Today marks the release of the first major update for How Many Dudes?, with version 1.1 dropping a bunch of sports-themed dudes into the chaotic roguelite autobattler’s roster of nonsense. I didn’t get to play the game at launch, so I took the occasion of this update to sit down with the game and take a proper look.
What is How Many Dudes all about?
Developed by Crashlands studio Butterscotch Shenanigans, How Many Dudes? The Roguelike Autobattler (to give the game its full name just this once) is a leftfield autobattler that puts unlikely groups of dudes into deadly battles with strange creatures.
The resulting combat, which you don’t control directly, is pure and utter absurdity. There’s a grotesque amount of comic blood splatter, as your dudes tear into whatever group of enemies you’re up against next, whether that be babies, snakes, gorillas, or zombie bears.
Between these quick battles, you can add new dudes to your army, and at certain points you can upgrade them via items purchased from the shop. This roguelite-infused element feeds into your progress and allows you to discover all of the game’s different classes and upgrades at a nice, steady pace.
Dudes together
Your fighting force is made up of a maximum of six different types of dude. This simple restriction includes the most basic starter dudes you begin each game with (all of whom you will upgrade before the end). Choosing which dudes to work together is the core part of your decision-making.
A lot of the dudes synergise well together, and if you’re going to assemble an army capable of beating the final boss of your current tier (there are three tiers to work through), you’ll need to find a good balance between damage, healing, and supporting the different weaknesses inherent in each class.
Finding your stride means linking together a bunch of dudes with the synergies needed to overcome a range of different challenges. The biggest change of pace that you’ll face is a regular one, when you shift from having lots of tiny enemies to facing a few, much more powerful units – you have to be able to handle both.
Sports dudes enter the arena in 1.1
I’ve played How Many Dudes? before and after the big update, as the devs were kind enough to extend me early access. Since updating the game, I made a point of making sure to see all of the new sports-themed dudes in action, and I’m really pleased with how well they fit into the overall feel and style of the game.
There’s a nice mixture of classes to support different battlefield functions. The coach, for example, is a good support unit, the football players charge into enemies to deliver damage, and the soccer dudes kick a ball between themselves.
The update also delivers a reworked progression system that lets you have a bit more autonomy over your build in-game, which I instantly noted and appreciated. The Dude Coin system adds new stat bonuses to the overall meta-progression, too.
Then there are the new modes. Endless mode keeps you going once the boss is down, but scales quickly. Challenge mode is for those seeking a sterner challenge, with stronger bosses but extra rewards.
I think the update that will be most appreciated in the long term is a minor one, and that’s the new Turbo Mode. One of my biggest pre-update issues was the speed of some matches, especially later on in the campaign. Now you can shave seconds off each round by selecting the new 2X speed (toggled via the menu).
How Many Dudes? was already a wacky autobattler before the sports dudes turned up in Update 1.1, but the new classes and the gameplay changes have improved an already good game. Now there’s even more fun to be had as your silliest dude armies take on batshit combinations of strange creatures in bloody battles to the death.
How Many Dudes? is out now on Android, iOS, and PC (Win). I played the game via access kindly provided by the developer.
