Nice To Yeet You from Sardinian solo developer Empty Bottle just hit Steam Early Access with a minimalist approach to party fighting games. Two buttons, endless chaos, and physics-based mayhem that scales from 1v1 to 8v8 battles. The game launched November 6, 2025 at 5.99 dollars with a 10 percent introductory discount, and it represents everything beautiful about stripped-down game design that prioritizes pure fun over complexity.
Why Two Buttons is Actually Genius
Most fighting games demand memorization of complex button combinations, frame-perfect timing, and hours of practice before you can execute basic combos. Nice To Yeet You throws that philosophy out the window and asks a simple question: what if winning depended entirely on timing, positioning, and reading your opponent rather than executing 15-hit combos? The entire control scheme uses just two buttons whether you play on controller or keyboard and mouse.
The simplicity creates accessibility without sacrificing depth. Anyone can pick up the game and understand the basics within seconds, making it perfect for party situations where not everyone wants to study a manual before having fun. Jump, freeze midair, and throw your opponent. That is the entire moveset. Where complexity emerges is through physics interactions, momentum management, and the psychological battle of predicting what your opponent will do next.
This design philosophy recalls games like Divekick, which reduced fighting games to two buttons, or Nidhogg, which stripped dueling to its purest form. The magic happens when simple inputs create emergent complexity through player creativity and adaptation. You cannot hide behind memorized combos or superior execution speed. Victory comes from understanding positioning, timing your freezes to avoid attacks, and finding openings to land that perfect yeet that sends your opponent flying off screen.
From 1v1 Duels to 8v8 Absolute Madness
Nice To Yeet You offers multiple game modes that scale chaos appropriately. Classic 1v1 battles feature rounds and lives, creating tense situations where every decision matters. Lose all your lives and the match is over. This mode rewards careful play and strategic thinking since mistakes carry real consequences.
Then there is 4v4 Chaos Mode, which does exactly what the name promises. Eight players bouncing around a single arena, all trying to yeet each other simultaneously while avoiding getting yeeted themselves. The screen becomes a blur of colorful shapes flying in every direction as players collide, bounce off walls, and desperately try to stay inside the play area. This mode transforms the game from a strategic duel into party game pandemonium.
But Empty Bottle was not satisfied with 4v4 chaos, so they added 8v8 Mayhem for situations when chaos just is not enough. Sixteen players in one arena sounds like a joke until you actually experience it. The physics engine somehow holds together as bodies fly everywhere, creating moments of accidental brilliance when you bounce off three different players before accidentally yeeting someone who was not even your target. Mayhem Mode is not about skill. It is about surviving the storm and occasionally capitalizing on lucky positioning.
Timed battles offer another variation where the goal shifts from elimination to scoring as many points as possible within a limited window. This mode encourages aggressive play since defensive strategies waste valuable scoring opportunities. Players need to take risks, commit to attacks, and accept that getting yeeted occasionally is worth it if you can rack up enough successful throws to win on points.
Local and Online Multiplayer
The game supports both couch co-op and online multiplayer, recognizing that different situations call for different social gaming experiences. Local multiplayer brings back the nostalgic feeling of crowding around a single screen with friends, shouting accusations of cheap tactics and demanding rematches. The simple controls make it easy for anyone to participate regardless of gaming experience.
Online multiplayer extends the game’s lifespan beyond your immediate friend group. Ranked matches let competitive players test themselves against the global player base, while casual lobbies provide low-stakes fun without worrying about leaderboard positions. Cross-play between different regions helps maintain healthy player counts, though the game’s Early Access status means the online community is still building.
BOUNCE TV and Customization
One of the game’s most charming features is BOUNCE TV, a replay system that lets you watch matches from players around the world. This serves multiple purposes. New players can learn strategies by watching skilled competitors, content creators can hunt for funny moments to share, and everyone gets to appreciate those rare perfect plays that emerge from the chaos.
BOUNCE TV also builds community by creating a shared viewing experience. Instead of matches disappearing into the void after they end, memorable moments get preserved and celebrated. The best plays can go viral within the game’s community, giving skilled players recognition and providing entertainment value beyond just playing matches yourself.
Customization options let you personalize your geometric fighter with hats, mustaches, and various cosmetic accessories. You play as abstract shapes, which sounds boring until you realize that simplicity allows personality to emerge through customization choices and playstyle rather than predefined character identities. Your fighter becomes an extension of your aesthetic preferences and play patterns rather than a character you picked from a roster.
The Solo Developer Journey
Empty Bottle operates as a solo independent studio based in Sardinia, Italy. Creating a multiplayer physics-based brawler alone is ambitious considering the technical challenges involved. Physics engines need careful tuning to feel responsive without becoming unpredictable, netcode for online multiplayer requires specialized knowledge, and balancing competitive gameplay while maintaining party game accessibility demands constant iteration.
The partnership with publisher The CoLab provides support that solo developers typically lack. The CoLab specializes in working with talented small teams and solo developers, offering resources, marketing expertise, and industry connections that help projects reach their potential. CEO Darren Newnham emphasized that empowering upcoming talent through collaborative networks is exactly why The CoLab exists.
