This is going to be a very short review, for a very short game. The game is called 10 Second Run Returns. That title immediately describes the entire game. You run and jump and try to get to the end of the level before the 10-second timer runs out. You are a little stick figure and you can only jump, wall jump and run. While running you have a very simple task: Survive.
You have to evade some threats; these threats can be little fireballs and spikes which are both stationary. But also, little spiky enemies that can either walk on the track or fly up, down, left or right in a set figure. When you are successful in evading these you also have to try not to fall to your death in the holes placed in the ‘maps’. When you start up a game mode you can choose the appearance of your character between 7 different models/colors. Mostly the same in different colors but there is also a frog-like guy and a tree.
You clear the stage when you get to the end point within 10 seconds and you can earn up to three stars by picking up these start on your way. Some of the stars are placed on such location that you almost can’t miss them, but others are always a little bit out of your jump area so that you have to lose a little time to get them.
There are Three game modes:
- Challenge for 1 player, with 50 stages
- VS Battle for 2 players
- Battle Royal for 2, 3 or 4 players.
The VS Battle, is where you and a friend play the game split-screen with two characters and whoever reaches the end first wins. The Battle Royal mode is exactly the same, but your screen is divided into 4 screens even though I was only playing with two players, the other two sections just show the start point of the stage and are absolutely useless.
When you have a game like this in which each stage cannot last longer than 10 seconds, and there are only 50 stages, then you just know this game can’t be long. I started playing this while my food was in the oven, and I finished the complete Challenge mode with 50 stages before the timer on the oven ran out. This also means that the levels aren’t too hard.
The game plays best in handheld mode but when you want to play with two players you have to each hold a Joy-Con and that limits you to where you put your switch other than the docking station. When I was playing this game, I didn’t even have fun doing so, the game isn’t challenging. Also, sometimes the game decides that at this point you cannot jump so retry the stage. I cannot give this game a good score. It just isn’t well made or fun. It might be an ok experience to take with you on the road to kill some time, and completionists/speedrunnes might find something they like in this game.
