This is the tenth entry in the Scratching That Itch series, wherein I randomly select and write about one of the 1704 1741 games and game-related things included in the itch.io Bundle for Racial Justice and Equality. The Bundle raised $8,175,279.81 split evenly between the NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund and Community Bail Fund, but don’t worry if you missed it. There are plenty of ways you can help support the vital cause of racial justice; try here for a start. Lastly, as always, you may click on images to view larger versions.

Our next random selection from the itch.io Bundle for Racial Justice and Equality is Bumper Boss, by Jayometric. Its tagline in the bundle reads:

Push your friends to the edge as you bump your way to victory!

Hmm… “friends”, you say?

Reader, it is as I feared. Bumper Boss is a local multiplayer game, meaning you must gather 2-4 players together around the same PC, plug in an equal number of gamepads, and then play against each other. I do not have 2-4 people, and there’s no single-player mode whatsoever. But do not despair! I do have two gamepads. There was nothing for it but to plug them both in, start a 2-player game, and attempt to play as both players at the same time. Such is my dedication to you, reader.

As I’m sure you’ve guessed, this really didn’t work. But it at least got the game to start, so I could see what it’s like. There are two different game modes: Bump Boss and Race. In Bump Boss, each player controls what appears to be a billiards ball, rolling it around on a small platform using the analogue stick. The aim is to knock the other players off the platform. One of the face buttons can be used to boost. That’s pretty much it! There are a few different levels to choose from, most of which turn the platform into a series of terrifyingly narrow paths designed to make players careen off to their doom. Sit around too long without moving, however, and the platform will start to crumble, so it’s best to be aggressive.

Despite the simplicity, I can see this being a fun local multiplayer game. I imagine rounds will be short and frantic, full of careening balls just barely under control, with shouts of triumph and dismay from players, and lots of laughter. Play a few rounds and new primary and secondary skins are unlocked, letting players customize the appearance of their ball, generally by turning it into a decidedly non-spherical lumpy shape, covered in brightly colored nubs or bristles. But they still roll fine, the customization is purely cosmetic.

My attempts to control both balls at once inevitably ended with both falling off the platform immediately, so I tried my hand at the Race mode instead. Here, players must roll their balls along individual narrow, winding platforms as fast as possible, trying not to fall. I thought I might get away with only racing one of the two balls, but after a few seconds the platform starts to crumble behind the balls, to encourage speed over caution. So the second ball plummeted to its doom. My attempts to race both at once, of course, ended even faster.

Without an actual, real second player, I can’t do much more with Bumper Boss. But I think it has potential. And it gets bonus points for working with my ancient, third-party gamepads with no fuss at all. If you’ve got several people (and gamepads) lying around, why not fire it up and see how you get on with it? If you missed it in the bundle, it’s available for a minimum price of $3.

We’re into the double digits! That’s ten down, and 1694 1731 to go.