BattleBlock Theater

Game review by Chad Sapieha, Common Sense Media
BattleBlock Theater Poster Image

Common Sense says

age 13+

Raucous co-op platformer with lots of cartoony death.

Xbox 360 2013
Rate game

Parents say

age 8+

Based on 2 reviews

Kids say

age 9+

Based on 25 reviews

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  • BattleBlock Theater Game: Screenshot #1
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  • BattleBlock Theater Game: Screenshot #3

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A Lot or a Little?

The parents' guide to what's in this game.

What Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that BattleBlock Theater is a side-scrolling platformer and fighting game with cartoon violence. The player's small, block-like character can suffer a broad range of deaths, from slow drowning and electrocution to spike impalement and being swallowed whole by a reindeer raccoon. Tiny dry bones sometimes go flying after an avatar's death. Violence aside, it offers a positive social and cooperative gaming experience, encouraging up to four gamers to play and laugh together in the same room, as well as an outlet for digital creativity via a level editor.

Community Reviews

nuenjins
nuenjins Adult
January 15, 2018
age 8+

Interesting concept simply not up to snuff with Castle Crashers creator.

Unlike this studios earlier creation, Castle Crashers, this is not a side scrolling game and is for 1 or 2 players. Each room is a stationary puzzle with various obstacles and enemies much like a Ninja Warrior style obstacle course in concept. You can unlock different 'heads' to personalize your character and are afforded a single choice of weapon, which you also unlock along the way, but are a bit underwhelming making this not so much an action game as it is is a puzzle based 'gag' title and thematically silly. The deaths are too cartoonish to be taken seriously as you are quickly respawned without serious or morbid theatrics. A pile of toon bones and characters going underwater is the worst thing you'll in the game, but these are played off with impermanence, as your charecter reappears instantly and unscathed. The simplistic action in the game may make for an easy pickup for a younger audience but lacks the complexities and varied animations of the studios previous work. Although the game is unique with a tongue in cheek humor, it remains unengaging once the novelty wears off and you realize that the same canned actions are tediously repeated, but in different sequences. Anything more than 10 dollars is not justified to anyone who is simply curious as you may very well be disappointed paying anything more.
sonatro ambrola
sonatro ambrola Adult
June 14, 2015
age 7+

A positive game for kids

this game is very positive and creative with even its own level editor it is a major step up from violent games because kids find it fun and it is not voilent, even I have enjoyed helping my child make a level.I did not think of myself as the gaming type

This title has:

Great messages
Great role models
Easy to play/use
See all 2 parent reviews

What’s It About?

Cartoony cats are portrayed as evil and sadistic in BATTLEBLOCK THEATER, a downloadable game for Xbox Live Arcade. The felines take a group of blocky protagonists prisoner when they wash up on the cats' strange island. The cats force the players' heroes to traverse dozens of deadly side-scrolling obstacle courses for their amusement, leaping over liquid-filled chasms, avoiding beams of electricity, and dealing with enemies ranging from kung fu kittens to weird reindeer raccoons, all the while keeping an eye out for gems, strawberries, and balls of yarn that can be used to buy new avatar items and offensive abilities in the prison gift shop. Beyond the campaign lies an arena mode containing eight team-based and competitive game types for up to four players, as well as a level editor that allows players to quickly and easily build and share their own challenges with players around the world.

Is It Any Good?

You're unlikely to find an XBLA game with more content than this polished little platformer. The story mode -- which has a wickedly funny narrator -- lasts nearly 10 hours and offers a very different experience if you play with friends, who can throw each other across gaps and help lug each other up onto high ledges.

The Arena mode, meanwhile, is essentially a Super Smash Bros. game in miniature, with no less than eight different modes, ranging from a world coloring challenge to king of the hill contests. And the easy-to-use level editor offers hours more fun, both in creating and sharing your own playlists of up to 15 themed levels and playing those crafted by other gamers. Even if only one of the game's three pillars of play appeals, it's still well worth the $15 investment.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the impact of violence in media. This game features frequent violence, but it doesn't involve humans, is very cartoonish, and stops short of blood and gore (though players will see tiny bones). What age do you think it's appropriate for?

  • Families can also discuss social gaming. Do you like to play games alone or with friends? If the former, are there times you wish you could share your experience? If the latter, are you occasionally frustrated when your gaming pals keep you from doing what you want to do? Are there games that can satisfy both types of gamer at the same time?

Game Details

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