Which Way Up: Galaxy Games (Switch) Review

At PAX Aus 2024, I got to check out a local Aussie Indie game called Which Way Up: Galaxy Games. Hasn’t the time flown by? It’s now time to blast off with your friends for some gravity-defying space Olympics.

Which Way Up: Galaxy Games is a party game first and foremost. This space-themed minigame collection has 12 games to compete in. The main focus is on the Multiplayer mode, getting up to four players in your orbit down for some party games.

Most of the 12 minigames included are based around well-established multiplayer/minigame modes. Some of the more enjoyable ones were a race to stay on the scrolling screen, a hot potato/pass the bomb game, and surviving around the orbit of a fireball-breathing dragon in space. Most are pretty fun and if there’s one you’re not a big fan of, the short burst pace of the games means it won’t be long until you’re playing another one. 

You can also select what minigame you want to play – if you all want to focus on a particular one, or if you want to tackle a few or all of the minigames.

Now one of the draws to Which Way Up is the space/gravity physics that keeps the minigames slightly more chaotic. The gravity feels like a 2D version of Mario Galaxy, where getting out of a planet’s immediate orbit will allow you to float off into space – until you get caught up in another planetoid’s gravity.  While I had some time getting used to the game’s controls and physics through the single-player mode, it may take some time to get other people adjusted to the controls and to get the hang of the mechanics. Thankfully there is a practice mode to help everyone adjust.

The best way to get the most out of Which Way Up is to have four players in person. Without an online option, it is also the only way. Don’t worry if you don’t have the full party, it’s still a good time with three or two. The single-player mode ensures that not only is there something to play when multiplayer isn’t possible, but expands on some of the minigames too. 

This is a good time to bring your attention to the Single Player Mode! It’s not a given that a party game-focused title will have something for solo players, so it is a nice touch that there is one here. On top of that, it’s not a hollow attempt to give solo players something to do. While in the multiplayer mode, you can select from the full cast of colourful and varied characters, in single-player mode you get to see some extra personality shining through. This is helped by each character having their own little story which involves rescuing the others. Along the way there are a few smiles with some fun dialogue, Spark’s diva brashness being a highlight.

Currently, you can only select from three characters; Spark, Sprout and Luna. The menu says there’s more coming soon. Each selectable character comes with their game type as the focus; Nebula Nab, Hole in One and Comet Collect. 

Now the main game types here are also within the Multiplayer Mode, but the single player versions are much more involved. They are also time-based challenges to complete, as opposed to competing against others.

Nebula Nab is a collection-based mode, where Spark needs to get to and pick up different items, then get them to their specific drop-off point. It feels like the more traditional mode amongst the three, involving more platforming around the gravity mechanics as you leap and float from planetoid to planetoid. It felt a bit fiddly trying to get right over the drop-off point for the game to recognise it, but it’s fun and a good way to get used to the game’s overall space physics.

Hole in One is a gravity golf mini-game with Sprout, where the focus is on hitting a ball across the screen and getting it to the flag in one hit. The difficulty comes from having to use gravity to get the ball around obstacles and navigating orbits. Then there’s also finding the right amount of power to not under or overshoot the flag, made more difficult by the accuracy needed to be considered a hole in one can be a bit fiddly too.
 
Lucky last is Comet Collect with Luna. This is a football/soccer-style mini-game. You need to hit comets into a goal-shaped planetoid or comet, which sounds more straightforward than it is. In the multiplayer mode, it’s just competing to knock comets into your opponent’s net in a playing field, but here it’s navigating a more deliberate space. I enjoyed working out the different ways the levels messed with the formula, whether it’s making it a challenge to get across the playing field or getting around moving obstacles within the times.

These levels are time-based, with the amount of medals awarded depending on how quickly you can finish them. I found the margin for error could be a bit rough, especially when the physics can be somewhat unpredictable. It wouldn’t matter if unlocking more levels wasn’t tied into having multiple medals, for the pre-launch version it would show you how many medals were needed. Since the launch update, it appears to have removed it, but an undisclosed amount of medals across the unlocked levels is required. Overall the single-player versions of the games are a neat addition that expands on some of the mini-games, I do look forward to seeing what other minigames are expanded for the other characters. 

Throughout my time with the game I did come across a few technical issues, including the rare crash. Every now and then the game might hitch or the sound would get a bit lost, but nothing that would hold up proceedings for long. 

Which Way Up: Galaxy Games is a fun party game from the small development team at Turtle Flip Studio. Not only is an enjoyable time with a group, definitely the more the merrier, but there’s something of value for solo players too. There are some technical issues that can pop up, and the Single Player mode can be surprisingly strict on unlocking levels, but overall Which Way Up is a blast.  

Rating: 4/5