Stick It to the Stickman

Stick It to the Stickman is a physics-based, comedic roguelite brawler developed by Free Lives (known for Broforce and Anger Foot) and published by Devolver Digital. Released into Early Access on August 18, 2025, the game satirizes the horrors of corporate life by having the player literally fight their way up the corporate ladder with increasingly ridiculous and brutal moves.

Plot: The Hostile Work Environment

The player is a low-level, blue stickman employee who has had enough. In a corporate dystopia where the only way to get a promotion is through violence, the player decides to stage a hostile takeover of the company. The objective of each run is to climb the floors of the tower, battling hordes of red stickmen colleagues and middle managers until confronting the current CEO on the rooftop.

The game is loaded with dark humor about modern capitalism and office life, transforming mundane aspects of work (like coffee breaks and meetings) into opportunities for ultra-violent, physics-driven chaos.

Core Gameplay: Physics and Fisticuffs

The gameplay is a fast-paced blend of fighting, platforming, and roguelite progression:

• Physics Brawler: Combat is driven by a highly interactive physics engine. Every punch, kick, and weapon strike sends the stickmen and surrounding office equipment flailing and flying. The environment is highly destructible, allowing players to kick enemies through windows, electrocute them on power outlets, or smash them with office furniture.

• Attack Sequencing: Every run starts with a chosen Employee Type (or job class, like 'The Temp' or 'The Weeb'), each with a unique passive ability and a set sequence of attacks (e.g., mug throw, then spin kick, then uppercut).

• The Roguelite Loop: As the player defeats enemies and gains promotions (levels), they are offered choices for new and more powerful moves to add to or upgrade their attack sequence. These moves range from fly kicks and groin kicks to using a chainsaw, staple gun, or even weaponized farts, creating hilariously customized and devastating combat machines on every attempt.

Progression and Customization

Success in a run is tied to maximizing your moveset and utilizing a complex meta-progression system:

• The Financial Tower: Between runs, players use currency earned to buy permanent upgrades in the Financial Tower. This skill tree allows for permanent stat boosts, unlocks new jobs, new gameplay areas, and new mechanics.

• World Map and Activities: The game world is not confined to the office. Players can access a small, open-world map to engage in minigames and activities like car theft and free-running to earn extra cash and components for unlocks, mimicking a simplified Grand Theft Auto-style system.

• Co-op Mode: The game also supports local co-op, allowing two players to team up and amplify the physics-based chaos as they fight their way up the corporate ladder together.

Stick It to the Stickman is a visceral, funny, and deeply replayable brawler that turns workplace frustrations into an absurd, physics-driven war.