The Outlast Trials
The Outlast Trials
Game
Game2023
Tape to Tape
Developer Excellent Rectangle
Tape to Tape is a roguelite hockey game where every choice matters on your journey to build the best hockey team. Choose your path, hire unique players, discover synergies between them, pick unique abilities, bribe the referees or visit the Blademaster on your way to restore hockey's former glory. From the Steam store page
444 reactions from 4 sources (Steam reviews, Bluesky, Mastodon, Lemmy) · newest Nov 5, 2026 · last updated Nov 6, 2026 · How this works
Audience score
90
LovedLoved
329 positive · 36 negative
95% range 87–93%
| Source | + | − | = |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steam reviews | 329 | 36 | 0 |
| Bluesky * | 38 | 0 | 29 |
| Mastodon * | 5 | 0 | 6 |
| Lemmy * | 0 | 0 | 1 |
* shown, not counted in the score (label accuracy below our 85% bar or not yet audited).
Steam's own rating
Very Positive
3,774 of 4,081 reviews positive (all languages, per Valve)
What players are saying
91% recommend · 220 yes, 21 no
Counted from the reviewers’ own thumbs up/down on the 241 English Steam reviews we collected, not by the AI. Valve’s all-language rating: Very Positive (3,434 of 3,728 positive).
Players praise the fun, arcade-style hockey gameplay and roguelike campaign. [1][2][3][4] Some find the AI frustrating, with unfair goalies and rubberbanding. [5][6][7][8] It is considered the best hockey game on PC by several players. [3][4][9]
Liked
Representative posts
- [7]
Love the idea, dislike the execution. Mainly because the AI has the equivalent of "rubberbanding" in racing games... Basically, if you starting playing too well or winning too much, the AI will cheat (unlimited sprint, perfect aim, perfect tackles, etc) to catch-up to you or put the challenge back up.
- [5]
I find this game insanely frustrating. The core gameplay is great. Making plays can be very satisfying. My only issue is the goal-tending. The opponent's goalies will consistently make god-like saves, blocking up to 30 shots without getting scored on. No matter what I try: 2-0 with passing, save; breakaway with a deke, save; one timer from the slot, save. Meanwhile my goalie gets scored on from the centre line. It's …
- [3]
After nearly 40 videos on my YT channel and 130+ Hours, I can easily say this is the best modern hockey game of our time. If it looks fun to you and you like ARCADE Hockey, this one is a MUST. I purchased this game myself and nobody asked me to write a review, instead, I strongly feel more people should enjoy this game if you're looking for a Hockey sim or a Roguelite. A True 10/10 A+++ that somehow keeps getting …
- [4]
This is the best hockey game to come out for PC since....ever. If you've been disappointed by a lack of official NHL releases on PC and/or you're not happy with how complicated they've become, this will be your oasis. Growing up with NHL 94, this game brings me right back. Controls are simple and don't demand too much from you, just the usual X to shoot, A to pass, B to bodycheck, Y to use a special ability, then …
- [19]
Came for hockey. Stayed for the chaos. At first glance, it feels a bit like NHL — the controls are familiar, you can actually play proper hockey — but then the game just goes completely off the rails in the best possible way. This is not your standard hockey game. It’s part hockey, part absolute mayhem, part “what did I just unlock and why is it so funny?” The abilities and upgrades are where it really shines. Some …
Summarised from 34 of the 292 public posts collected about this game; every point cites the posts behind it ([n] opens the post) and the split is counted from the posts’ own ratings. Updated Oct 12, 2026. How summaries are made
RottenBot@rottenbot · automated account
91% of the 241 Steam reviewers we collected recommend Tape to Tape. The complaint that keeps coming up: aI goalies are too strong and frustrating. Deal-breaker or nitpick?
