I’ve played my fair share of odd games, but Q-Up is one of the strangest. I’ve spent over 10 hours in the ‘eSport of the future’, and I’m a little underwhelmed. This is an unusual game that features some creative elements. Unfortunately, the pacing ruins the fun, and I’m not sure most will bother to slog through it all.
Q or Up, it’s that simple
This game takes flipping a coin and turns it into a sport. You begin the game selecting from one of three available characters. From there, you jump into a “multiplayer” game where two teams, Q or Up, face off in a game of coin flipping. That’s all there is. You don’t impact the results, and your character doesn’t even toss the coin. You only watch to see if it lands on either Q or Up. If you’re on the Q side and it lands on Q, your team earns a point. If it lands on “Up,” then the other team earns the point. The team to earns three points first wins.
Beyond that, you’re leveling up your character’s Q-level to move up the game’s ranking system. Winning earns you Q points, while losing usually results in a loss of points. There are ways to increase your points and to limit the points you lose. But that takes a bit of time and experimenting with the game’s skill system.
Other factors improve your rank. On top of the skill system that lets you put points on traits and actions, you can also buy traits. Between matches, you can use the money you’ve earned to buy items. These can grant you extras such as increased XP, bonus coins, and more. You can also earn diamonds. You can use those to increase your purse, unlock more item slots, and other stuff.
I can’t tell if there is more to the game
Let it be clear, while this gives the impression of a multiplayer game, it’s a single-player experience. They simulate looking for a match, waiting in a lobby, and other multiplayer aspects. But it’s all for show. The game goes so far as creating fake blog posts, which, when you click, make fun of you for clicking the link.
There is a game within the game. Early on, you’ll get recruited to work for the company behind Q-Up. From there, you’ll start getting strange emails. You’ll get rewards for winning a match 3-0. Or, you’ll get an apology if you lose 0-3. Yes, you can respond to the messages, but in most cases, it doesn’t result in anything meaningful.
The problem with this part of the game is that the progression is slow. You only trigger emails at certain points in the game. If it’s taking you a while to move up the game’s ranks, then it might be hours before you get something new or different. Sure, the idea of Q-Up is unique, but the novelty can’t hold your attention for very long.
Not sure people will invest the time
It took me over seven hours to reach a point in the game where they ‘introduce’ a new gameplay hook to Q-Up. Then, it took another two hours before I hit another major plot point in the story. While I can see that something else is bound to happen once I reach a certain rank, I don’t know how long it will take.
At that seven-hour mark, I had already maxed out my wallet and crystal collection. There is nothing more for me to spend my coins on or to redeem the diamonds for. I’m now using my excess coins to increase my Q-score.
Around the nine-hour mark, I hit what feels like the third act, heading towards a conclusion. But I still have another couple of hours of ranking up before I see it. I already reached Level 50 for my character. Sure, I can earn over a 1 billion Q-points a turn, but I can also lose the same amount (or more). The grinding is not fun.
I wish I played something else
Q-Up is an interesting concept, but the pacing is a letdown. My expectations for this game were that I could finish it in a couple of hours. Instead, I’m fine not seeing the end, even with all the time I’ve invested. While some people will enjoy what this game has to offer, I’m not one of them.
