Killer Queen Black

Killer Queen Black, by Liquid Bit, LLC, is listed as “an intense multiplayer action/strategy platformer for up to eight players.” For me, it is also a throwback to what got me into Post-Atari console gaming. Sitting on my living room floor playing Pac-Man, Pitfall and Adventure was all well and good, but it really hit a new level once I was able to bring the then-current arcade hits back home with me. Games like Double Dragon and then Street Fighter were constant quarter pulls. Having fri...

Very few online indie games provide wholly exciting gameplay and I can easily say that Killer Queen Black is one of the best.

The last feature I’d like to mention is a well-thought-out system of alerts players can use to notify their teammates about what’s going on in the game. Since very few Switch players use voice chat, this is a godsend, and one of the best ways to make sure the entire team is aware of something you noticed about the playfield. Any player can highlight a pertinent section of the screen with a red box at any time, signaling their Queen that the opposing team is nearing victory or just calling attention to one of their own win conditions. I’m not sure if the other team can see these pings since I w...

Another one down, and another one down, another one bites the dust.

It would be easy to say that you should just wait until later to pick up Killer Queen Black once more content has poured in, but no, you should check it out as soon as you can. The action is still quick and intense while requiring a healthy dose of strategy, it's visually stunning and it's another stellar example of "easy to learn, hard to master." Top it all off with the insane amount of fun that can be had while playing with friends and Killer Queen Black a no-brainer. Much like the NBA Jams and Mortal Kombat IIs of the '90s, what we have here is an impressive home version of an arcade hit t...

Killer Queen Black sounds like absolute chaos on paper. Together, two groups of queen killer bee and their workers must battle it out, winning via either their military or economic skills… or by riding a snail?

It’s fair to say, there’s a lot going on under the hood in Killer Queen Black. The potential here is – just like with Rocket League when it came to Playstation Plus, for Killer Queen Black to be a breakout title on Xbox, and thanks to the population that can immediately access the game via Game Pass, it’s clearly a bet the developers hope will propel the game to new heights.

When you spend most of your time covering new releases, you don’t often get to look at pure arcade experiences. Sure, there are games with arcade elements and enhanced ports, but a top to bottom quarter-muncher is a rare beast indeed. That’s what makes KILLER QUEEN BLACK so interesting. A home version of a 2013 indie cabinet, Killer Queen is a strategic multiplayer experience all about distraction, efficiency, and execution. Rounds can slip through your fingers incredibly fast, and teamwork is the key to victory. Removed from the co-op friendly setting of an arcade cabinet, Killer Queen Black ...

That’s what Killer Queen Black masters. The feeling of competition and teamwork with people directly around you. It’s unbeatable. It’s rare a competitive game can give you the exhilaration of beating your friends without the bitterness of losing to them. It’s competition at its friendliest and most fun. The only real negative is having to decide to commit to online or local play, but regardless Killer Queen Black provides a simple but addictive gameplay loop that will have you coming ...

While Killer Queen Black is fun in short burst sessions, you won't have too much incentive to come back without cosmetics and a barebones ranking system. Communication with players online can be difficult, but you can maximize your enjoyment of Killer Queen Black with a group of friends.

In the end, I found there is certainly fun to be had with Killer Queen Black. It provides a frantic coop experience that provides lots of potential for unique situations within the confines of its maps.