The Switch is home to a lot of party games. This seemed like a given when the very first trailer for the console dropped nearly four years ago, and indeed it can often feel a bit overwhelming trying to find a decent party game in such a crowded space. Thankfully, then, we can heartily recommend Boomerang Fu if you’re after something light-hearted and accessible. It’s a fun game that, while slightly lacklustre in terms of game modes, is a great way to pass the time whether you’re looking to play by yourself, or with family and friends.

The aim of Boomerang Fu is pretty straightforward: each character is armed with a boomerang, and you’ll need to use this to take out your foes, collecting various power-ups as the sessions progress. If you throw your boomerang in a straight line, chances are it’ll fly right back into your hands. Sometimes through, objects can get in the way and it’ll clatter to the floor, leaving you defenceless against your opponents. Thankfully, holding down X will allow you to remotely draw the boomerang back into your hands; Obi-Wan would be proud.

Power-ups lie about the arenas at various intervals, and it’s always a bit of a scuffle to try and grab it before anyone else does. They’re extremely useful, as they grant permanent upgrades for as long as the match lasts, and you can grab multiple items to combine your abilities. One of the most useful combinations involves your boomerang splitting into several smaller boomerangs before exploding, wiping out any poor soul within the immediate vicinity.

How the matches play out is very much dependent on how many combatants are involved; you can have up to a maximum of six at once, and this many characters on the screen is simply chaotic, with boomerangs flying in every direction and explosions lighting the arena with fire. Matches with this many characters often end in mere seconds, but take the number of players down to just two, and it transforms the game into a tense one-on-one experience of cat and mouse that lasts much longer (and honestly, we genuinely had more fun playing this way).

With only three modes to choose from, we wish there was a bit more meat on Boomerang Fu’s bones. The Golden Boomerang mode is a welcome change from the standard Deathmatch, but not one that’s going to keep your attention for long, and unfortunately, there’s no story mode or any semblance of plot. There are plenty of gameplay modifiers to alter how the matches play out, but ultimately, Boomerang Fu’s longevity will largely depend on how often you’re able to play local multiplayer rather than against AI bots. Still, it‘s an adorable, hilarious experience that’s great fun in short bursts.