Developer: hirohun, Mr.Pootsley, Jaybooty, Lofar42
Platform: PC (Reviewed)
Genre: Strategy
Publisher: Free Lives
Side Effects is a twisted pill roulette game. The game was developed by hirohun, Mr.Pootsley, Jaybooty, and Lofar42 and published by Free Lives. Side Effects is similar to games like Buckshot Roulette and Liar’s Bar. The game is available only on Windows.
Side Effects is a 1-4-player game where you are test subjects who are placed in a confined room around a table and are given the choice to pick from a pool of pills as you try to avoid the deadly pill and induce side effects. Side Effects can either be played solo or with other real players. When in a solo game, you are placed in a dual situation between you and another test subject. As for multiplayer, you can create private or public lobbies and even join random ones on the game’s server. At the time we were playing this game, there were a few other randoms that had joined our session, which is always good to see in these types of games. The only annoying thing about playing with a random is that if they leave mid-way, there’s like a 5-minute ‘break’ in the game before they actually disappear.
Performance when playing in multiplayer was really good with no lag issues. In our party of four, we had people playing in Europe, Australia and Asia and had no connection issues whatsoever. We felt that multiplayer with more players was a lot more entertaining, and it made the rounds longer between games. I will say that being able to play this game solo is a great option, as it allows you to build your strategy and play pretty much similarly to when in multiplayer. Side Effects does not feature an in-game voice chat or even a text chat, which is definitely not needed, as this game can easily be played with no communication at all. Observation is key, even if you are missing an eye.
Our first impression of the game was quite intriguing, especially with the level of ‘gore’ and outright eerie effects some items would entail on another player. Using a wrench to pull out a player’s teeth is graphic, and as you unlock more items, you witness even weirder and grosser things. The visuals for this game are menacing; even the test subjects look scary, but as you consume more and more pills, you find that the way they look gets worse. Some may develop a clown nose or warts on their arms, which are all horrendous side effects. The visuals are captivating, and we found ourselves always shocked at how someone else looked, so we would constantly be capturing screenshots.
As for the premise of the game, it is straightforward yet very compelling, and I would love to see how the developers expand this game. Your goal is to be the last one alive. Each subject starts with 4 hearts and 5 resistance shields. At the start of each round, you are shown a tablet that displays symbols of pills with differing effects. This may be that three out of four will decrease two shiels and one out of four will result in death. Pills are dropped on the table in front of you, and you need to make the right choice in picking the pill that will not kill you. You are also given the option to choose two items before the round that will help you stay alive. Losing all shields will result in a loss of health, and losing all 4 hearts will result in permanent death.
Side Effects was so much more fun than I could have expected. You wait for your turn to pick a pill, but you can closely watch what other people choose and do. For instance, someone using a drug test and not choosing the pill they tested is a sign to stay clear of it. The items in the game add to the layer of enjoyment, and we found out that after our first complete game, you could unlock a total of ten additional items to add to the rotation. Items can help you or help sabotage others, and the majority of the time, everyone is out to get someone else. We all enjoyed the game so much and could collectively agree that, for the price, this game is worth it.
I would like to recommend that it would be cool if there were some side effects from the pills that actually affected the player whilst playing, rather than for aesthetic purposes. Sometimes you would see little blurred images or bloodshot hues, but nothing that could distract you from actually playing properly. For instance, it would be fun if a side effect of a pill would turn the player colour blind for a round, which could mess up their game. I could see this game having all sorts of side effects and items to make the rounds even more enjoyable and graphic.
We were provided with a few codes to play the game with friends. Two of the other players had the following to say about the game. First, Vroggo noted the following: “A very straightforward game. Side effects is a round-table chance game where every pill player takes could either win or lose you the round. As the name suggests, every pill has either favourable or unfavourable effects on the player. There are various items in-game that let players increase their odds of winning when used correctly. The contents of the game can also become very graphic; be warned.
A game can last around 15-20 minutes, and it becomes more enjoyable as you unlock more of the game’s features after every round. Since the game revolves around taking pills with side effects, the game has so much potential with what new effects they could add. One side effect I thought would be cool is to add a pill where it makes the player have double-vision or hallucinate, where they essentially see at least 1 fake pill when choosing among the currently available ones in a round.”
Secondly, Moody said the following: “I honestly really enjoyed the game. For only 4 euros, it is definitely a steal and fun to play with a group of friends. I would say that the extra additives you can unlock after playing rounds are really fun and make you wanna play the game for longer. I will say it again, for the price, I thought the game was really fun and enjoyable and worth a laugh. The animations and colours, and characters of the game are really well developed and can look disgusting at times, which makes the game better. The different side effects on the characters’ faces after eating pills are a really good and strong detail!”
If you are looking for a tense and twisted experience that blends chance, strategy and grotesque visual surprises, then Side Effects is worth checking out. Whether you are playing solo or with friends, every round keeps you guessing as you gamble with dangerous pills, unlock bizarre new items and watch your fellow test subjects develop terrifying mutations. Side Effects delivers chaotic fun that will keep you coming back for one more round. Be sure to check out Side Effects, just hope that you do not pick the deadly pill!
Overall: 8.5/10
This is S & S. We are world game explorers. We play games. We have played over 10,000+ games! We travel, we write reviews AND we play more games!!!!
