PAX Aus 2023 Highlight – Punchimals

Another highlight from PAX Aus 2023 is a 2.5D fighting game called Punchimals by local developers Two Lives Left. In this title, cute little animals battle it out in giant Mechs. According to the game’s backstory, a lack of exercise has led to obesity and mech combat ravaging the globe!

One thing that makes Punchimals a unique title is its control scheme. I caught up with Harry from Two Lives Left at the booth and they were explaining that their focus was on accessibility. They wanted to make the game as intuitive as possible so that anyone, young or old, could pick it up and get stuck in.

They have achieved this by mapping the punching buttons to the left and right sticks, using a combination of direction and shoulder buttons for different moves. Holding the sticks toward you blocks incoming attacks. There are special moves as well if you want to get more strategic.

I managed to have a few rounds with a fellow PAX attendee, and even though I got a few cheap shots in while Harry was explaining the game to them, I still received a beatdown in the end. I can vouch for the fact though, that this is a fun title and worth a try!

Punchimals will be coming out on PC via Steam. There is no firm release date for the final game at this point, though you can still get stuck into the free demo!