A ragdoll marathon across Japan
Nippon Marathon is a physics-driven racer where four runners charge through Japan and the ragdoll physics decide most of what happens. You hurdle barrels, dodge bicycles, run from Shiba Inu, cross planks balanced over waterfalls and throw fruit at whoever is ahead of you. Levels cover busy city streets, narrow old streets, markets, mountaintop shrines and the roof of a bullet train, and surprises keep landing mid-race: a slot machine moment, a news anchor jetpacking in to interview you on the track. The game is in Early Access, so expect things to change as it develops.
Playing together on one couch
Solo play works, but the game is built for up to four players on pads. It uses drop-in/drop-out, so someone can join or leave whenever they want, whether a friend wanders in off the couch or a player needs a break. Remote Play Together is supported, which lets people join over a connection rather than sharing the same room. The party games are a separate way to spend an evening: launch a shopping trolley at man-sized bowling pins, then take on the L.O.B.S.T.E.R gauntlet, a narrow randomly generated course full of swinging hammers, pneumatic boxing gloves and angry American footballers trying to knock you into the water.
Story mode and the cast
The story mode runs from rookie runner to marathon master and follows four characters: lobster-man J DARWIN, narwhal enthusiast Elizabeth Nishibori, old uncle sailor Zenbei "XEN BAE" and wannabe dating-agency owner Snuguru Maestro. Their paths uncover the shady forces behind the Nippon Marathon, and the returning ten-time champion Handsome Hazuki sits at the top with his cronies. The tone is silly and arcade-like rather than serious, with memes, anime flavour and family-friendly humour throughout.
Before you start
Grab controllers for the full group, since four-player local play is the main draw and the game expects pads. Physics do the heavy lifting, so expect to be flung, tripped and knocked off course as much as you expect to win. It's tagged as controller-friendly, and the Early Access status means content and balance may shift while you play.