Sticky Soccer Review

Sticky Soccer, which cannot seem to decide if it wants to be titled ‘Sticky Soccer’ or ‘Stickyballs Soccer’, is a simple game. Players will knock around colored soccer balls in an attempt to form groups of like-colored balls, which are then eliminated from the tiny fields. Points are scored based on how skillfully one manages to create these groups, and a round is over when all the balls have been eliminated. As a little physics game, it could have been a completely fun diversion. However, there are some odd design choices that stop it from being enjoyable.

The visuals are bright and cheerful, with different colored soccer balls and a bright sky background. However the audio leaves much to be desired – there is no background music at all, which only serves to emphasize the unfortunate slurping sound effects that occur every time a ball touches another ball of similar color. And while the graphics are perfectly serviceable, the soccer field - floating on an island in the middle of a virtually empty sky - is the perfect visual metaphor for the substance-less nature of the game.

Simply put, there is too much sticky. As soon as 2 or more balls of the same color touch, they coagulate into a lethargic mass of boredom. While the game theoretically rewards you for clever shots, adding a score multiplier every time you bank a ball off the side of the field, the fact is that as soon as 2 balls are stuck together, they move with all the alacrity of a tranquilized elephant. So what could have been a neat game about lining up trick ricochets instead becomes a ‘wad of uncooked dough’ simulator, which isn't half as fun as it sounds. And the soccer theme is entirely stuck on (hah), with no meaningful contribution to the game whatsoever.

Sticky Soccer is not a particularly good game. There are too many other billiards-esque physics games that don't get bogged down in clumsy, unfriendly physics for this one to gain my recommendation.