Splatterbot just hit Steam today—and it’s basically Splatoon smashed into a top-down party brawler.

You’re a rogue Roomba-looking robot armed with paint sprayers, running around little arenas trying to drown the floor in your color before the timer runs out.

Single player exists, sure—but it’s a sad, hollow experience. This game lives and dies by local multiplayer. Free-for-all is pure mayhem, while team co-op makes it feel more like turf war strategy. Up to four people can cram onto the same screen, or you can attempt Remote Play Together if you want to simulate online.

Now, here’s my beef: you need a gamepad. Full stop. The dev locked out keyboard and mouse completely. It’s baffling—why limit accessibility when it would only expand the player base? At least it supports both Xbox and PlayStation controllers, so you’re not stuck with one ecosystem.

Technically, it’s solid. Built in Unity, runs natively on Windows and Linux—no Proton workarounds needed. Steam Deck compatibility isn’t “Verified” yet, but it’s listed as supported on SteamOS. Mac users are, as usual, left out.

The whole thing comes from Hey! Kookaburra, a one-person studio out of Newcastle, Australia. For a solo dev project, it’s surprisingly polished. You get traps, conveyor belts, and random power-ups (speed boost, supersize).

Best part? It’s cheap. Intro price is C$11.69, with a free demo if you’re on the fence.

Splatterbot isn’t deep, but it’s a couch-chaos game—and if you’ve got friends, it’s a blast. If you don’t? Well, maybe wait for a party invite before buying.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2436660/Splatterbot/

@videogames@piefed.social