Reactions
60 of 444 · most liked firstLove the idea, dislike the execution. Mainly because the AI has the equivalent of "rubberbanding" in racing games... Basically, if you starting playing too well or winning too much, the AI will cheat (unlimited sprint, perfect aim, perfect tackles, etc) to catch-up to you or put the challenge back up.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I like the concept of this game but there are many core things that get very frustrating quickly and make me not want to play it. 1) The AI controlling your teammates is not very smart, I would even call it dumb. All your players move around very (too) freely, the concept of playing a position does not really exist in this game and you cannot do anything about it. Your RW might as well be your LD in many situations and all players usually collapse very deep towards the net after a shot…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I find this game insanely frustrating. The core gameplay is great. Making plays can be very satisfying. My only issue is the goal-tending. The opponent's goalies will consistently make god-like saves, blocking up to 30 shots without getting scored on. No matter what I try: 2-0 with passing, save; breakaway with a deke, save; one timer from the slot, save. Meanwhile my goalie gets scored on from the centre line. It's so frustratingly un-fun.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →First time leaving a review on Steam. I wanted to join the conversation after seeing some negative reviews. I'm a die-hard hockey fan. I follow it daily, have played every NHL game, and have thousands of hours in NHL video games. So I should be cracked at this game, right? Wrong. And guess what? That’s okay. This game is a hockey roguelite, not an NHL sim. I actually have two friends who don’t play NHL games at all, and they’re better than me at this game. I think the main reason is that I…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Lots of potential. The "AI" positioning makes solo play infuriatingly unplayable. Or just score first and sit your own zone with puck and wait for the game to end since the AI never leaves the neutral zone....
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →They really nailed the gameplay. Strip away all the power-ups and the actual hockey gameplay is really solid and the best kind of arcade style fun. Let me absolutely deck the goalies and add a franchise mode and its a 10 from me.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I'm here because of Linus, this game is absolutely incredible. Don't expect extreme realism but also it's not too cartoons. You don't need to love hockey to love this game. If you like Mario striker this is the game for you. I especially love the progression in the campaign.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →TAPE TO TAPE MIIITTCCHYYYYY SCOOORREESSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! LEAFS TIE THE GAME AT 1!!!!!!!!!!! #LeafsForever
neutral · AI labelView post →I really really really hate to leave a negative review for this game because it is a really fun hockey game. However, I feel like I have to because the "new" campaign is much worse than the old. They took a completely fun roguelike campaign and made it worse. I will absolutely change this review if they improve upon it, but man it is so much worse than it was before.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →After nearly 40 videos on my YT channel and 130+ Hours, I can easily say this is the best modern hockey game of our time. If it looks fun to you and you like ARCADE Hockey, this one is a MUST. I purchased this game myself and nobody asked me to write a review, instead, I strongly feel more people should enjoy this game if you're looking for a Hockey sim or a Roguelite. A True 10/10 A+++ that somehow keeps getting better with each update. A personal favorite of mine.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →---{ Graphics }--- ☐ You forget what reality is ☐ Beautiful ☐ Good ☑ Decent ☐ Bad ☐ Don‘t look too long at it ☐ MS-DOS ---{ Gameplay }--- ☐ Very good ☑ Good ☐ It's just gameplay ☐ Mehh ☐ Watch paint dry instead ☐ Just don't ---{ Audio }--- ☐ Eargasm ☐ Very good ☑ Good ☐ Not too bad ☐ Bad ☐ I'm now deaf ---{ Audience }--- ☑ Kids ☑ Teens ☑ Adults ☐ Grandma ---{ PC Requirements }--- ☐ Check if you can run paint ☑ Potato ☐ Decent ☐ Fast ☐ Rich boi ☐ Ask NASA if they have a spare computer ---{…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →My kids (10 & 8) and I play this together on Easy and have a blast. I play it solo and Veteran and get my ass kicked. Good times. 9/10 for a simple hockey/fun hockey game.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Bought it because is basically the only hockey game for steamdeck. Can't. Put. It. Down. Balatro effect pt 2
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This is the best hockey game to come out for PC since....ever. If you've been disappointed by a lack of official NHL releases on PC and/or you're not happy with how complicated they've become, this will be your oasis. Growing up with NHL 94, this game brings me right back. Controls are simple and don't demand too much from you, just the usual X to shoot, A to pass, B to bodycheck, Y to use a special ability, then the rest is up to you. They have a Roguelike campaign that's similar to Slay the…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Fantastic game. This is the most fun I've had playing a hockey game since NHL Hitz.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This is the answer for those jonesing for old school hockey before EA ruined it. If they used these game mechanics for a semi-serious, line changing, player fighting, league pursuing game, then the EA monster could be slain. Real players and institutions be damned for their greediness.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Feels more like a Early 2000's sports game. Back when they were good! prioritizing fun!
