Back in 2020, Fraymakers caught a lot of people's attention when it managed to blow past its Kickstarter goal within a day of the campaign going live. A platform fighting that draws heavy inspiration from Super Smash Bros., Fraymakers stood out to a lot of Smash fans due to its focus on the indie gaming scene. Two years after that initial Kickstarter, Fraymakers has just launched in early access.
Developed by Team Fray and published by McLeodGaming, Fraymakers is an indie 2D crossover platform fighter that features a roster full of iconic indie game characters. The game's main roster and selection of assist characters are a snapshot of some of the most iconic indie games of the last decade or so. Smash fans shouldn't let Fraymakers slip past their radar, especially since McLeodGaming happens to be responsible for one of the best Smash fan games out there.
The Team Behind Fraymakers Created One of the Best Smash Bros. Fan Games
Before Fraymakers, many Smash fans would likely remember McLeodGaming from the company's fantastic Super Smash Flash 2. Super Smash Flash 2 faithfully recreated a lot of Smash's mechanics and game feel, which is what helped it become one of the more praised fan games out there. Fraymakers has a publishing team behind it that knows what makes a fun and competitive platform fighter. While a lot of what's planned for Fraymakers is exciting, it should be noted the game is only in early access at the time of writing.
The highlight of Fraymakers in its current form is that it feels great to play. Each character is also wonderfully recreated in a way that, as many reviews have already stated, celebrates indie games. At the end of the day, that's really what makes Fraymakers such an exciting game. Smash Ultimate was too big a property to really give indie games the love that they deserve. Fraymakers looks to finally be that long-deserved love letter, especially with how well the game and the main roster characters play.
Many Elements of Fraymakers Will Feel Familiar to Smash Bros. Fans
Mechanically, there's a lot that Smash fans will appreciate in Fraymakers. The goal is to deal enough damage to the opponent to knock them off the stage, with higher damage leading to further knockback. Attacks can be modified when combined with directional inputs. There are special moves, aerials, shields, parries, dashes, and airdashes, but learning the game isn't quite as complex as other fighting games. In other words, it's easy to tell that Smash was one of the biggest inspirations in how Fraymakers plays.
The game's early access status doesn't mean Fraymakers isn't worth checking out yet. While some early access games can often be buggy, barely-playable messes, it's worth noting that Fraymakers had a closed beta prior to its early access release. While the game's Steam reviews are mentioning some significant performance issues online, there's also a lot of praise for the game's controls and overall feel. It's clear that much was carried over from Super Smash Flash 2 in that regard.
Fraymakers Will Only Get Better Down the Line
Another reason why Smash fans should keep Fraymakers on their radar is its modding tools. Modding seems to be a huge focus of Team Fray's, with the game's modding tools being made available alongside the early access release. While a lot of this comes down to time, there's a very real chance that with what's been shown off with Fray Tools, Fraymakers could become the M.U.G.E.N of platform fighters. People have already started making some pretty impressive characters, such as a version of Mario that's already on the Steam Workshop.
There are a few other early characters on the Workshop as well, with Mr. Game & Watch and Captain Falcon both sharing the front page with Mario. Characters aren't all that's possible with Fray Tools, as there are also a ton of stages already available. Modding seems to be in full swing for Fraymakers, which is incredibly exciting to see. With enough time and dedication from the community, Fraymakers could live up to its claim of being infinitely replayable.