Popping out at Christmas 2023, Elves of Duty is a festive 1-4 player brawler that has a couple of nice ideas. It is an extremely simple and streamlined affair which works well for families with players who don’t usually game. That said, its streamlined approach will also mean you’ll tire of it quickly if you play for extended periods of time.
Competent bots fill out any characters not playing so there will always be four elves on screen for either free-for-all or 2v2 battles across two game modes. The festive and best game mode is Delivery. Here you’ll be moving across one of seven themed maps to pick up presents and deliver them to your stocking on the other side of the map. Each map will have its own unique hazard like rickety bridges, exploding minecarts or fans that’ll blow you off screen. Alongside that you can collect powerups that can act as weapons to stun other players which makes them drop their pressie. Steal their goods, drop them in the stocking and you’ll get a point in the bag. Each round runs a couple of minutes and the most points wins.
The second mode is a basic brawler mode which removes the need for delivering anything and is a powerup and kill fest. The best thing about this mode is that the seven maps are all reconfigured with new traps and elements to them which are often triggerable by players and can result in powerful multikills. I personally preferred the delivery mode as there was more going on but if you are looking for a simple brawler, Elves of Duty has you covered.
Controls are quite tight and responsive. Collision detection works well too. Graphically the festive theme is a bit hit and miss when you are temples, mineshafts and industrial sewers but it still looks clean, crisp and well put together. There is absolutely nothing wrong with Elves of Duty at all. My main complaint is that its very narrow in scope. For £10 other brawlers bring a lot more modes, powerups or variations to the mix. There is hardly any strategy required here and things never progress beyond mildly amusing because the gameplay is quite narrow. Again, this can be handy when a game is aimed squarely at the family festive market and you’ve got family that don’t game. Its easy to pick up and understand. The flipside is that after 10-15 minutes, you’ll have seen most of what it offers and had your fill and move on. It is a game that works best in short, sharp doses of fun before it gets stale fast. Other games in the same price bracket have more staying power.
Fun in short bursts and providing a bit of festive fighting, Elves of Duty is light-hearted and simplistic gaming that will ease non-gamers in. Just be aware that you’ll want to graduate beyond and upwards from it once you’ve got your family warmed up for something a bit meatier.
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