Mugsters

Mugsters, developed by Reinkout Games and published by Team17 Digital Ltd, is a quirky, physics-driven action puzzle game that thrives on chaos and experimentation. Set in a colorful, low-poly world overrun by alien invaders, the game puts players in control of a lone human survivor—or two if played cooperatively—tasked with freeing captive humans, collecting energy crystals, completing objectives, and ultimately escaping each island. The story is deliberately minimal, serving as a loose backdrop for the game’s focus on sandbox-style problem-solving. There are no dialogue sequences or complex cutscenes; instead, the game invites players to craft their own moments of creativity and mayhem through interaction with its dynamic environments. Each level becomes a playground where explosions, collisions, and cause-and-effect puzzles define the experience.
The art direction is immediately striking in its simplicity. Mugsters embraces a low-poly aesthetic that gives it a distinctive, toy-like charm. The islands are compact, vibrantly colored, and easily readable despite their minimalist detail. Every structure, vehicle, and explosive barrel pops against the bright backdrops, creating a visual clarity that supports the game’s fast-paced experimentation. The camera maintains a fixed, isometric angle that showcases the full breadth of each environment but sometimes limits visibility, especially during more complex setups or when multiple objectives are in play. Despite this limitation, the visual design is cohesive and functional, evoking the spirit of classic arcade-style games while maintaining a modern indie sensibility. The presentation, paired with punchy explosions and exaggerated physics, makes Mugsters immediately accessible and visually satisfying, even if it lacks the fine polish of higher-budget titles.
At its core, Mugsters is about freedom and improvisation. Each island presents a handful of objectives—usually rescuing captives, collecting crystals, or triggering certain machines—but how you accomplish them is left almost entirely to the player. Vehicles, explosives, traps, and environmental hazards are scattered across each level, offering countless combinations for solving problems or wreaking havoc. You might crash a truck into a barricade, hurl an explosive barrel at a group of enemies, or use physics to fling objects into the air. The sandbox nature of the design allows for an endless variety of outcomes, with success often emerging from creative accidents rather than meticulous planning. The game rarely punishes failure harshly; instead, it encourages experimentation through its short levels and generous checkpoints. This unpredictability gives Mugsters a sense of kinetic energy that few puzzle games capture—it’s as much about laughing at unintended explosions as it is about solving puzzles efficiently.
The game’s physics engine plays a crucial role in both its charm and its frustration. The exaggerated physics lend weight and momentum to objects, making explosions and collisions satisfying to watch. Vehicles, which range from trucks and jeeps to aircraft and boats, add another layer of variety to how players approach challenges. However, the same physics that make the game entertaining can also lead to inconsistent control. Vehicles often feel slippery, with turning and acceleration that vary wildly depending on terrain. Airborne controls, in particular, can feel unpredictable, sometimes resulting in crashes that have little to do with player skill. Similarly, the rescued humans who follow you through levels have a tendency to behave erratically, getting stuck in geometry or wandering into hazards. These moments of unpredictability fit the game’s chaotic tone but can occasionally undercut the sense of accomplishment when progress is derailed by an AI quirk or an unintended physics glitch.
Structurally, Mugsters offers a series of small, self-contained islands that gradually increase in complexity. Each island has four main objectives, but players only need to complete a subset to progress, giving some flexibility in how they advance. Optional objectives and collectibles add replay value, encouraging players to return to levels to perfect their runs or unlock new vehicles. As the difficulty ramps up, levels introduce new environmental mechanics—such as timed traps, alien patrols, or more intricate machinery—that require sharper timing and spatial awareness. The pacing is brisk, with each mission lasting only a few minutes, which suits the game’s emphasis on bite-sized chaos. However, the repetition of core objectives can set in over time, as the tasks don’t evolve significantly beyond their basic forms. The sandbox experimentation remains entertaining, but after extended play, the lack of new mechanics or surprises makes later stages feel familiar.
Cooperative play is one of Mugsters’ standout features. The game supports local two-player co-op, allowing both players to tackle the same objectives together. Co-op transforms the experience from a solitary sandbox into a lively arena of shared chaos. Communication and coordination are essential but often give way to improvisation and laughter as explosions spiral out of control or plans go awry. The co-op mode doesn’t introduce unique objectives or gameplay systems—it’s essentially the same content adapted for two players—but the shared experience amplifies the fun. However, the fixed camera and identical character models can make it difficult to keep track of who’s who, especially during hectic sequences. Despite this minor drawback, playing with a friend greatly enhances the game’s replayability, making it one of the more enjoyable local multiplayer experiences among indie puzzle titles.
Mugsters’ sound design contributes effectively to its atmosphere, though it is understated. Explosions, collisions, and environmental noises carry satisfying punch, but the soundtrack is sparse and minimal. This design choice leaves much of the experience carried by the physicality of sound effects rather than music, which fits the game’s sandbox tone but can feel oddly empty during quieter moments. A more dynamic or reactive score might have elevated the sense of momentum during missions. Still, the clean sound design ensures that the player’s actions—crashing vehicles, detonating barrels, and rescuing captives—remain at the center of the sensory experience.
Reception to Mugsters has been mixed to positive, with most players and critics praising its creativity, physics-driven experimentation, and cooperative fun, while acknowledging its flaws in control precision, camera limitations, and repetition. It succeeds most when approached as a lighthearted sandbox rather than a tightly structured puzzle game. The freedom it offers allows players to invent their own solutions, resulting in spontaneous, memorable moments that few games can replicate. Yet the same freedom can make the experience feel unfocused, and the lack of narrative progression or new mechanics means the novelty doesn’t last indefinitely. As a short-session game, however, Mugsters excels—its compact missions and chaotic physics make it easy to jump in, blow things up, and laugh at the results.
Ultimately, Mugsters stands as an inventive and entertaining experiment that embraces creativity over precision. Its blend of physics, puzzles, and vehicular destruction offers a refreshing twist on the action-puzzle genre, even if the execution occasionally falters. It’s a game that rewards curiosity and improvisation, where accidents often lead to success and failure is part of the fun. While its simplicity and lack of long-term depth may limit its appeal for players seeking sustained challenge or narrative engagement, Mugsters delivers pure, kinetic enjoyment in short bursts. For those who appreciate experimentation, slapstick chaos, and shared laughter in local co-op, it remains a charming and memorable indie gem from Team17’s diverse catalog.

It's a cool game with lots of fun little physics interactions and puzzles. If you are in the mood for an Indie game with a couple cool concept and lots of big explosions then i recommend It, should give most gamers a few short hours of entertainment. 6/10

It was fun. Loads of laughs but eventually became too difficult so we gave up. For a $1, you can't vote down.

Fun Coop with a friend.