Launching in Early Access represents a pragmatic choice for a solo developer. Rather than attempting to deliver a fully complete game that might miss the mark on balance or feature priorities, Empty Bottle can gather player feedback and iterate based on what the community actually wants. This collaborative development approach often produces better final products than isolated development cycles.
Early Access Roadmap and Community
The Steam page states that Empty Bottle wants to shape the madness with the community, suggesting active engagement with player feedback throughout the Early Access period. Specific roadmap details have not been publicly shared yet, but typical Early Access development focuses on adding content, refining balance, fixing bugs, and implementing quality-of-life improvements based on player requests.
Potential additions could include new arenas with different physics properties, additional game modes that put unique spins on the core mechanics, seasonal events that provide limited-time challenges, and expanded customization options. The simple control scheme means new content does not require teaching players new moves, just introducing fresh contexts for the existing mechanics to shine.
Community response during the first few days has been cautiously positive. Players appreciate the accessibility, enjoy the physics chaos, and find the multiplayer modes genuinely fun. Common feedback mentions wanting more maps to add variety, requesting additional customization options for long-term engagement, and suggesting balance tweaks to ensure no single strategy dominates competitive play. Empty Bottle has been responsive on social media and Steam forums, suggesting they take community input seriously.
Who Should Play Nice To Yeet You
This game targets multiple audiences simultaneously. Party gamers looking for accessible local multiplayer will find exactly what they need. The two-button controls mean anyone can participate, from hardcore fighting game fans to people who normally avoid competitive games. Setup takes seconds, matches are quick, and the chaos generates organic laughter without requiring elaborate setup or explanation.
Competitive players seeking depth beneath simple mechanics will discover surprising strategic nuance. Reading opponents, managing momentum, positioning for optimal throws, and timing defensive freezes create a skill ceiling high enough to reward practice. The ranked ladder provides motivation for players who want to prove their mastery against increasingly skilled opponents.
Streamers and content creators benefit from the game’s spectacle. Physics-based chaos naturally generates funny moments, close matches create tension, and the minimalist aesthetic reads clearly even at lower streaming resolutions. BOUNCE TV integration makes it easy to find and share memorable plays, providing ready-made content for social media.
Pricing and Platform Availability
Nice To Yeet You launched at 5.99 dollars with a 10 percent introductory discount bringing the price down to 5.39 dollars through November 13, 2025. This positions it competitively within the party game space, cheaper than premium offerings like Gang Beasts or Stick Fight but more expensive than many throwaway party games that flood digital storefronts.
The game supports Windows and Linux through Steam, with no announced plans for console ports yet. Given the solo developer nature and Early Access status, focusing exclusively on PC makes sense to avoid the additional complexity of console certification and multi-platform development. If the game succeeds commercially, console versions could come later once the PC version reaches maturity.
FAQs About Nice To Yeet You
When did Nice To Yeet You release?
Nice To Yeet You launched in Steam Early Access on November 6, 2025. The game is currently available with a 10 percent introductory discount through November 13, 2025, bringing the price down to 5.39 dollars from the regular 5.99 dollars.
How many players can play Nice To Yeet You?
The game supports multiple player counts depending on the mode. Classic 1v1 battles support two players, 4v4 Chaos Mode accommodates eight players, and 8v8 Mayhem Mode allows sixteen players simultaneously. Both local couch co-op and online multiplayer are supported.
Do you really only use two buttons to play?
Yes, the entire game is controlled with just two buttons whether you use a controller or keyboard and mouse. The simplified control scheme makes the game accessible to players of all skill levels while still allowing for strategic depth through timing and positioning.
What platforms is Nice To Yeet You available on?
Currently, Nice To Yeet You is only available on PC via Steam, with support for both Windows and Linux operating systems. Console versions have not been announced, though they could potentially come after the Early Access period ends.
Is there a single player mode?
Yes, Nice To Yeet You includes a single player mode designed to help players practice mechanics and get ready for multiplayer battles. This lets you hone your skills before facing real opponents online or in local multiplayer.
What is BOUNCE TV?
BOUNCE TV is a replay system that lets you watch matches from players around the world. You can see skilled plays, learn strategies, hunt for funny moments, and appreciate memorable gameplay that the community shares.
How long will Nice To Yeet You stay in Early Access?
The developer has not specified an exact timeline for leaving Early Access. The duration will depend on community feedback, development progress, and how much content and polish Empty Bottle wants to add before the full launch.
Who developed Nice To Yeet You?
Nice To Yeet You is developed by Empty Bottle, a solo independent studio based in Sardinia, Italy. The game is published by The CoLab, which specializes in supporting small development teams and solo creators.
Conclusion
Nice To Yeet You proves that innovative game design does not require massive budgets or hundreds of mechanics. By focusing on a simple two-button control scheme, physics-based chaos, and scalable multiplayer modes, Empty Bottle created something that works equally well as a competitive dueling game or a ridiculous party game where sixteen people scream at each other. The Early Access launch provides a solid foundation with clear room for growth based on community feedback. At under six dollars, the barrier to entry is low enough that anyone curious about physics brawlers or accessible party games can take a chance without significant financial risk. Whether you want to master positioning and timing in ranked 1v1 matches or just want to experience the beautiful chaos of 8v8 Mayhem Mode, Nice To Yeet You delivers exactly what its absurd name promises: a game about yeeting your friends, and occasionally getting yeeted yourself.