14 DAY TRIAL // 
I’m bowling, which means I am holding down a key to rotate my player’s arm. When I release it, it will fly from his hand toward the other end of the screen, as long as I time my move well. My opponent is currently using a tennis racket, although in a very unnatural way, and I think I have a chance to avoid giving him a hit that can result in points.
I boink the batsman on his helmet and he falls on his back, unable to hit or do much of anything else. My own character fails to recover from the throwing motion and falls on her face, again unable to act anymore. An indecisive result that no team is satisfied with. A duck slowly sails over the oval and it’s time to move on to the next inning.
The game chooses to deliver a rain situation, which means both players are armed with umbrellas. A duel ensues, clumsy and desperate, which I manage to win by flailing. The next round is a slow one, which means my opponent has extra control over his throw. That can be a big problem, but his delivery is pretty weak, and I manage to whack the ball solidly with my golf club. We move one step closer to victory and I hope we get a few more normal innings to solidify my lead.
Cricket Through the Ages is developed by Free Lives and published by Devolver Digital. I played it using Steam on the PC. The title is also available on the Nintendo Switch. The game is more about physics-driven fun than about the sport featured in its name.
The experience starts off strong, with a short prologue that rebuilds human history around the idea of throwing balls and using objects to try and hit them. Men first defeated dinosaurs by picking up rocks and throwing them at the creatures. Conflict between groups then developed around the same motions. Medieval duels were settled using the same core mechanics.
It’s a funny idea that Cricket Through the Ages milks extensively. Going to space does not sate humanity’s need to throw objects at others, with deadly consequences. Finally, post-apocalyptic mutated humans cling to their already obsolete ball-throwing ritual. None of this has any connection to actual history but I chuckled a few times and the prologue establishes the overall silly tone.
No one reads to explore the rules of actual cricket in depth before playing. This is not a sport simulator and there’s no way to better understand its mechanics by watching a match or two. A real-world player would probably hate this experience. Cricket Through the Ages is a physics-driven and humor-focused action game that’s very easy to pick up and play and can deliver deeply weird and fun moments.
This is a one-button game, which means players do not have to worry about complex commands for positioning or a dedicated system for tracking the ball when they are batting. If the player has the ball in his hand, push to rotate the arm and then release to launch. Then the physics system takes over. When batting, the button leads to rotation for the bat-like implement characters are holding. This system gets tweaked as players make progress but always remains easy to understand but almost impossible to master. There’s no way to get better or to have more control over the physics system.
Cricket Through the Ages tweak this formula through its modes, which players unlock by winning. Characters might become giants, time can slow down, and more. There are cricket-influenced takes on fencing and rock climbing, which aren’t very engaging.
The game has more success with football and tennis. Here the physics system delivers results that are dumb enough to be funny. For me, the quantum and the ultra-versions modes are the best-designed ones and create the weirdest situations. It can take a few rounds to understand exactly what’s happening. After that, just enjoy the interactions and try to win in a game with limited actual control.
The title’s developers have worked hard to give it variety, hoping that a constant stream of small tweaks will keep the core idea fresh. But it quickly becomes clear how limited a player’s actual control is and how repetitive gameplay is. The physics system and its sometimes-absurd results can only paper over those issues for short periods. Extra depth is needed for the experience to have staying power.
I found it best to play Cricket Through the Ages in short sessions. Recruiting another human also enhances the experience. Ridiculous throws, absurd modifiers, and bad movement make for great shared laughs. Simple gameplay makes it easy to pick up and play and the title is a great way to introduce newcomers to the world of video games.
Cricket Through the Ages is limited in terms of both graphics and sound design. The stick figures players control have no personality and the number of featured details is limited, although I do like how their eyes turn to Xs when they die. The title’s origins on mobile devices are pretty clear. The mechanics barely compensate for the limited looks.
The sound design is even less interesting. The game’s narrator is well-chosen, and his pompous tone fits well with the extended fake history. But all the sound effects are mediocre, and the game needed a propulsive soundtrack to match the general level of silliness.
The Good
- One-button game
- Well-designed fake cricket history
- Trip to space
The Bad
- No depth to the mechanics
- Limited graphics
- Not absurd enough
Conclusion
The developers understand how to make awkward physics work, but the game really needs more variety in terms of equipment and conditions. Cricket Through the Ages will draw some laughs but is best enjoyed in short bursts before its repetitive mechanic becomes frustrating.
Review key provided by the publisher.
