Tape to Tape Review: The Hockey Game That Bribes the Ref

Sports games and roguelites should not mix this well. Tape to Tape - Excellent Rectangle's arcade hockey roguelite - entered Early Access in May 2023 and finally hit 1.0 on 23 October 2026 on PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S and Switch. It's the kind of release the big sites shrug at. That's a mistake.

What it is

You take a ragtag team on a run through a map of matches, hire unique players, find synergies between them, pick abilities and pick up relics along the way. Between games you can visit the Blade Master for upgrades or, when things look grim, simply bribe the referee. Your opponents are not exactly the NHL either - expect rival teams with their own odd rules, from golfers to a foul-playing princess. This is not a sim. It's a hockey-flavoured brawler with a deckbuilder's brain.

How it plays

On the ice it's fast and physical: passing feels crisp, checks land with a satisfying crunch, and a well-timed one-timer is as good as anything in a real hockey game. The 1.0 update reworked goalies, who now position themselves and defend far better, and the AI in general attacks and defends with more intent. That matters - the Early Access build could be farmed with the same play, while the full release pushes you to actually use the roster you've built.

The roguelite layer is where it hooks you. A run with the right recruits and abilities snowballs into something gloriously broken; a bad one forces you to scrap and improvise. Completing challenges unlocks new players, bonuses and relics, so even failed runs push you forward.

The highs

- Gameplay that works as hockey first, roguelite second. - A rebuilt campaign with real variety in opponents and rules. - Local split-screen co-op and versus, plus a Play Now mode for up to 10 players on one screen - a party game in disguise. - The price: 19.50 euros on Steam, with a 10% launch discount until 30 October.

The lows

There is no native online multiplayer, full stop. Steam Remote Play Together is the workaround on PC, but in 2026 that will put people off. The presentation, while improved for 1.0, is still clearly indie - charming rather than polished. And if you hate RNG, some runs will simply be decided by what the game offers you in the first few stops.

Who it's for

Anyone with a couch, a second controller and friends who think they don't like sports games. Roguelite fans looking for something that isn't another dungeon. Hockey fans burned out on yearly licensed releases. German players get a localised version; there is no Croatian, but the text load is light, so in our region it's barely an obstacle.

Verdict

Tape to Tape spent a long time in Early Access, and it shows in the best way: the 1.0 feels tuned, generous and confident. The missing online mode is a real gap, but for the price this is one of the best-value games of the month.

Score: 8/10

Image: Kenneth C. Zirkel / CC BY 4.0, source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Hart_Center_Holy_Cross_ice_hockey_rink.jpg