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The game somehow looks better in action, than on steam page! It feels like a quality product with funny animations & smooth mechanics on par with better video hockeys, also having rogue-ish powerups & characters with defined individuality (every other hockey tragically lacking). Being an experienced hockey gamer i must say this one plays better than competitors since Sega times (closest to "Mutant League Hockey", which was the G.O.A.T.), didn't notice much cheating from cpu either. Definitely…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Most fun I've had since 3on3 NHLarcade. This is what a sports game should be. The new campaign mode is a much needed improvement with pre-made rosters, free agents, injuries, lineup changes, etc. The gameplay loop is much more fun
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Going live for The Editor's Hour in just a few moments with @thejenna.bsky.social playing the roguelite hockey game, Tape to Tape! Come hang!
neutral · AI labelView post →With very little hockey games available, this one scratches the itch. It mixes a little realism with a whole lot of unrealism...but it is fun and that is what counts.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Solid hockey game. It's like what NFL Blitz was for football but in a hockey format.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I love the feel of a good hockey game, and I really like "Tape to Tape" for nailing that feeling. www.youtube.com/watch?v=4DUs...
positive · AI labelView post →Edit: I don't really recommend this game that much any more. Each update I play it just gets more and more overproduced and the AI just feels more and more random and unfair. I hope you turn it around again eventually. Excellent game. It really scratches that arcade NHL98 itch which cant really be achieved with the emulators because the controllers doesnt track as well as the old SNES pads did, but at the same time puts a roguelike filter on top which modernizes the concept to what I might be…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Best hockey game on pc but there are no hockey games on pc. So far i give this a solid 7/10 where normal nhl games only sit at a 4 or 5/10. Those nhl games have millions invested into them and are nowhere near as good as this, its sad. Plus they wont even release it on pc.... The playtest is great, I bought the game right after the playtest and I think the devs should keep that on the store as a trial version to let people see how good this game is and can be. Without real demos like that, I…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Came for hockey. Stayed for the chaos. At first glance, it feels a bit like NHL — the controls are familiar, you can actually play proper hockey — but then the game just goes completely off the rails in the best possible way. This is not your standard hockey game. It’s part hockey, part absolute mayhem, part “what did I just unlock and why is it so funny?” The abilities and upgrades are where it really shines. Some of them are straight-up ridiculous, but they work, and they make every…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Tape to Tape is a really fun and refreshing take on hockey games that stands out thanks to its creativity and charm. The gameplay feels smooth, responsive, and fast-paced, making every match exciting and satisfying to play. It captures the energy of hockey while adding its own unique twist, which keeps things feeling fresh rather than repetitive. One of the best parts of the game is its roguelike structure. Each run feels different, with new upgrades, events, and challenges along the way, so…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →If you like old school hockey games, power ups, craziness, and having fun, you'll enjoy this game.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I do enjoy myself when I play the game, but it's no where near what it needs to be to be fair and truly fun. Issues with AI bunching up, lack of control over the goalie, and unclear passing rules leaves me never feeling like I've earned it when I when, nor that it was fair when I lose. Frankly the outcome of the game feels almost entirely out of my control. I'll keep checking in but for now, pass.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →@polykillpodcast.bsky.social #JustBeatIt Tape to Tape asks, what if NHL 94 was a roguelite? This indie game nails the solid hockey gameplay and adds roguelite elements like earning new artifacts and talents to improve your run, unlocking new players and power ups, and buying permanent upgrades. 9/10
positive · AI labelView post →Its clear to me that you're not really worth engaging with. But I'll basically restate my point. There are a ton of really great games out there; you're playing the wrong ones. * It Takes Two and Split Fiction. Two excellent split screen games that came out from one studio within the last 5 years. * Factorio. One of the best single player games I've ever played. There is multiplayer co-op but that's not really the point of the game. * Peak, RV There Yet, and other games in the…
neutral · AI labelView post →Great game, very fun rouge like. Please come out with a soccer version!
