Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout is the latest and cutest multiplayer game to take the battle royale genre by storm. Unlike other battle royale games, Fall Guys substitutes the combat for Mario Party-esc mini-games where large groups of players compete to be number one. Despite only having a Jump, Grab, and Dive button, there’s a fair amount of skill involved if you want to survive. With 30 mini-games shipping at launch, Fall Guys can be rather tricky to master given the sheer variety of challenges you’ll face. From parkouring over treacherous pink lava to platforms that vanish under your feet, there’s a lot to grapple in this battle royale.
Here are some tips and tricks to help you rise above the rest.
1. You Can Bounce On Some Surfaces
While you are very beholden to the gods of weird ragdoll physics, there are some surfaces that won’t send you flopping around. Throughout multiple maps, you will find yellow triangles with purple and pink confetti designs. These are typically used as dividers, but you can actually hop on these to get some extra height. This is not only great for getting clear of the chaos below but avoiding some obstacles entirely.
For example, in the Slime Climb, there is a portion early on with these dividers. You can actually jump on these to boost yourself to the next section and avoid one of the obstacles. Always keep an eye out for these, as they can mean the difference between failing and qualifying.
2. Being First Isn’t Always Better
This might seem like a weird one, but hear me out. In a lot of the earlier stages, you will be tasked with running rather tricky obstacle courses that can be difficult to navigate. This is especially true for ones such as the Door Dash or Tip Toe which punishes those willing to take risks. Letting others do the heavy lifting for you can save you a ton of time, especially if luck is completely involved when you are advancing through the mini-games. Remember, the only game that matters for you coming in first is the one where the crown is on the line. A smart sentient jelly bean lets others do the heaving lifting for them!
3. Don’t Ignore the Grab Button
One feature I don’t see people using nearly enough is the Grab button. This allows you to snatch and slow down any person you hold onto. This can be annoying sure, but it’s also a great way to kill someone’s momentum or movement. One trick I like to do is to grab someone right before they jump a gap and then quickly let go. Not only does this drastically slow that jelly bean down, but it typically mess up their cadence, causing them to fall into the gap. You can also use this to keep people off of platforms by guarding a ledge and quickly grabbing them.
4. Be Proactive in Team Games
One unique aspect of Fall Guys is you’ll occasionally be broken up into different colored teams. These mini-games revolve around not being in last place, otherwise, the entire team losing team will be eliminated. Because of this, you’ll want to be very proactive during team games to ensure your group doesn’t land in last place. One of the best mini-games to do this in is Rock ‘N’ Roll, where your team has to push a ball into a net before everyone else. You only really need about 4-5 people to effectively push the ball, the others can run ahead and body block the other users. This not only will stall them but can give you an opening to take the lead!
While the crown can only be claimed by one, you should always try to support your teammates in these mini-games. Another example of this is Team Tail Tag where you have to collect tails off the backsides of enemy beans. If you don’t have a tail, consider playing defense for a fellow player. Grab and pull those who are chasing after your teammate’s tail! Always try to help out where you can, as a team looking out for one another will have a better chance at surviving.
5. Practice Diving
Diving is one of the most underused mechanics in Fall Guys. This ability allows you to propel your little bean forward whether they are on the ground or mid-jump. It’s a superb movement option that lets you clear larger gaps or take riskier jumps. Since you can dive mid-jump, it’s possible to jump up and then dive forward to gain some extra momentum. This is great for when there are a ton of players all piled on one another, as the extra time in the air will allow you to soar over them.
Additionally, the dive can be combined with the grab to catch foes in front of you off guard. It’s a fun little trick for surprising enemies, just make sure you actually land the maneuver otherwise you’ll need to take a second to recover. You can also just dive into other beans, knocking them over like helpless bowling ball pins. While this isn’t the most strategic way of defeating your foes, it sure is funny!
Bonus Tip: Grab the Crown, Don’t Run Into It
Assuming you make it all the way to the last mini-game, you will be tasked with actually grabbing a giant golden crown at the end of an obstacle course. Many assume you just need to touch the crown for it to claim you as the victor, but that’s not true. To win, you need to use the actual grab button and grab the crown. This has messed up so many people before, so don’t let it ruin your chances at first place! Always be ready to slam that grab button the moment you are close to the crown.
Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout is currently available on PC and for free on PlayStation 4.
