Mowin’ & Throwin’ is a local couch co-op game by House Pixel Games and this is our review of this brilliant couch co-op game that is going to keep you busy for hours. Couch co-op is one of most neglected genres today however thanks to some indie developers we are getting some solid couch co-op titles even today that remind us of the good old days when couch co-op used to be a huge focus of many AAA developers.
Mowin’ & Throwin’ is one of such titles by Indie developer House Pixel Games that is solely focused on couch co-op and it does a brilliant job at what this genre is aimed for. The goal of the game is simple. The first player to mow their lawn in their boost-powered lawnmower simply wins the game or the person to mow more than their neighbor before the time runs out wins the game.
However, it is not as simple as it sounds. House Pixel Games has added some really cool battle mechanics in this simple concept in which you can turn your lawnmower in a tank in a press of a button. Throughout the game, different items will drop in both the lawns which the players can pick up and throw at their neighbors to sabotage their lawn mowing operations.
There is not a very great variety of items in the game at this point however with the limited items available, you can literally make it hell for your neighbor to mow their lawn. You will have rocks, fertilizer bags and hypnotic mushrooms to use as weapons against your neighbors.
The rocks create a blockade for the lawnmower however they can be removed by digging them up. Throwing the fertilizer bag is like throwing a grenade, after six seconds it explodes but instead of sending shrapnel, it grows grass around its location.
Lastly, the hypnotic mushroom is the ultimate evil weapon that you can throw at your neighbor in Mowin’ & Throwin’. It reverses the controls for the neighbor or your own self if you manage to land a bad throw. It includes the controls on foot, the lawnmower as well as the aiming both from the lawn mower and while on foot.
By pressing B, you can convert your lawnmower into a tank which can either shoot rocks or grass patches at your neighbor’s lawn. This further adds to the challenge because your lawnmower is very helpful in the game however it is also very thirsty. It will run out of fuel quickly, however, can pick up fuel cans and throw at your lawnmower to fill it back up.
During the matches, different items will fall down from the sky and players can pick them and use them however if they fall on your head, you will be knocked out. Their dropping location is marked on the map so you can avoid them easily. As you throw items into your neighbor’s lawn, they will send some stuff back at you. However, you can dig them up or avoid them to make them redundant.
If your lawnmower runs out of fuel, you can jump off it and use your hands to cut some grass as well. This is a very handy tool and is excellent for those last, few precious seconds where you are neck to neck with your neighbor and even 1% can decide the fate of the match. The levels are extremely challenging and you never know who is going to win the game. One thing is for sure, you must ensure a balance between mowing and sabotaging. If you focus on one aspect, you will not win much in the game.
The game features very simple and easy to master controls. The game design is very simple and yet very cool to look at. The levels are brilliantly designed and each level comes with its own unique obstacles for you to watch out. You will get moving platforms, spinning platforms, and cliffs at the end of levels from where you can fall down easily if you are not careful. There’s also a night level where you will need to use your lawnmower’s lights to check where the grass is left on the patch.
There are 8 unique levels in the game at this point. They are not too much but since every match in the game in unique and fun, they are bound to keep you and your friends entertained for a long time. The game supports co-op only. There is no online or singleplayer. You can engage in 1v1 or 2v2 matches with local co-op. The game is also best played with controllers. For some reason, the PC controls never worked for me.
Mowin’ & Throwin’ may look like a simple game but under the hood, it is a solid co-op title with excellent mechanics and simple controls. It is very easy to simply jump in the game, enjoy a few rounds and exit the game. It is not too demanding on the system specs as well so nearly any PC can run it without any hiccups.
Final Verdict
Mowin’ & Throwin’ is a solid couch co-op game and will keep you and your friends entertained for a long time. There are no complex mechanics to understand here as well as there is no progression here. Mowin’ & Throwin’ was made with one thing in mind which is being an excellent couch co-op title and I can say that it surely lives up to the expectations. It will really remind you of those days when friends use to gather at one place and used to have fun playing games together. For people looking for a solid couch co-op title, Mowin’ & Throwin’ is your game.
Final Score: 9/10