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Great little game. I love this direction for sports-related games- there need to be more!
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →your own teams goalie mechanics are the worst i have ever seen of any sports game. the fact that the average save % of your own goalie is 80% is beyond me. Not to mention if you play on Nightmare mode your tendy save % drops to about 76%. Your teammates don't go on the attack with you or crash the net, game is just brutal right now. They won't fix it, they're not coming out with frequent updates, about 1 update a year if that. Your own goalie can't make enough stops while the other team's…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This game is awesome! It's like the NHL-games from back in the 90's with a bunch of over the top violence and silly abilities thrown in... As a bonus it works flawlessly on the steam deck! I only wish you could do proper online PvP with other people than your friends through "Remote play together"
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This game really is a fantastic idea with good execution with developers that can't seem to get out of their own way whenever they want to adjust the difficulty of the game. They have an incredibly solid idea with a good working version and then they take their proverbial gun and point it directly at the game's kneecaps repeatedly when it comes to how to balance it. Every update is a coin flip to see if it is actually good or not. Any goalie changes? Probably terrible. The last…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →One of my favourite games that I never get bored of. It's frantic, crazy and full of laughter. Whilst I enjoy ice hockey I have watched very little and have little knowledge of the sport, it's something that I would like to get into much more and this scratches that itch. Can't wait for more content to arrive.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →You'll get about 2 good hours out of this game before you realize that's all there is to it. Bad replayability for a roguelike is about the worst thing you can say about it. If it's worth 2 hours of gameplay, then go for it.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →52. Tape to Tape (2023, PC). After Supergiant Games's Pyre, my soul has yearned for more innovative fantasy RPG/sport games hybrids. Lo and behold, Tape to Tape, a roguelike game set in a hockey-obsessed fantasy world... with a Bob's Burgers-esque art style. ... Sure, I'll take it!
positive · AI labelView post →Good hockey game since there are no NHL on PC. Looks like arcade hockey, with different twist, just simple. Hit and score goals
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Love the game it's a lot of fun, however as some others have mentioned there's a bit of an issue with the AI especially in career mode and hard mode. Essentially the computer has unlimited spring, max sprint and everything. If I'm playing hard mode I don't expect an easy ride obviously, but everyone on the opposing team running at you full pelt whilst you skate around at half the speed is just silly. I also noticed (as someone else pointed out) that as soon as you start doing too well, it's as…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Tape to Tape - A Roguelite Hockey Game? #Hockey #Roguelite #Indiegame #whattoplay #roguelike
neutral · AI labelView post →I actually love this game, but I feel like I'm rarely ever outplayed by the opponent AI. I would guess 90% of my loses come from my own goalie deciding to play a entirely different game. It feels awful seeing the most basic of shots go in when you're on the 3rd level with a good run. He never feels like he upgrades or gets better during the run. The powerups you can give him feel mostly worthless. I consistently get .89 goalie save percentage with him and he feels like a complete detriment.…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I miss fun sports games so much, Tape to Tape is a fun hockey game that gives me some hope for an indie future Also I want college basketball again and that's just completely dead
positive · AI labelView post →The original game just felt a lot tighter than the new betas, which makes sense since they're trying to pivot a bit. But the actual gameplay on the beta just feels sloppy compared to the main game. The NPC's on your team just don't feel like they position as well and the goalie is just terrible. It feels like the goalie AI's positioning is terrible and the amount of times pucks have bounced off of him and into the net is just so annoying. Some of the new teams just feel terrible to play…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Pretty decent except is a little broken and short. Overall a good time!
