end, and another player places a buzz saw platform just below that and the next thing you know all of your cute little animals are chicken nuggets.

But gameplay is not everything; presentation plays a big part in developing any form of game (Unless it’s Minecraft) and Clever Endeavour nailed it on the head with an art style that fits the hilarious gameplay perfectly, even the main menu is fitting for the genre and each animal makes cute noises when they dance (I had to mention it somewhere I’m sorry).

At the end of the day though there has to be some downsides to any indie game, and the only one I have really found is possibly that if you’re not too good at platformer games you better start practicing with some Super Mario bros or your little big planet before you hit up the online multiplayer.

However if you have the wit to construct brilliant challenges for you and your friends and have the skills to beat them as they fall out of the map or get sliced up while you hysterically laugh like a madman or J. Jonah Jameson this game is the perfect way to ruin good friendships.

Verdict

If you’re looking for a great couch co-op or online multiplayer experience for your friends or family you don’t even need to consider whether or not you should get this title as it’s pretty well priced and well worth its value. I have my whole family addicted to it, did I also mention you unlock outfits and characters and maps as you play, it’s the whole hook line and sinker in this action packed platformer game with cute characters wearing ridiculous outfits while dodging flying acid balls and jumping over rotating blades.

9/10