Trending
King of Meat is a colourful dungeon-crawling platformer developed by Guildford-based studio Glowmade, promising dungeons riddled with puzzles and plenty of customisation options. It aims to deliver both solo and co-op fun while packing in plenty of charm and humour along the way. On the surface, it looks like a lighthearted platformer full of skeletons, trolls and slapstick traps, but dig a little deeper and you’ll find there’s more to it than meats the eye.
So, is King of Meat worth your time - and your gold - or is it just another dungeon runner lost in the crowd? Let’s find out.
Story - Surprisingly solid
At first glance, King of Meat looks like a witty platformer where you dodge traps and fight skeletons, but it also weaves in an unexpected streak of anti-corporate satire. The villain constantly throws barbed comments your way, mocking your skills while ranting about evil corporations, which are behind the TV show you're competing in. It’s silly, yes, but it adds a layer of personality you don’t often see in this genre.
The solo mode also surprised me with a mysterious murder subplot, which acted as a strong hook early on. Going from one dungeon to another as the story unravelled geninuely made me interested to see what is actually going on. It gives the world a little more bite, and was a pleasant surprise for a game that isn't selling itself as being too serious.
One of King of Meat’s strongest elements is its commitment to voice acting. Pretty much every NPC I've encountered, whether it’s a merchant or trainer, has excellent voice acting. Despite only appearing as static images, these characters feel lively and distinct thanks to strong performances.
Again, it’s a level of effort you rarely see in a dungeon platformer, and it helps make the world feel more fleshed out.
Gameplay - Traps, Monsters, and Co-op Action
King of Meat is all about tackling dungeons filled with traps, puzzles and enemies. There are around 100 dungeons in the game on launch day, and each one rates your performance with bronze, silver, or gold trophies depending on how many chests and valuables you find. Higher rankings mean more rewards to spend on new weapons, armour, power-ups and customisation items and without any exaggeration, King of Meat is fit to burst with these.
There's sooo much stuff here allowing you to create a character that feels your own. Fancy going all-out ridiculous with a giant traffic cone on your head? Go for it. Prefer something a little more stylish, like a sharp suit, oversized hat, and heart-shaped sunglasses? That’s in there, too. Or maybe you’d rather look the part of a menacing villain clad in full medieval armour - King of Meat has you covered.
And the best part is that the central colosseum acts as a hub where you can meet other players and show off your fancy gear. The way King of Meat handles unlockable items is such a strong incentive to keep playing - not just for stronger weapons, but to make your character stand out in the crowd.
Combat is simple but satisfying. You start with a stick and a battered shield, and gradually earn access to swords, hammers, maces, and ranged weapons, to name a few. What was really a pleasant surprise is that combat is never overcomplicated, quite the contrary, it stays simple but moderately challenging as you progress and unlock new power ups and Glory moves. More importantly, it's never dull - I had a blast carving through waves of enemies and unleashing my Cluster Duck bomb (yes, it does exactly what it says) special attack every once in a while.
The real fun, though, comes with online co-op. Playing with friends makes everything from puzzle solving to combat and traversal feel more dynamic and exciting - such is the nature of doing fun activities with your friends. One moment you’ll be in stitches as someone gets flattened by a swinging hammer while leaping across a chasm, the next you’ll be trading banter over who has the brains to solve the puzzle. Running dungeons with mates is anything but dull.
Dungeon Builder
Beyond the main dungeons designed by the dev team, King of Meat includes a dungeon builder mode. It’s simple to use and allows players to create their own dungeons, complete with traps, puzzles, and enemy ambushes.
Once you build your dungeon, you can share it with the world and honestly, this is a feature that could keep the game alive long after launch, even if devs didn't have any post-launch plans (they have plenty in the pipeline).
With enough community engagement, it has the potential to become a highlight of the overall package. It's well designed and allows for the creation of some incredible stuff. I have no doubt that players will go crazy with this mode.
Visuals and Performance
Visually, King of Meat goes for a colourful, stylised look. It isn’t chasing realism, but its art direction is consistent and easy on the eyes. It won't be the best-looking platformer you'll ever see, but it doesn't have to be. On PlayStation 5, the performance was nearly flawless with only an occasional hiccup or two.
Verdict
While playing King of Meat, I couldn’t shake the feeling that the team behind it must be a witty, slightly eccentric bunch - in the best possible way. The game has such a playful energy that you just imagine its creators being the kind of people you’d genuinely enjoy hanging out with.
For €29.99, King of Meat delivers a generous amount of content. From its witty story touches and full voice acting to its co-op gameplay and customisation options, it feels like a complete package at launch that is easy to recommend.
DON'T MISS:
- Marvel Cosmic Invasion Available Now With Steam Demo
- Xbox Game Pass Gets Major Overhaul with New Tiers and Price Hikes
- PS5 system software update 25.06-12.02.00 rolls out with security fixes
- Lego Voyagers Mini Review - A soothing co-op platformer
The Good
Sooo many quality dungeons- Fantastic customisation options
- Colourful and flashy art style
- Surprisingly great writing and story
- Dungeon builder mode
The Bad
Umm...too many trolls?
