Thank you Together Games for the review code!

Superbugs: Awaken is a heavily communication-based puzzle game where one character has to shrink themselves down to molecular size so that they can go inside a cat and kill viruses. The other character must guide them through a maze, knowing where the virus is but not the other player. Their job is solely to guide and help fight once the disease is found.

The story is explained at the beginning of every playthrough and is very simple. Basically, the two characters you play as have a cat named Mimi who is very ill. In order to save her, one player must shrink to a molecular size and carry a gun loaded with a vaccine that is designed specifically to destroy whatever virus has infected poor Mimi. The only issue is that when the player wielding this weapon is dropped into any level, they don’t have the correct vaccine yet. This is where their partner comes in. The second player is the one who makes the ammunition for the first’s medicine launcher. Once player one has precisely described the appearance and behavior of the virus in battle, a vaccine can be sent into the weapon according to the information provided.

The other role that is assigned to the second player is to guide the first one through a maze in each level. For the first few/tutorial, they can see the exact location of their partner at all times, but lose that ability very quickly and must use landmarks to figure out the location of player one. The maze, however, has no end, and it is simply a battleground for the virus to spawn in. Player two can always see where the enemies are, and must attempt to bring the first player over to them. Once located, the previously mentioned battle mechanics kick in.

As you play through the many levels, new and unique mechanics are introduced, such as some special perks that can be chosen before a level is started. These add an activated ability that either player can use, and have both a positive and negative side effect. For example, the player with the map can gain the power to see the exact location of the first-person player for a couple of seconds, with the downside that the controls become inverted on that person they can now see. Another one that can be used allows the first player to fire a shot that stuns the virus for a while, but makes the second one have to create the vaccine using only silhouettes and having to go off of what the general shape of the virus’s various limbs and behaviors are.

Superbugs: Awaken seems to be intended for a family-friendly audience due to its lighthearted nature and art style, so it’s of course morally good. The dialogue isn’t profane in any way, and any art shown is not in any way sexually explicit either. The presence of blood and gore is left entirely up to a technicality, since you play the game inside the bloodstream of a cat. The walls of the maze look fleshy, and blood cells float around, however no limbs or fluids fly out of the viruses you defeat.

I enjoyed playing Superbugs: Awaken and appreciate how communication-based it is. If you have a roommate or friend you want to try something like this with, I think here is a good place to start when it comes to exclusively co-op games.