What is Tape to Tape?
Tape to Tape (TtT for the rest of the review) is an indie rogue-lite hockey game where you play as a golfer turned hockey player trying to renew the love of hockey in the area. In the story mode, players will get to pick another superstar player and then be assigned three “benchwarmers” as your team for each run. Players can make their way through the story mode with up to 2 users. It also offers a multiplayer mode that allows up to 4 players to play exhibition hockey games with the teams from the story mode. TtT was released in early access on May 3rd, 2023 and is available on Nintendo Switch, PS4, Xbox One, and Microsoft Windows.
Game Review:
Tape to Tape is an indie game that meshes the frantic chaos of a hockey game with a roguelike story mode. The roguelike parts of this game include permanent upgrades made between runs and temporary choices made during each run, including who the other “superstar” on your team is. This combination works together very well, making certain choices about which upgrades more fit in with your hockey strategy. Being able to key in on upgrades that funneled me towards a specific play style was really engaging for me personally. Like in real sports, it’s about understanding your strengths and weaknesses and finding a style that highlights your strengths while minimizing your weaknesses. Unlike in real sports, in TtT the strengths and weaknesses can get absurd, in a good way. Upgrades can take several different forms. Talents are skills that an individual on your team can have to help sway the game. An example of this would be a skill where that player can throw his stick to knock down players further away from him. Artefacts are upgrades that affect your whole team. For example, one artefact could be that every player gains 20 to their overall stats when the referee gets knocked down. Finally, there are upgrades that affect characters’ base stats, which are obtained through training. You earn all of these upgrades through winning in the story mode. Some of the upgrades are even wilder -I picked a few examples that are a little more tame so as not to spoil the most fun ones.
Indie sports games always give me pause. Because being a sports guy and having played a lot of simulation sports games through the years, I know that to make sports feel really good in video games developers often need a big budget. Tape to Tape’s hockey physics feel great. The puck moves in the way you would expect it to after each contact. The hockey aspect that stood out to me was the goalies being AI-controlled. You can’t just blast a shot straight at the goalie and expect it to go in, you have to actually aim your shot to part of the net where the goalie isn’t guarding, but the goalie’s movement is done in a more realistic way so that it’s not that easy. I had many games with 30 shots and only 2-3 goals to show for it.
I also love how the AI-controlled players move into areas that are advantageous to score or defend. I can tell the developers really studied hockey because they have programmed players to play actual hockey. There were times where I didn’t get a shot right away and my teammates set up an actual hockey offense with the defensemen back near the blue line passing it, the two wingers trying to get open for a slapshot, and the center standing near the crease trying to get a deflection.
The game can be a little stiff and animations aren’t at the level of a company like EA, but there was genuine depth to the sports gameplay. I think that without powerups, this would be an enjoyable hockey game. Of course, the power-ups are really what separate this game from other sports titles.
If hearing all this sports talk is not speaking to you, don’t worry. TtT doesn’t go full simulation. Not once did the referees call any of the hockey rules that you would see if you turned on an NHL game. There was no offside, icing, or penalties. The only thing the refs would call would be faceoffs if the puck went out of bounds or in the goalies glove.
While the gameplay is fun, the story is not anything deep or impactful. You play as a former golfer who comes to this land of hockey that is dying and you go on a quest to reignite the flames of passion for hockey in this land. It’s not that interesting or engaging but it gives a basic framework for why TtT is a roguelike game. I mostly just ignored the same stunted dialogue after I saw it the first time and focused more on the upgrade decisions and gameplay. The story does matter in that it helps shape the personalities of the other teams. My favorite example is there is a team of referees that you have to play against. They all wear the referee uniform so it’s sometimes hard to tell who’s who. And the actual referee is clearly trying to help that team out, throwing all faceoffs to them and sometimes actually throwing the puck at your net. It’s a hilariously funny match and the story is used to make it seem like it would actually happen.
Tape to Tape also offers a practice mode and a play now mode. Play now lets you play a hockey game with adjustable rules with any of the teams you unlock during the story mode. The further you go in the story mode, the better and more unique teams you unlock. Like I said, the sports gameplay is a lot of fun and you can play with up to 4 players using Steam remote play or locally. This is a great way to play with family or friends, because while I love single player games, there’s something unique about playing with loved ones. TtT also offers 2 players in the story mode as well, meaning you can collaborate on decisions together, which can be a great way to work on teamwork and communication.
Family Friendliness:
Tape to Tape is a very family friendly game. It’s hockey with goofy powerups and characters. There is some cartoon violence like body checks and throwing a hockey stick at opponents but I think kids can generally tell the difference. And to be clear, it isn’t realistic looking. But if that is something that concerns you, maybe take a quick playthrough yourself before playing with the kids.
Features for Parents:
Tape to Tape doesn’t offer many accessibility options in the settings. But it is a roguelike that lets you pick up and put down really easily with a save system that lets you quit after each event. TtT has multiplayer through Steam Remote Play or local multiplayer so it’s great for parents wanting to play with their kids.
Final Verdict:
Tape to Tape is a surprisingly great hockey game that features some goofy power ups that add a layer of unpredictability to each match. It has a well designed roguelike campaign mode. And while its story is surface level at best, deep gameplay mechanics and comedic characters keep me wanting to get back on the ice.