In the upcoming roguelite beat ’em up, “Stick It to the Stickman,” developed by Free Lives (the creators of Anger Foot and known for their high-energy action games), a poorly placed parcel can send a suited employee plummeting from a high-rise window. This hilarious, over-the-top scenario is commonplace as players climb the corporate ladder, one brutal brawl at a time.
The chaotic fun might make players forget the sting felt when publisher Devolver Digital pushed the game’s launch to 2025 late last year. The wait is almost over as the game nears its early access release.
The core concept of “Stick It to the Stickman” is straightforward: stick figures need jobs, but shareholder profit is paramount. Players ascend a corporate tower, battling their way to the top to take on the CEO. As the trailer below shows, 50% of corporate work involves forcefully ejecting stick figures through windows, making for some cathartic chaos. Ultimately, the victor will lead the corporate conglomerate, faced with the choice to bow before the enigmatic corporate overlords or spit in their faces.
Mark your calendars: the early access launch is slated for August 18th. To experience the game’s unique brand of combat, download the newly updated Steam demo. It provides an amusing introduction to the world of corporate sabotage.
The game begins with the player sitting on a park bench, before fighting through a crowd of eager applicants in the skyscraper’s lobby. Players must provide a reference, leading to some beat downs on friends. After being hired, players ascend the tower, using ladders and elevators (that sound strangely like toilets) to get to new levels of employees needing a punch to the face or mug throwing to the head.
Free Lives has mastered the satisfying mix of physics-based ragdoll reactions and weighty impact when striking a stick figure. The cartoony physicality is excellent, reminiscent of Gang Beasts. The satirical jabs at corporate culture are also quite amusing.
Free Lives plans for the early access period to last approximately 12 months, with new features and content added monthly. “We plan on expanding the corporation to include manufacturing, marketing, a science center and a doomsday bunker, as well as corporate lobbying,” the developers stated. “Each new job within the game will have unique gameplay, and each new job will take the player one step closer to the final chapter of the story.”
Having enjoyed the demo’s executive-ejecting action, this game is one to watch.