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Why are you reading this and not buying/playing this game? I've really only played the campaign 1.0. And I admit, it didn't click with me at first...I kept wanting to just play video game hockey. But then I remembered "roguelite" and then click - I'm hooked. I'm wanting to play video hockey, so maybe I'm not so good with my words, however I do know I play this daily now. So ... Why are you STILL reading? Go... Buy it, on sale or not. Btw, it's GREAT on the steam deck. To the devs, sorry it…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →overall great game, all the different opponents you face is different and unique. ULTIMATLY this cures my itch for being able to play hockey games on the pc
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I've wanted a follow up to Mutant League Hockey from the 90s for a long time. This fits the bill for that, and I presume if I went back to play that game, I would end up picking this over that old EA Genesis game. Pick it up if you like Hockey at all.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →ust now i used to really enjoy this game before the most recent update...everything they claimed to make better is actually worse: the ai-worse than ever no one tracks the loose puck, the goalie: makes so many unnecessary movements, they take your 2nd star player away s the team has no potential, bodychecking has become almost worthless unless you have a large player with high rating....y'all just made terrible changes to this game
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Great fun with friends. I am feeling the NHL 95 vibe, and I like it. Love where the beta branch is going! Big head manchild FTW
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I put off getting this in the past due to wanting a "real" hockey game on PC, but I am glad I picked this up. It's been a blast. I am just starting to try their new 2.0 campaign in beta, and so far so good. Don't go into this expecting anything like the NHL series games, this is a great arcade experience with fun rougelike elements.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I love hockey and I like roguelites, and somehow this game failed to entertain me. The general idea behind the game is awesome, I can see that people who created this one are diehard hockey fans too, but unfortunately it doesn't hook me. Every game feels the same, like an uncontrollable mess. I don't feel the difference between the rivals. Power-ups are fun on the paper but don't make a lot of sense gameplay-wise. And yeah, what comes to the gameplay, it feels like totally…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This reminds me of games like NHL Hitz and NHL Rock the Rink with its own style and flair. This is a perfect rogue/hockey combo.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I still can't justify purchasing this game. It's been a little over 3 years and very little has changed. It barely justifies itself as a hockey game at all. There's icing but no offsides. Defense often keeps a man down by your blueline. Some skills are more chaotic than fun. I've tried the recent beta as well and that is currently playing worse when it comes to player AI as you'll never find your teammates near the net as if they're trying to take one timers away from happening more. How much…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →It's so good and somehow keeps getting better. Best hockey game on Steam for sure.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This might be a fun game but getting to the tutorial was a pain, you can accidentally (or on purpose) hit the guy who is walking you through the tutorial, and push him out of screen. I was already annoyed with the first "run" that when i found the tutorial i was pissed i couldn't fastforward past the little narrative. I don't give a s*** about the cell shaded man's golf dreams or whatever, just let me get to the game. The game camera moves significantly slower than the puck. If you have a…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Great game, offers a lot of what a more famous, allegedly AAA, game lacks and misses (even if it was available on PC).
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The game is great but there are a lot of technical bugs with it. Freezing and locking you on one screen forcing you to alt f4. Its happened a few times while ive played. For a game like this where your run means the world to you in the moment its unacceptable. This game really has the makings to be one of the greatest once they smooth it out. I pray they add multiplayer.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →UPDATE: Nope, the AI still blatently cheats, it doesn't "get better the more you play". Your guys are actual vegetables, their guys are Gretzky's direct offspring, especially when they're losing. Your goalie can't stop a beach ball, their goalie is prime Brodeur. Trash balance that is most likely disguised as "no it's actually just difficult". No, it's cheap, ♥♥♥♥ off. Until the blatent cheating the opponent AI does is fixed, can't recommend this game. Losing is not fun when it's obvious you…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
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