At PAX East 2023 we came across Glitch Busters: Stuck On You, developed by Toylogic and published by Skybound Games. This isn’t just another co-op shooter. It’s a chaotic experience that combines cartoonish visuals with tight team-based gameplay. And it struck me as one of the under-the-radar fun-plays of the show.
What is Glitch Busters About? – A Magnetic Twist on Co-Op
Glitch Busters sets you in a cartoon toy-esque world overrun by players that are reminiscent of 90s 25 cent gum ball machine toys. Players take on the role of bizarrely adorable avatars—each literally stuck together by magnetism—to cleanse the digital world of corruption. The hook? You and your teammates are constantly attaching, stacking, and swinging off one another in what can only be described as physics-driven chaos.
“We wanted to create a game where collaboration was more than just a checkbox—it’s the heart of the experience,” explained producer Yuki Kobayashi, during my hands-on session at the Toylogic booth. “The magnets add a layer of strategic silliness. You’re always relying on your team to move, fight, and even survive.”
Gameplay: Competitive, Collaborative, and Chaotically Fun
Glitch Busters plays as a four-player co-op shooter where each level throws waves of digital enemies, platforming puzzles, and physics-based challenges your way. The magnet mechanic is not just a unique approach, as players can form totem towers to reach platforms, slingshot each other across gaps, and execute big group attacks.
Your CPU teammates do a solid job supporting you as you play by reviving you when downed, or helping complete
objectives without constantly getting in the way
Levels are short and full of creative enemy designs, each bringing their own approach that plays into the overall theme of “digital corruption.” Think Overcooked meets Splatoon, with a little Katamari Damacy flavor sprinkled in.
Art Style & Inspiration: Saturday Morning Glitchcore
The game’s visual direction is something you could have watched on a children’s cartoon. Toylogic leans into cel-shaded aesthetic that has vibrant colors, bouncy animations, and surreal effects all contribute to a “Saturday morning cartoon meets cyberspace” vibe.
Lead artist Rina Hoshino shared that the team took major cues from early 2000s Japanese arcade games and digital-age media. “We wanted the world to feel fun and a little weird—like a corrupted kids’ show inside a computer virus.”
Every character is designed like a mishmash of emojis, hardware parts, and comic strip energy. From floppy disk hats to CRT monitors for heads, the game constantly pokes fun at outdated tech in a way that feels nostalgic yet fresh.
Developer Vision: Co-Op for the Chaos-Loving Gamer
During our chat, Toylogic’s dev team emphasized how co-op dynamics were
central to every stage of development.
“We’ve seen tons of shooters that say they’re about teamwork,” said lead designer Takeshi Nakamura. “But in Glitch Busters, you literally can’t move forward without your friends. It’s hilarious, sometimes frustrating, but always rewarding.”
They also mentioned post-launch support, including new maps, enemy types, and potentially a versus mode that would pit squads of players against each other in chaotic magnetic showdowns.
It launches on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and Steam, This game would be a fun game night addition. Wishlist it!