Cute Things Dying Violently (XBLIG): "A Serious Puzzle Game With A Lot Of Humor"

ApathyWorks is the developer behind this morbidly hilarious XBLIG title. I could not stop laughing as the little blue dudes used 4 letter words just before meeting their untimely demise. Does that make me a bad person??? At one point I could have even sworn I heard a girl's voice come from one of the little dudes that said something naughty. Handling the little blue guys will definitely get you called a pervert & such in this game. Cute Things Dying Violently will have you laughing for sure before it's all said, and done. If your more of the serious type though you can tone down the vulgarities, and focus on the puzzles that really make this game unique. The game features both singleplayer, and multiplayer modes for a good variety of gameplay. A level editor is also available for those diabolical geniuses who can't wait to construct a torturous level for the poor little blue fellows. Whatever your preferred method of play may be in this game I can assure you that there will be blood ...

Cute Things Dying Violently eases you into the gameplay with tutorial based levels. These levels will teach you the controls as you go along. When I first began playing I have to honestly say that I found the control scheme to be kind of difficult to learn. After an hour of playing though I pretty much had it figured out. In the game you'll find that you do not directly control the blue little critters, but instead a circular target that is used for moving and launching them about the levels. To control the target you will use the 'Left Thumbstick'. The 'Right Thumbstick' is used for the direction, and the strength of the launch. Pulling back on the 'Right Thumbstick in any direction will increase the distance the blue dudes will travel. The less you pull back the weaker the launch will be, and the further back you pull the stronger the launch of the little guys will be. Aside from launching you can also grab, and move the blue guys. This is helpful in levels that require precise aiming. You will use the 'Left Trigger' for this action. There are also pause menu controls that allow you to start over. Starting over in the middle of the level can be done by pressing both the 'Left Bumper', and 'Right Bumper' on the controller. Cute Things Dying Violently also features a level editor that I couldn't really get into due to the difficult control layout. It's control scheme definitely requires a learning curve, and isn't readily explained.


I found that there's a lot more to this game than just bloodletting. Each of the many levels in this game has a puzzle that must be solved in order to progress any further. Sometimes you will be required to sacrifice some of the little blue dudes, but saving all of them that you can will earn you stars (100% completed levels). Each level in 'Cute Things Dying Violently' features objects, and obstacles that must be used or avoided in order to get the blue guys to their final destination (an elevator on a pulley). Some of the items that will help you in your quest to aid these cute creatures (who are constantly blabbering about how they love their lives) includes springs, buttons, blocks, and bubble making machines. The things that can kill the blue dudes in the game includes mainly buzz saws, bombs and spikes. Within each level/puzzle there will be hints that will kind of steer you in the right direction, and let you know basically what must be done. After playing the game for a while I realized that it definitely takes some serious puzzle solving skills though. There are bonus levels available in this game that can be unlocked by performing certain tasks (Achieve Mints ^.^). These 'bonus' levels will keep track of your personal best records.

There are boss battles in 'Cute Things Dying Violently'. They include a dude that looks as if he is made of garbage, and mixed parts (tin can, box ...). He has the word 'Hate' written across his torso, and utters hateful sounding things as you try to blow him up with bombs. Like other items in the game (including the blue dudes) the bombs can be launched via the target that you control. Each time you face the boss in the game a new tactic will be required in order to defeat him. The boss battles are few, and far between though. For the most part you will be trying to save as many little blue guys as you can.

I found this game to be seriously challenging, and quite hilarious at the same time. Losing the little blue creatures didn't upset me at all for some reason. Every time I heard one of the blue dudes yell "Oh S***!!!* as they flew towards a buzz saw I couldn't help but laugh out loud. It definitely eased the tension of having to repeat levels numerous times. This game has a lot to offer, and if it sells well the developer will include some updates that he has listed in a section of the start menu. I truly think this game is worth the asking price. There was a lot of thought put into each of the game's puzzles/levels, and the fact that it has a level editor makes it Super Cool in my book. I also really liked how you could choose the 'profanity level (No MSG, Low Sodium, Salty) in the game. Since I am an Adult I went for the 'Salty' setting, and it was worth the laugh. Be warned though, there are some serious curse words in the game, and even some naughty talk.