MY SINGING MONSTERS PLAYGROUND Review: Family Game Nights Need More Monsters

Xbox Series X|S Review Key Provided by Big Blue Bubble

Family-targeted party games are always a guilty pleasure of mine. They offer bite-sized experiences where your only focus is on having fun with those you’re playing with. Maybe it’s just me, but I feel as though these types of games just aren’t around as much as possible aside from the Mario Party series and when they are made, they often lack real quality.

Luckily, My Singing Monsters Playground is a game that while having similarities to other games in the genre, stands on its own two feet. Its world is whimsical, its characters are endearing, and its line-up of games to play is vast in gameplay, creating a truly fun experience for every member of the family.

Gameplay

MSMP does a great job of offering players a unique blend of various types of mini-games in one experience. It’s as if you took Mario Party and Fall Guys, and glued them together. There are many mini-games that look and play as if they were ripped out of each but that’s not a complaint by any means as MSMP actually does everything in its own way to make it feel unique.

The gameplay itself handles extremely smoothly which makes its fast and kinetic games that much crazier. I was actually pretty surprised by just how great a lot of the games really were. They range in their types, such as free-for-all, teams, or 3v1. MSMP is targeted as a 4-player experience though, with AI taking over for any characters that players have left vacant.

This really is a game that any member of the family can enjoy. The gameplay is extremely easy to pick up, making it a breeze for young or new gamers alike. It even allows you to test out each challenge a bit in its instructions screen, giving players a chance to become comfortable with it before it begins. I think that where this game shines is in just how accessible it is as a party game. But I must point out that you can make the game a bit more of a challenge in the difficulty settings which is pretty great for seasoned veteran gamers.

As far as modes go, there’s the quick play option that you can choose which gives you free rein over what challenges you want to play or there’s the tournament mode that consists of 10, 15, or 20 challenges where the player who performs the best and earns the most diamonds takes the crown. If you’re a lone-wolf, there’s even a solo mode that you can play and see how far you can get before the game finally defeats you.

Not only will you unlock more challenges for quick play as you progress through tournament or solo, but you’ll also earn Relics for which you can turn in for a spin of the prize wheel. The prize wheel gives out mystery boxes that hold either decoration for the roamable hub world or costumes for the multiple characters that the game allows you to choose from.

Characters themselves aren’t unlockable but it is cool to have the chance to earn free reskins just for playing the game. The decorations for the hub world are pretty cool too but they don’t really do anything aside from looking pretty. Though, their inclusion is fun overall.

Visuals

I really love just how much detail there is within the world of these singing monsters. Though I’m not incredibly familiar with its lore or characters, it’s obvious that there is indeed some in play. The characters are charming as heck and its different lands can be really pretty to look at. Games with vibrant colors like this always make me smile and bring a lot of life into the game.

Audio

Matching the aesthetics and feel, the sound aspects also help to make this world feel full. Each character has their own sounds they make during gameplay as well as victory cheers. The music is also very lively and upbeat which goes perfectly with the party game motive.

What It Could Have Done Better

While I truly appreciate the game’s local multiplayer, I would have also liked to have seen some online play as well. I understand that it’s mostly geared towards kids but for us adults that want to play with friends or relatives across longer distances, it would've been cool to have the choice of playing with them as well.

I would’ve also liked to have seen some more modes. Perhaps a full 2v2 mode where its focus is on team play? That’s something that would totally drive some friendly team vs team competition. Aside from those constructive criticisms, the game is really fun and super polished. It would have been easy for the devs to play it safe and lazy with this one, but I’m so glad that they didn’t because it’s a great game.

Verdict

My Singing Monsters Playground is a fantastically silly and chaotic party game that takes the best from others in the genre and creates its own “best of” selection to keep players engaged. Its gameplay is easy to pick up and play no matter your comfortability with a controller but can still toss you some difficulty if you’re willing to test your might. It’s great to see so much effort and heart poured into such a lovely game.