I have always been and always will be in the mood for a cheap game. Maybe it comes from growing up broke and always looking for something good in the discount basket. Or maybe it comes from the fact that triple-A games now cost $70 for the base version, $80 for the semi-complete version, and $90 for the Deluxe Edition which usually just means The Whole Game Edition. Not to mention damn $30 season tickets that never go on sale.
Sure, sometimes I spend that money. And sure, sometimes it's worth it. But there's nothing that hits the pleasure center of my brain like getting a good game for less than ten bucks. And baby, Bop-It is the best $8 I've spent on Switch in a very, very long time. Also, not many games cost the oddly specific amount of $8, so that could be a reason as well.
Anyway, Bop-It is a little rhythm game based on the toy of the same name available for Switch, PC and mobile. If you're not familiar with said toy, it's basically a Simon Says game where a very 1990s bro calls out commands and you act them out on the device. Which sounds awful when I put it that way, but you basically get what I mean.
When it says “Bop It!” you press the big Bop It button. When it says “Twist It” you twist the, uh, yellow twisted thing. When it says “Pull It”, you chuckle to yourself for childish reasons and pull the blue tab. There are different versions of the toy, including a simple one with three commands and one with five. There is also a Tetris Bop-It which is not included in this game but well worth finding on eBay. It's not important to this column, just some good advice to help you enjoy your life.
The video game version of Bop-It follows exactly the same gameplay style as the toy – except now the game is set to songs by 2 Mello, whose music you may have also heard in games like Bomb Rush Cyberfunk. As in any other rhythm game, each song plays a little differently and has a slightly different vibe, even though you're basically doing the same actions over and over again.
Each song has different animated backgrounds, all of which have a chill vibe. The bad news – and this is where the $8 comes in – is that there are only four songs. So if you were expecting to play Bop-It to a dozen licensed super hits, I'm afraid I can't help you.
That said, the gameplay itself is so relaxing and fun that I've downloaded this game more than anything else I have on my Switch 2 at the moment. Different buttons are assigned different functions on the toy. So instead of twisting or dragging a part of it, you press a button or flick an analog stick. It doesn't sound like it will translate, but it works better than it has any right to. Playing the game almost feels like meditating – you just space out while listening for commands and hitting them as quickly as possible.
The fact that all cues are audio-based rather than on-screen means you can literally play the game with your eyes closed. Which I have done. I'm going to tilt my dumbass head back, close my eyes and just slip into the moment. Even as the game speeds up, it still feels genuinely relaxing. In fact, I'd say Bop-It calms my brain more than any cozy farming simulator ever did.
There's also a surprising amount of variety in how you can play. Along with the traditional Bop-It with three functions, you can play with the Bop-It Extreme, which has five. This increases the game's difficulty without feeling cheap or annoying. It's just harder and you have to pay more attention. Different modes include single player mode, split screen competition, Hot Potato style passes and more.
There are also high score leaderboards, which right now is super easy to crack because I don't think many people have bought this game. If I'm 21st in the world in a rhythm game, that probably means only 22 people own it and the last person died. But here I am, 21st in the world in a rhythm game. Top of the world, mom!
Bop it! The TV game
- Released
-
18 September 2025
- Developer
-
Alliance
- Publisher
-
Alliance
