Throw The Knife Review

Throw The Knife is the kind of lightweight trinket that still makes up most of what mobile gaming is today. It is completely centered on one addictive, yet simple and repetitive action designed to make bus rides and board meetings more interesting. However, not all games can successfully execute on a goal even that modest. Luckily, Throw The Knife does.

Sometimes, in like an action movie, somebody will throw a knife into a dartboard to show just how tough they are. Imagine a game based on that and that’s pretty much what Throw The Knife is. Players flick knives onto a spinning dartboard to spear flies while avoiding the poor, little, helpless doll strapped to the center. Killing stationary flies increases the score while killing mobile ones gives stars that can be used to buy new knives, doll costumes and backgrounds. There is another mode where players fling knives at moving targets but this more standard shooting gallery doesn’t work nearly as well with the unique control scheme. Additionally, players can pay to unlock the mysterious sounding “bloody mode.”

But back to the weird control scheme, Throw The Knife’s physics engine does an admirable job at emulating the speed and arc of a knife spinning through the air. Therefore, players must be careful when going for their targets as the knife may not land exactly where they expect it to. It takes some initial getting used to but after that players will find that they actually have an impressive amount of control over their knife placement.

It’s good that the core mechanic works as well as it does because it really is the only thing the game has going for it. The music is surprisingly pleasant and jaunty and there is a nice clarity to the cartoon visuals but in all honesty, Throw The Knife really is just about throwing knives. However, sometimes that is all a game needs to be.