Punch Club Reviews

Punch Club is ranked in the 34th percentile of games scored on OpenCritic.
6 / 10
May 24, 2018

Punch Club is an effective casual management sim with a well-observed 16-bit aesthetic, but its grindy hands-off mechanics soon start to grate. Here on Nintendo's flagship console, it just feels a little too remote and repetitive to be in with a genuine title shout.

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6 / 10
Aug 13, 2018

Punch Club features an interesting mix of management, social simulation and some JRPG elements in a game that features an interesting gameplay and whose 16-bit resemblances include several 90s pop culture references. It doesn't fully materialize its promises, as it quickly starts feeling repetitive and at one point, it doesn't quite feel interactive enough to be an outstanding experience.

Review in Portuguese | Read full review

Mar 16, 2016

I didn't enjoy 'Punch Club' as much as I wanted to, mostly due to mechanical gripes that bugged me throughout my entire playthrough. Despite these issues, it's a charming little game that the developers have only improved with the addition of free content. While it makes a few missteps in some critical areas, for fans of life sims or boxing movies, this is definitely worth checking out.

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6 / 10.0
May 25, 2018

Overall, I think Punch Club is a neat experiment of a game, but it needs a little more story and gameplay variety and a little less repetition. The first rule of Punch Club is obvious (right?), but the second rule is put on some headphones and your favourite podcast. You're in for the grind of your life.

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6 / 10
Jan 22, 2016

Punch Club looks colourful, atmospheric and gorgeous. It's almost like playing an 80's cartoon approximation of Rocky

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6 / 10.0
May 28, 2018

While Punch Club isn't a bad experience by any means there's no way to get around its limitations. If you enjoy its somewhat relaxed "play it on the cough while you watch TV" style and haven't already indulged in it by all means give it a look. If you've dabbled before or are looking for something action-oriented it likely won't be worth considering though.

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5 / 10.0
Jan 29, 2016

A promising start leads to a dismal end. Punch Club's quality dips shockingly fast and leaves a bitter taste upon completion.

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5 / 10.0
Nov 8, 2016

I’m sure some people will love it. Just look at how popular football management games are

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4 / 10.0
Jun 28, 2018

Although the concept of the game is pretty cool, Punch Club doesn't really provide a lot of entertainment. It does, however, inspire you to head to the gym and lift some real-life weights or perhaps run on a treadmill for an hour or so.

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2 / 5
Jun 4, 2018

Unfortunatly, Punch Club just does not live up to its promise or its looks. The time management aspect takes over in a frustrating manner, which combined with hands-off fights creates a mundane game.

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ACG
Top Critic
Buy
Jan 9, 2016
Punch Club Review "Buy, Wait for Sale, Rent, Never Touch?" video thumbnail
Buy
Jan 8, 2016
Punch Club (Critical Eye Review): Fighting Mutant Alligators video thumbnail
Unscored
Feb 9, 2016
► WTF Is... - Punch Club ? video thumbnail
Unscored
Jan 17, 2016

In the end, Punch Club looked like a fun, light-hearted sim game that ended up being a way better game than anticipated. It could do with a bit more in the way of interactivity, but it does present itself as a fighting simulator and not a straight forward fighting game. It delivers a lot more than it advertises, so these gripes are only so big.

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