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Skate Story makes a glass demon’s skateboard ride through the underworld a story about fragility as well as tricks. That specific, strange creative vision makes the game a persuasive case for taking risks—not proof that the whole industry is playing it safe.
What makes Skate Story unusual?
Developed by Sam Eng and published by Devolver Digital, Skate Story gives its central image an immediate tension: its protagonist is a demon made of glass. The Devil provides a skateboard, and the demon sets out through the underworld to eat the Moon. The premise is surreal, but the fragility is not just decorative. In an April 2023 preview, Eng described an interest in the anxiety of falling and the vulnerability that a glass character makes visible. Edge’s preview traces that creative intent.
That choice changes the emotional frame of skateboarding. A fall is not merely a missed trick; the character can shatter. The image turns a familiar physical risk into the game’s defining vulnerability, linking the act of skating to the story’s larger oddness.
A personal vision without a ready-made blueprint
Eng told Edge, “I feel like there’s no blueprint for what I’m trying to make.” He also described the long imaginative effort of game development: “For a game, you have to hold the feeling in your brain for such a long time.” Those comments help explain why Skate Story stands out: its premise, tone, and skating are being shaped around a distinct feeling rather than a familiar template.
#1 Best Overall
- My Childhood Skate Story Game Simulator is a nostalgic skateboarding experience that brings back the freedom, excitement, and imagination of growing up on a board. In My Childhood Skate Story Game Simulator, you relive a personal journey where every ride feels like a memory in the making. Explore familiar streets, practice tricks, and enjoy simple moments that capture the spirit of youth.
Eng’s influences also show that originality does not mean creating in isolation. Edge reported that Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater helped inspire him to skateboard in real life, while EA’s Skate informed the control scheme. He also cited Sayonara Wild Hearts and Hyper Demon. These are influences, not evidence that Skate Story is a direct comparison or substitute for those games.
Edge’s 2023 account says Devolver Digital became involved while Eng had been developing the game with his savings. That is a snapshot of the project’s development at the time, not a statement about its current production or financial circumstances.
Rank #2
- The KerPlunk game kids love featuring the Hi-Tech Edition Buzz Lightyears and crane inspired by Disney and Pixar’s Toy Story 5!
- Roll the die and remove a stick of the matching color. If any Buzz Lightyears fall, you must keep them.
- When all the Buzz Lightyears have tumbled down, the player with the fewest wins!
- Clouds on the sticks let colorblind players easily identify which stick to pull.
- Fun for the whole family, kids and adults alike, easy to learn and perfect for family game night or party play!
Style, sound, and humor support the premise
A year-in-review critic for SUPERJUMP praised the game’s “lo-fi, psychedelic aesthetic” for remaining readable, and singled out its matching soundtrack. The same retrospective also highlighted dry absurdist humor and the skating; its reviewer noted that wiping out shatters the character. Those are one reviewer’s assessments, not a claim of critical consensus. Read the SUPERJUMP retrospective.
Readability matters in a game built around movement and falls: a striking visual style has to leave room for the player to understand what is happening. The reviewer’s praise suggests that the game’s psychedelic look and skating are not treated as competing priorities. The glass body, meanwhile, lets a wipeout reinforce the premise instead of functioning as a generic failure state.
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Rank #3
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- How to Use: The basics are super easy: combine character cards with complication cards and follow your imagination into a story; Includes a booklet with prompts, suggestions, and non-competitive storytelling games; Great gift for teachers
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Why this kind of game matters
Calling Skate Story the kind of game we need more of is an argument about creative ambition, not a measurable verdict on the industry. The available coverage does not establish a broad trend toward safer games. What it does show is a project willing to build its identity around an unlikely combination: skateboarding, a breakable demon, an underworld journey, and an absurd goal.
That combination is the point. The game does not need to prove that every release should be surreal or that familiar genres have run out of possibilities. It makes a narrower, stronger case: a recognizable activity can feel fresh when a creator gives it an unusual emotional and visual frame. Eng’s stated interest in the anxiety of falling supplies a through-line from the glass protagonist to the skating itself.
Rank #4
- TURN PICTURES INTO HILARIOUS STORIES: Get ready for non-stop laughter! The rules are simple: flip 1 Theme card (like "Silly"), use 2 Picture cards (like a Ninja and a Pizza), and weave them together into a wild tale!
- TWO WAYS TO PLAY: COMPETITIVE & CO-OP: Whether you love friendly rivalry or teamwork, this game adapts to your group. In Competitive mode, players battle to win the Judge's vote for the best story. In Cooperative mode, everyone works together to build one winding tale.
- BOOST CONFIDENCE & COMMUNICATION: Widely loved by parents and teachers as a speech therapy toy and kindergarten learning activity, this game scaffolds sentence building and storytelling in a playful environment.
- UNPLUGGED FUN FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY: Parents will genuinely laugh out loud at the ridiculous combinations their children invent. It's the perfect family game night choice to get everyone talking, bonding, and making memories.
- THE PERFECT GIFT FOR GROWING MINDS - Looking for a fun gift and educational toy for 4+ year old kids? Designed as a game for kids ages 4-8, the gameplay scales perfectly as it is easy enough for younger kids and challenging enough for older kids and even adults.
Release information and what is not confirmed here
A PC Gamer preview excerpt reproduced on Scribd lists December 8, 2025 as the release date and names Sam Eng and Devolver Digital. That reproduced excerpt is the basis for the date cited here; it does not confirm current platform availability, regional storefront listings, or a physical edition. Check an official storefront for current purchase details.
Quick Recap
Best Value
- Learn the ins and outs of skating with the all-new Skate School where you can practice your skills on the sticks. Customize your experience with new on-screen guides including a manual meter and Flickit trick analyzer
- Multiplayer allows you to progress through the career campaign with others or slay them in head-to-head competitive battles. Keep tabs on teammates and rivals with Skate Feed, the all-new game and web social network
- Say hello to darkslides, underflips, and the all-new skate mecca, Port Carverton - featuring unique districts, plazas, skateparks and endless lines, this is the true skater's paradise
- Form teams to become a skate industry mogul. From completing online challenges to creating skate parks, to having your graphics downloaded, almost everything skaters do in the game counts towards their progression
- Skate Reel and Skate Graphics are back, and the all-new Skate Park is an open canvas for players to create their dream plaza or mega-ramp park. Once created, players can share their masterpieces with the world from their console
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
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