Easy to learn but difficult to master, duke it out alone or against friends in small arenas and become a cubic master.

Zarvot: A Game About Cubes is an isometric shooter and the first game from Snowhydra Games. It’s unclear whether Zarvot is a single player game with multiplayer tacked on, or vice versa, because it’s very good at both. As the game only starts out with four (technically three) multiplayer modes, all of which are very similar, it’s more likely it was the former. There are four more to be unlocked throughout the course of the game however. The multiplayer modes are good fun – two player games involve a much more tactical approach, whereas four players make things a lot more chaotic, but both are great and work well with all the Switch’s controller options.

Initially the controls seem simplistic – jump, turn, shoot, melee. But then the accidental holding down of a button or two reveals there is more power at your fingertips. Further experimentation reveals that as well as the standard shot, there’s a powerful but slow laser shot, a sort of area of effect shot, a spinning spiked melee attack, and the ability to place small shields. Also, for seemingly no reason at all, you can turn into a rubber duck. The controls are also more agile than they seem, and double jump and dash moves means players have plenty of evasion options.

The single player consists of an arcade mode and a story mode. The arcade mode is basically a wave based shooter, but the story mode is where this game really shines. Playing as a cube, wake up from your tutorial dream, in your house, and go off to find a banana with your cube companion to finish your friend’s birthday present. En route you come across many waves of enemies to defeat as you traverse the levels.

The story, dialogue and absurdity of it all are amusing, the realism of the world combined with the blockyness of the enemies is an interesting visual, and the combat is frantic and fun. The music is reminiscent of a JRPG providing a decent chilled-out backdrop to the chaos around you.

Zarvot is a shooter worthy of your time. Whether it’s multiplayer or single, it’s a fast fun-fueled game that will leave your hand cramped as you “pew” everywhere.

ZARVOT / DEVELOPER: SNOWHYDRA GAMES / PUBLISHER: SNOWHYDRA GAMES / PLATFORM: NINTENDO SWITCH / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW