Hey, do you want going shoulder-to-shoulder with a pal to battle in same-screen native multiplayer video games? Comply with-up query: do you get pleasure from deceiving your pal whereas attempting to uncover their very own deceit? Final query: do you need to throw knives at your pal’s face? In that case, try Neon Knives, a enjoyable free same-screen sport for 2 gamers the place you have to each attempt to mix right into a crowd of NPCs whereas figuring out and assassinating your mate.
You may play Neon Knives at no cost in your browser on Itch.io, the place you may as well obtain standalone Home windows and Mac variations. First launched in 2022, it is made by Cookie Crayon, a two-person workforce hailing from New Zealand. Sure, it’s 2024 now, however the sport is simply coming to my consideration now and homicide continues to be enjoyable, so get to it, you snazzy little murderer you.
There you’re, you and your pal, spawning in random spots as random characters in single-screen ranges with an enormous crowd of NPCs. You every have one of many identical three random skins because the NPCs so step one is determining who you’re. The NPCs randomly mill about, stopping and beginning, so possibly make a number of cautious strikes and watch who strikes at the moment—or watch who strikes as your pal touches their facet of the keyboard. So begins the cautious stealthy battle of attempting to determine your opponent and get shut sufficient to lobbing a throwing knife into their face earlier than they get you. Although if you happen to fluff it and nail an NPC, the rainbow knife path and corpse will assist them monitor you down. Until you do it on objective to lure them in? Oh, what treachery!
Completely different ranges introduce new alternatives for stealth and trickery. Some have sight-blocking obstacles like timber or an enormous sword, supplying you with slightly respiratory room to determine your self, hurl knives unseen, or maybe attempt to assume the place of a passing NPC who seems to be such as you. Or maybe the duvet is a huge snail that’ll crawl about because it pleases. Maybe the motion of birds or tumbleweed will distract your eye. One stage takes place on a tiny island with solely a handful of characters, which may very well be further tense or flip bloody quick.
It is a primary thought you would possibly know from video games like Hidden In Plain Sight, Contact Cowboy, Thief City, Simply Act Pure, Unspottable, and varied Murderer’s Creed video games, however it’s a enjoyable thought and I am glad to see it realised so colourfully—and with the best weapon.
