I’ve gotten really into horde shooters since Modern Warfare Zombies came out. I’ve gone back and played other Call of Duty Zombies games and have been playing other things like them, like Sker Ritual and most recently, Stuffed, from Waving Bear Studio and The Game Publisher. The makers of Stuffed not only gave BSO a copy to review, but they also gave us 50(!!!) copies to give away to BSO readers. If you like what you read in this review, hit me up on Twitter for a free copy of the game, first come-first serve. Once all 50 are gone, they’re gone.
As mentioned, Stuffed isn’t any different than most of the horde shooters you’ve played in terms of its objective. You know what you need to do, but doing it is another story. In Stuffed, your enemies are less zombie-like and more kid-like, except the Nightmares. These enemies come in waves and defeating them not only helps you replenish much-needed supplies, it also provides you with points needed to unlock more space to move around and access to more powerful weapons.
The enemies come in waves, called rounds. The higher the round, the more potent the nightmares and the more difficult it will be to stop them. During downtime, you can resupply yourself with items like bombs, ammo, and other much-needed necessities that you’ll need to make deeper runs. It is not any different from Call of Duty: World at War zombies mode except for one critical thing: this game is all ages.
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Violence is often a barrier that keeps some kids from being able to enjoy different genres of games and it’s here that Waving Bear Studio and The Game Publisher excel with Stuffed. Not only is Stuffed an extremely challenging and rewarding game, it’s also appropriate for any age. The most violent thing you’re going to see in this game is a toy duck being hit with a spitwad shot by your stuffed bear. It’s a way for parents to feel less icky about their children playing “violent” games.
It’s within this aesthetic that Stuffed finds its groove. From the bedrooms to the house to the weapons and enemies, everything about Stuffed is created to serve the environment and if you’ve read my articles on Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III, you’ll know the lack of ambiance and environment has been my biggest criticism of the newer titles. What used to be an entirely unique experience has now been homogenized to fit in with the rest of Warzone.
The weapons and powerups in Stuffed have a unique charm to them, taking inspiration from childhood toys and makeshift weapons. Whether it’s the stick, Jelly Boom Boom or the Sk8r Boi, Stuffed is filled with all the usual weapons you’re used to seeing in a game — AR, SMG, LMG, etc.. — but with a childlike twist and drawn from real world ideas. Your grenades in this game are bags of popcorn that explode. The LMG, called “Big Beefy,” fires crayons as its bullets and they’re connected via a chain, just like you’d see on any belt-fed machine gun.
When I say a ton of love and effort went into this game, I absolutely mean it. While many of the power-ups and items look similar to their Call of Duty counterparts, there is more than enough in this game to separate it from other titles. Just because the freeze ammo has the same logo as cryo-freeze does not mean that this game is trying to be like Call of Duty. On the contrary, Stuffed took a successful formula and gave it a brand new skin while keeping the heart and body intact, and it shows.
I’ve been spending more time with Stuffed than I have with Call of Duty lately because I think Stuffed genuinely has something here. While they do lack a story, they focused on delivering a complete product first. Lore is something you can add over time, but you only get one shot at a first impression and Stuffed nailed theirs. As far as my gripes with the game, they’re fairly minor and all something that can be taken care of within an update or two.
Movement can be a bit stiff at times and I feel like your early weapons could use a bit of a power boost. They’re not obscenely underpowered, I’d actually argue they’re closer to be right on the money than anything but there’s some room for improvement. I also don’t know that I would have the big nightmare entering as soon as it does, I feel like we should get more waves of enemies before dealing with something that can end your run right away.
The enemies themselves are wonderfully charming. The evil ducks are so damn cute that I often forget I am supposed to shoot them because I want to be friends with them. The gnomes are a perfect generic zombie and the flying robots are a nice change of pace, too. I really do want to congratulate the Stuffed team for delivering a memorable and unique experience to the horde shooter genre.
Once again, if you would like a free copy of this game, let Rob or myself know. We have 50 copies to give away and it’s first come, first serve. Stuffed is a fantastic way to wind down your night with a low-stake game packed with charm and challenge. It’s currently a 9-of-10 on Steam and also available on Xbox. Our codes are for Steam, but I can probably get an Xbox code if you need.
Let us know and meet me outside the bedroom door to fend off hordes of evil ducks, gnomes, and flying robots.
BSO Score: 8.5-of-10
