The Stretchers

 Switch
Metascore
75

Generally favorable reviews - based on 20 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 11 out of 20
  2. Mixed: 9 out of 20
  3. Negative: 0 out of 20
  1. GAMINGbible
    Dec 5, 2019
    80
    Imagine the joy you felt playing Untitled Goose Game for the first time, then imagine playing that with a friend. Sprinkle in a dash of Overcooked, a smattering of Crazy Taxi (or The Simpsons: Road Rage) and you'll get a good idea of the terrific fun that can be had with The Stretchers.
  2. God is a Geek
    Nov 29, 2019
    80
    There's a charming aesthetic to The Stretchers, bright and colourful and aimed squarely at kids, but the slapstick, ragdoll humour will appeal to grown-ups too.
  3. Critical Hit
    Nov 28, 2019
    80
    The Stretchers is a deceptively simple co-op game that manages to be fun for every second of it’s brief run time, delivering interesting levels and hilarious chaos as your shout at your partner (or left hand) to just pick up the damn stretcher.
  5. Gameblog.fr
    Nov 22, 2019
    80
    Out from nowhere, an hilarious joke, The Stretchers is a fun and clever two players game, with an ideal pace and constant renewal. Whether cutting across the fields with the turbo throttle and the waving gyro's siren or consulting on how to take the casualty right back to the ambulance by the craziest method, The Stretchers is a success and is one of the most entertaining duet games of recent years, in the same category as the hilarious Gang Beasts and Heave Ho.
  6. Multiplayer.it
    Nov 19, 2019
    80
    A multiplayer exclusive for Nintendo Switch you can't miss out on.
  7. Everyeye.it
    Nov 18, 2019
    80
    The Stretchers is yet another little gem for Switch born from the collaboration between Nintendo and Western independent studios.
  8. Game Revolution
    Nov 14, 2019
    80
    A blast whether you play it by yourself or with a friend, The Stretchers is bound to put a smile on the face of anyone that plays it and showcases how talented a developer Tarsier Studios is.
  9. NintendoWorldReport
    Nov 13, 2019
    80
    The gameplay loop of riding to places, exploring a bit, grabbing patients, and moving back is extremely novel and engaging. With every mission introducing unique attributes, it is always a delight to see what curve The Stretchers throws at you next. There were a few minor problems, mostly with precise movements, but never anything that soured the fun. Overall though, I can't help but admire the things Tarsier Studios put in. The Stretchers is a good time.
  10. Nintendo Life
    Nov 12, 2019
    80
    The Stretchers is an unexpected delight, dropping on to the eShop without warning and perfectly timed to brighten up the long, dark winter days ahead. Tarsier has taken all its experience working on the likes of Ragdoll Kung-Fu: Fists of Plastic and LittleBigPlanet and brought it together to deliver this ridiculously OTT ragdoll puzzle riot that works well in solo but is on another level when enjoyed with a friend in co-op. Missions are varied and lend themselves perfectly to moments of hilarious slapstick, and there's a couple of real standout moments scattered across the course of proceedings that will have you laughing all the way to the way to the end.
  11. Vandal
    Nov 17, 2019
    77
    The Stretchers is one of those games best played in coop. It’s full of good ideas, and it’s fun and fresh. If you’re looking for a game to enjoy with someone else, make sure you check it out.
  12. Nintenderos
    Nov 24, 2019
    75
    The Stretchers is a very original, casual and fun idea, which can be enjoyed alone but shines especially in the two-player mode. Unfortunately, the experience will be short.

User Reviews

All reviews »
User Score
7.2

Mixed or average reviews- based on 21 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 13 out of 21
  2. Mixed: 5 out of 21
  3. Negative: 3 out of 21
  1. FreddeGredde
    Mar 3, 2020
    5
    The premise is great, and the animations and rag doll physics initially create hilarious situations and moments. Two main issues bring theThe premise is great, and the animations and rag doll physics initially create hilarious situations and moments. Two main issues bring the game down though:

    1. The controls are simply too finicky. You're meant to press a button to grab the nearest object, whether it's a door, a chair or a person's foot, but more often than not, the character ends up grabbing something else than you intended. It's simply not intuitive enough.

    2. Although you get a score at the end of each mission, you're not told if you did well or not. Giving out bronze/silver/gold depending on your score would have done a lot to the replayability and enjoyment. As it is now, you don't really care if you did okay or not, and it all gets a little pointless as it's not a challenging game to begin with.

    Fixing these issues and a few other details could really have made this game amazing! You can still have fun if you're fun people playing, and driving your ambulance on the fully explorable island between missions is a great addition that adds variation and "meat" to the experience, but all in all, it's hard to recommend unless you've already played all the other great co-op games on Switch (the Overcooked! games come to mind) and crave even more.    … Full Review »
  2. nusco
    Jun 17, 2022
    7
    The stretchers is a physics-based two-players co-op slapstick.

    CONS: IT GETS REPETITIVE: While the game does introduce a few new    The stretchers is a physics-based two-players co-op slapstick.

    CONS:

    IT GETS REPETITIVE: While the game does introduce a few new elements over time, they're not enough to offset the repetition. After the first few missions, the rest is basically more of the same.

    VERY LITTLE CHALLENGE: This is a game for families. Don't expect to be challenged in any way–and considering the imprecise controls, that's for the better.

    PROS:

    FUN IN THE FAMILY: This game shines when played by two people with good communication, even if one of them isn't a "gamer". The borderline-casual gameplay will provide a few hours of fun.

    FUNNY SLAPSTICK MOMENTS: The characters' antics and the ragdoll physics will get old eventually–but you will laugh a lot before they do.

    ZANY HUMOR: From the inventor in his underwear to the unlikely baddie, the characters are weird enough to make The Stretchers stand out from other recent ragdolly games.    … Full Review »
  3. sjogro
    Feb 1, 2021
    8
    This underrated gem of a game lands somewhere left of the middle between Crazy Taxi on the Sega Dreamcast and the comics of Joan Cornellà.This underrated gem of a game lands somewhere left of the middle between Crazy Taxi on the Sega Dreamcast and the comics of Joan Cornellà. Literally the first real Laugh Out Loud moments since I’ve owned a Nintendo Switch occurred today during our first session with this game. Recommended game for 2 player couch coop with your younger kiddo. My 6 year old held up really well and the 9 year old aced it. We had so many laughs, great stuff!… Full Review »
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