Hungry Baby: Party Treats is as bonkers as its name would suggest. Take control of one of the multi-colored treats and race your way into a gigantic baby’s mouth! When you make it, an infectious party tune of “hungry hungry, baby baby” trumpets your achievement. The whole thing is so deliciously bizarre.

Developer: Digital Melody

Publisher: QubicGames

3 Hours Played // Review Copy Provided // $4.99

Immediately I was hit over the head with the art style. It reminded me of something out of Nickelodeon’s weird days, like Ren and Stimpy; colorful, well-drawn, yet very strange. The baby is both cute and horrifying; and the treats are detailed and unique. The levels themselves don’t offer much variance in look, but it is so colorful and lively that it isn’t an issue. Every inch of Hungry Baby has humor and charm.

The look isn’t everything and eventually I got into actually playing the game. The main goal of Hungry Baby is to make it to a specific location, usually a giant baby’s mouth, as quickly as possible. However, along the way, there are numerous traps set in place to keep you from reaching that infant’s gaping maw. Encounter one, die, get sent back to where you started. These traps are hidden, though. You never know where they are until you come across them.

You can see how much I died based on how many traps and splatters are out there

This try-die-remember-repeat gameplay is something I’m seeing more of lately. Honestly, I’m not a fan. I like to strategize and rely on reflexes or precise button presses to succeed. I like when skill is the main reason for my victory. This feels like blind luck mixed with some memory retention.

This is why I had a hard time enjoying the campaign mode. I played this mostly by myself, and it got old fast. Take a few steps, have a giraffe stomp you out. Restart. Take a few steps, avoid the nasty giraffe, take a few more steps, fall into a pit of spinning blades. Repeat ad nauseum. Some people may find enjoyment in the frantic rush to the goal while dying repeatedly from unseen death traps; there is a level of manic pleasure to it. I’m just not one of them.

Thanks for the hint, guys! I’ll be sure to heed this sage advice

That being said, this is a multiplayer heavy game, and that is where Hungry Baby shines. Having a room full of friends, racing your different treats towards the cavernous jaws of that insatiable child can be a lot of fun. Because everyone is being decimated by all manner of bizarre things, it makes it more tolerable. Also included are various power-ups, which cause even more mayhem. There were many laughs and many screams ringing through my house as we played.

There are different multiplayer modes, as well. However, they all have basically the same premise – get to the goal before the others do. In Classic mode, this is making your way to that ravenous little baby. In others, the goal is a frying pan or a button to eject a food cart into the newborn’s mouth. There is a mode that counts deaths, which makes players a bit more cautious. Changing it up is nice, but core gameplay and objective remains similar.

Absolute madness with four treats vying to be the first to feed that baby

Despite being multiplayer focused, there is no online component. I think it would add some longevity to the game to be able to play with others when friends aren’t in the same room. I can understand why they may have omitted it, though. A lot of the fun is having everyone together, yelling and enjoying the insanity. If you do want to play alone, but enjoy the multiplayer madness, Hungry Baby does allow bots. They help to fill out a full game is you only have one or two other people, but playing with them alone doesn’t provide a great experience.

If you don’t have a local group to play with, Hungry Baby: Party Treats is likely not going to provide you with much. However, if you’re in the market for a colorful, crazy party game, then this might be a good fit for your next get-together. I had fun playing it in short bursts, but the price is right for what is being offered here. Despite not loving the try-die-repeat gameplay formula, I had fun with friends, and the weirdness won me over.

As always, thanks for reading and let me know what you think in the comments! For a different kind of multiplayer experience, check out our review of For the King. If you want to keep seeing ad-free content like this, please consider donating via Ko-Fi and Patreon. As volunteers, we appreciate all the support! Also, find us on Discord, Twitter, and our subreddit!