Manic Mechanics review

There’s no denying Manic Mechanics is similar to Overcooked. You can see that from the trailers, and even when you jump into the first garage, there are other noticeable likenesses. Instead of food; it’s car parts, but that’s not a complaint because Overcooked has some of the best co-op gameplay, especially on the Switch. While it isn’t a difficult game to play, getting the best possible scores aren’t easy on your own. When you start to work out the shortcuts and play with friends or family, it becomes a much better game entirely.

The main premise of Manic Mechanics is straightforward enough. By inflating tires, polishing car doors, and fixing engines via quick and easy minigames, you’ll fix cars and move on to the next one. You collect the parts off a conveyor belt, take them to the correct station, complete the minigame, take it to the car, and repeat.  At first, it’s all rather formulaic, but as you unlock new areas and levels, new challenges are added, as well as new parts to attach to the broken down bangers.

Batteries start to play into proceedings, whereby you have to charge them and add them to cars, however, if you leave them charging for too long they’ll explode. These batteries can also be connected to the engines at another new station, or they can be used to create shortcuts within the confines of the garage by powering up blockades to move them, or powering on huge fans to get you across areas. Sometimes, a car part will be gleaming on the conveyor belt, meaning they don’t need any work before attaching them to the car.

There are a lot of moving parts in Manic Mechanics, with other small hacks to get the job done quicker. You can dash towards a station or the belt, and parts can be thrown either onto the car or a station, helping to speed up the process. To counteract this, certain garages will have opposing forces ready to counteract your progress. Oil and water spills can cause you to slip, electrified floors and flowing lava can provide a hindrance, and when it comes to facing the bosses in the final level of an area, you better bring your A-game.

Between levels, you can drive around an overworld of sorts. By honking your horn or dashing, secrets can be uncovered which will lead to new characters being unlocked along with more cogs being found – the game’s currency. There’s not a lot to do here, but it acts as a nice segue between the levels when you want a short break. What makes Manic Mechanics great, though, is the co-op elements. You can play online, however, I spent a fair few hours sitting around with my daughters trying to remain as calm as possible.

Just like Overcooked, it is the moments in co-op that provide the most fun. Trying not to get in each other’s way and doing your best to formulate some kind of strategy, only for it to backfire the moment the clock begins to count down. There’s plenty of room for you and your friends to work together and get the most out of the different levels, and by focusing on a particular part or job within the team, it allows your score to rise a lot faster than it does on your own.

Manic Mechanics doesn’t change the co-op world or flip it on its head. It isn’t pushing boundaries, but it finds a great balance between fun and challenge, especially when playing with others. It’s a charming little game with colourful characters and a childlike sense of humour perfect for all ages. If you want a nice and chilled (for the most part) party game, this is definitely one to try. It never feels repetitive, always adding new mechanics and ideas, and the cartoony look was appreciated by me, an older player, and my two kids.