Killer Queen Black Review (Nintendo Switch)

Time and time again new multiplayer games appear on the Nintendo Switch looking to be the next best thing. There have been countless games that attempt to capture an audience that falls flat trying. Killer Queen Black, however, is far from the case. This is one of the best multiplayer experiences that the system has to offer and is sure to be an instant hit. No other indie game has really been able to stand out as well as this title does. What Liquid Bit has created is something truly special.

Unique Arcade Action

Killer Queen Black is a fantastic multiplayer title that is sure to keep any who play it entertained for hours on end. It’s a simple premise that can be understood in just a few matches or through its detailed tutorial. There are three types of ways for a victory; Military, Economic, and Snail. A Military Victory requires the team’s “Queen” to be eliminated three times. The Economic Victory tasks players with filling up their beehive with pellets picked up by workers. These workers are also able to ride a snail to their respective goal lines to achieve a Snail Victory. All of them can be easily countered with a Queen killing the other Queen and her workers, while a Warrior can also eliminate these groups. Whichever side wins three times, is the champion of the game.

Each of these creates a unique strategy that players must try to achieve. With a team of four though, it’s entirely possible that everybody is rushing into a different strategy that splits the team-up. When this happens, it’s key to have a communication system in place to direct everyone where to go. Luckily, the Switch supports headsets and microphones to utilize this feature for in-game chatting. Strategies vary but can be quite hectic when looking all over the screen. It’s not hectic enough to feel like you don’t know what’s going on rather it’s hectic in a way that feels energetic and fun. Distracting a Queen while your worker secretly rides a snail across the goal line can be incredibly satisfying and will make you come back for more. Adding to the mix are loads of different map types and layouts so there is never always a clear path to victory after every round.

Online Experience

This game is primarily meant for multiplayer matches. If you’re looking for any sort of single-player modes then you may want to look elsewhere. A Custom Match feature is available which can have the player use bots to make offline matches but it’s nowhere near as fun as playing online. Being in a match with actual players feels more genuine and has the potential to create meaningful strategies. The bots aren’t able to adapt quickly and are kind of just doing their own thing. With this being said, it’s not as if you are forced to play with friends. Queuing up with online players still creates a sense of chaos and variability that friends can accomplish. So don’t be worried if you have nobody to play with because there’s a strong community attached to this game.

Joining matches doesn’t take too long. It took roughly 30 seconds to a minute at times to find and accept a match. Just make sure you log in to your Nintendo Switch Online account before playing since this is crucial to playing. Matches do depend on how well your internet connection is. However, they run fairly well and rarely is there any lag. When attempting to join, if there aren’t enough players the game a bot is added to fill up lobbies. Because of this, wait times are reduced and matches are able to start much quicker. A Ranked Mode is also available for those wanting to test their skills and climb up the leaderboards. This can be fun but feels much more cut-throat which sometimes makes the game feel a bit too intense. Although there aren’t a lot of different modes besides these two, they can provide enough content to last you a while.

Playing with Friends

Since the Switch is set up to support local multiplayer fairly well, this begs the question, “Am I able to play with friends?” The short answer is yes, you’re able to play with four friends locally. This means users can create their own custom matches and battle each other or take their skills online. However, it isn’t possible to play with eight players locally. To do this, two Switch consoles have to be used for a full 8-v-8 matchup. It’s not the end of the world that this doesn’t exist yet it feels a bit cumbersome to have to own two copies and two Switches to feel similar to the arcade version. The ability to play with four does feel like enough at times since you can take on people online together. If this game did support a full eight-player experience with one copy, it would help make this the perfect choice for large gatherings.

With that being said, the local multiplayer feels as great as the online portion does. Everyone shares the same screen, similar to Super Smash Bros, which makes it easier for all to see. Creating different Custom Matches to play with settings and use all the maps is fun and adds a new layer of ways to play. Yet, the best way to play with friends is just queuing up online. There is an option to invite friends who also own the game to play with you though. This helps to relieve the struggle of having others picking up a Joy-Con to join in on the fun.

Liquid Bit has created one of the best multiplayer experiences to be had on the Nintendo Switch. With incredibly fun and varied gameplay, the amount of hours that can be sunk into this title is endless. Although its lack of support for eight players locally hinders its ability to truly be a great party game, the online play more than makes up for it. The concept of this title is incredibly unique and easy to get the hang of quickly. Matches never take too long and always feel energetic. It also helps that the soundtrack is upbeat and filled with a vibrant electric guitar. This is a title worthy of praise and feels fantastic to play on this system.

Thank you to Liquid Bit for providing us with a review code!