Wanted : Two keen workers ready to start a lucrative career in the post office. No experience required. Must bring own beak.
KeyWe is a co-op platformer where you try to meet objectives as quickly as possible. You play as Jeff and Debra, two Kiwi birds looking for work in a post office, either by switching between the two, playing both at once or playing with a friend.
The first control scheme is a lot like playing Overcooked on your own : fast-paced and probably more relaxed, but far less fun and efficient compared to playing with someone else. When you rope another player in, either by sharing the keyboard or connecting via online multiplayer, the fun behind KeyWe's sorting shenanigans seeps out.
Each level -- or indeed assignment -- has the birds put to work in a unique aspect of the post office. Included in the demo are two ordinary assignments, typing out messages and sorting out packages, but there was also one Overtime level to squabble in.
Regular levels take no more than five minutes, and give Jeff & Debra three objectives to meet as soon as they can, be it stomping keys to send vital messages like "Wear your coat Todd", or shoving packages down the conveyor belt to speed up delivery. Saddled with a timer by default, this can be switched off in settings if you want to lark (er - Kiwi) about in levels without a klaxon blaring at you once a minute.
Overtime tasks players with earning as many points as possible within a set time, unlike the (optional) running clock of regular levels. This one had the Kiwis running back and forth with apple spices and water for a pen of cassowaries, as well as breaking up the occasional fight with a good squawk.
Beating regular levels within a certain time and getting enough points in an Overtime level nets you a Bronze, Silver or Gold rank, along with some stamps. In my time with the demo, getting Gold was almost impossible, even with a well-coordinated team, so it’s likely the final game will have some rather testing tasks.
More currency than Penny Black, the stamps earned can be exchanged for cosmetic improvements - like goggles, headphones and red feathers - to better tell the birds apart. For the record, Jeff is the one on the left. I think.
If you're already well acquainted with chaotic multiplayer team games like the aforementioned Overcooked, you'll likely enjoy this one too, but it's hard to say yet whether there's anything truly unique about KeyWe beyond its cute cast.
Stonewheat & Sons' debut game releases alongside this article on Steam, XBox, Switch and PlayStation from SoldOut Digital, with some extra cosmetics thrown in free of charge if you got it within the first week.
