Since entering early access in 2023, Tape to Tape has been steadily building a following. The hockey roguelike has now reached its full release, and after spending time with it, I can see why it’s caught on. It’s a blast.
The story is deliberately silly: golf has taken over a world where hockey once ruled. You gather a scrappy team and travel across three islands, playing matches, meeting oddball characters, improving your players and picking up new abilities. The goal is to take down the golfers and bring hockey back.
That setup is straightforward enough. The real magic is in how much each run can change. A run takes about an hour, and no two have quite the same feel. You might build around critical hits, lining up big slapshots and hoping to find an upgrade that makes every critical goal count twice. On another attempt, you could focus on body checks and wear down the opposition until their players are barely effective.
There are 40 passive abilities, 20 active ones and a collection of relics that can reshape your team. Individual players start to feel like their own distinct builds, and when all the pieces fall into place, it’s wonderful. Of course, opponents play dirty. You’ll run into referees who seem to help the other team, prisoners who chain weights to your players, and even Team Canada, apparently looking for a little payback.
Even when a run turns frustrating because your team isn’t suited to the challenge, it’s hard to stay away for long. I’ve found myself back at the menu, ready to try again, almost immediately. I’m leaving some of the stranger upgrades unexplained, too; discovering them is part of the fun.
Modern sports games often make team-building a major draw. EA Sports FC, Madden NFL and NBA 2K all have modes built around assembling a squad, though those experiences can also encourage players to spend more on in-game packs. Tape to Tape offers a similar satisfaction without asking you to buy your way forward. You play, unlock free agents and gradually build your team.
The hockey itself feels like an arcade throwback. The controls are loose and simple, with an almost early-’90s feel. You’ll zip around the ice without having to learn a complicated set of moves. It’s less about mastering a deep control scheme and more about getting the basics right, which makes it a good fit for quick couch matches. All 32 NHL teams have their own versions in the game, so you can pit the Philadelphia Pliers against the Vegas Golden Lights.
There’s no icing and no penalties. Fights are another matter: they turn the whole rink into a brawl until one team is knocked out. The losing side then gets penalized for losing the fight. It’s ridiculous, and very funny.
At a time when sports games often chase realism and look for ways to get players spending, Tape to Tape is a welcome reminder that the genre can simply be fun. You can jump in for some arcade hockey with your favorite team, or spend more time exploring its roguelike systems. Either way, it’s a wonderfully concentrated dose of sports-game chaos.
Score: 10/10
Tape to Tape is available on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch and Steam. At the time of writing, it costs $19.99.
