Snipperclips: Cut it Out Together! is a very different kind of game. It received very polarizing reactions from the gaming community when it was first revealed but many in the industry thought it had promise and the potential for fun and entertaining gameplay. I was sitting right in the middle but feeling very optimistic. I thought it looked okay but also figured it would be much more fun to play than it looked. Many offbeat and different multiplayer games are the same way. Wii Sports and 1-2 Switch were no different. On the surface, this game looks like you’re just cutting each other up and solving some simple puzzles but the openness of the game design and the puzzles you’ll be asked to solve combined with the ability to play with a friend or loved one make this a must-play for all Nintendo Switch owners.
In Snipperclips you’ll be tasked with all sorts of different kinds of puzzles. They start out simple and then they just look simple. Some puzzles will just require you and your partner to fill in a specific shape which in itself may look pretty easy but cutting each other into the needed shapes can prove to be more difficult than it may look. It’s not difficult in an unfair or broken way. It’s just more tricky than it looks. But that’s the appeal and fun of Snipperclips; cutting up your partner and having them make some final touches on the work they performed on you is half the fun. From moving objects into specific spots to manipulating your character to move other objects, there’s just so many interesting and fun touches to enjoy in this delightful game.
You’ll laugh from the mistakes that happen and you may even chase your partner down and cut them up completely when you both get stuck. In the end though, you’ll come together and solve these puzzles together. It’s an interesting type of multiplayer that we don’t get to see very often, especially in today’s gaming climate. Snipperclips absolutely requires you to talk to each other and problem solve to figure everything out. You’ll both end up throwing possible solutions into the air and eventually you’ll both end up just laughing and yelling out what you think will work. This constant process proves to be more entertaining than you can possibly imagine. It’s so easy to see why Nintendo was all in on publishing this title for their newest console. No other company out there is as invested in creating a great and fun time centering around video games in the living room as Nintendo.
One of the saving graces of Snipperclips is that there are no consequences. It doesn’t matter if you don’t solve the puzzles, cut each other into pieces, or even skip a level. You’ll need to complete a set amount of levels to move onto the next area but there’s no harm in coming back to a level you weren’t particularly interested in or maybe you were just stuck on it. This creates a relaxing atmosphere that allows fun to flourish in harmony with laughter, instead of causing stress and frustration. There were so many times my Wife and I were stuck on specific levels but would just goof off, cut each other up, or just do ridiculous things and it was totally fine. We were able to play the game the way we wanted to and the game didn’t penalize us. Being able to enjoy it the way you want to, no set number of lives or continues, and being able to just restart the entire level in the pause menu allows Snipperclips to stretch its legs and allow everyone to relax and have fun.
You can play by yourself or with up to four people if you have friends and controllers. Single joycons are all that are needed to play so a standard Joy-Con set will allow two people to play. If you have two full Joy-Con controllers then you’ll be able to play with up to four people including yourself. The single player mode is entertaining enough but without playing with people, it just isn’t quite as fun. I don’t think it’s worth buying if you’d primarily be playing by yourself. However, if you have a spouse or a friend or two interested in playing even a few times a month then it’s an absolute delight and a must-own for your Nintendo Switch library.
There’s a mode where you can just cut each other up and I recommend this when you’re first introducing it to friends. It’ll help them learn the controls and also get all the cutting excitement out of their system so they’ll be able to focus and cut with purpose. Some hi-jinx and laughs will likely still interrupt levels but that’s just a part of the fun and the experience though. Once you get into the game with a spouse, friend, or a few people and learn the mechanics, you’ll be flying from level to level. Some may take longer and it’ll require good communication to solve most of the puzzles. Even if the group of people playing isn’t very focused, you’ll solve the puzzles in time. Without clear focus, it’ll just take longer. I don’t think this game would work online as well and shudder at the prospect even being possible. This game was built with local multiplayer in mind.
The graphics are very cute and not only help add to the intended mood and atmosphere but they also work well within the game design. You can cut shapes down to very specific measurements and the game recognizes them. Since the graphics work well within the puzzles, there’s never instances where it feels like something should work but fails to. The music is also very atmospheric and fitting for the characters and visuals. It’s not something you’ll be pulling up on YouTube later but it’s catchy enough where it works in the game and you’ll likely find yourself humming some of the sounds you hear. The voices of the characters are adorable and I couldn’t help but mash the undo button repeatedly to hear the silly sounds the characters make.
My only issue with the game is the length. We got about five and a half hours out of it and in all fairness, I know we’ll replay it quite often. Replay value certainly isn’t the issue. I just wish there was more content. It’s hard to complain though with the price only being $19.99 though. I guess what I’m saying is that this game would just continue to bloom even further with dedicated paid DLC that’s released for a fair price. Challenges of the week could help keep the title being discussed online and regular paid DLC could help keep the game fresh and growing for years yet to come. I think after 3-4 years of cheap, monthly DLC, they could release a physical edition for $49.99 (or $59.99 if there’s enough content and extras) and further push the game to higher heights of entertainment and exposure.
I wish there was a level creator that also featured community support and with the option to download levels that other players created. It could help fill some of the void left by the impact of Super Mario Maker and its unfortunate exclusion from the Nintendo Switch game library. I understand it would be counter intuitive to have paid DLC and a level creation tool but I think one or the other definitely needs to happen. It’ll only make this already great game better and keep a constant discussion about this title on websites and within the community. This game is just too great for it not to see constant updates and support. If you’ve got a friend or spouse that will play this with you at least a few times a month, you owe it to youself to pick this game up. If you don’t have a friend or spouse that will commit to playing this with you, find a friend that will because you’re both missing out! Also, if your spouse isn’t playing games then show them some videos of Snipperclips! Before you know it you may both be enjoying it together and with Mario Kart 8 Deluxe right around the corner, you’ll be happy they’re playing games because then there will be extremely solid titles to enjoy together!