Troublemaker (2023)

Overall, I felt like Troublemaker is a solid but janky beat-em up. The atmosphere, presentation and story are all really well done, feeling like a Karate Kid type spin-off. It has its moments of over-the-top craziness but at its core tells a nice ‘slice of life’ story about an area of the world that I have never been. And if you were to tell me that this was an accurate depiction of Indonesia I would 100% believe you. Well minus the child fighting tournament that is school sanctioned of course.

if you're after a game that's either a) not like anything else out there, or b) an utterly bizarre look into a culture that isn't often represented in games (or c) a bizarre cross between Bully and Yakuza), then Troublemaker might be up your alley. If not, though, the whole thing will just feel like a crazy fever dream.

I wanted to like Troublemaker, I really did. But despite the decent story (which is genuinely funny at times), the gameplay of Troublemaker is just too clunky and unrewarding to warrant a 20-dollar purchase. It’s evident that the developers really tried to make a competent product. But in a crowd of excellent indie games, trying just isn’t enough.

I really wanted to have a positive experience with Troublemaker. You can see that the developers had their hearts in place. There was also ambition, which is good for creativity. However, none of this is enough if you lack the technical capacity to execute your ideas properly.

Overall, Troublemaker is a charming, yet somewhat flawed beat-’em-up title. While the atmosphere, presentation, setting, and ideas were executed well, there were some glaring issues that affected the overall package. Despite these issues, gamers even remotely interested in a beat-’em-up title set in an Indonesian High School should take a closer look at the game. Troublemaker is a great example of the unique perspective and style that a small development team can bring to a game. I would recommend Troublemaker to anyone looking for a fun and unique beat-’em-up experience with a distinctly Indonesian twist.