From the moment you fire up Running Fable Petite Party, it’s clear that Seashell Studio was aiming for something bright, playful and socially combustible: a party game that puts reflexes, mischief and interpersonal rivalry at the forefront rather than strict competition or narrative depth. The setup is deceptively simple – three tabletop boards, dice rolls, 16 mini-games and a parade of colourful, anthropomorphic characters racing toward glory – but the reality of the experience is one of mixed design results.
The premise of pairing board-game progression with quick-fire mini-games gives Petite Party a hook that’s instantly recognizable in the genre (LEGO Party did a great job at this not too long ago), yet the execution oscillates between genuinely fun chaos and frustrating design choices. On one hand, many of the mini-games – from fishing challenges to flag-racing and balance tests – bring moments of real amusement and frenetic competition, especially among friends gathered locally on the couch. There are flashes of brilliance here; a well-timed sabotage or a narrowly won duel can elicit genuine laughter and the “just one more round” energy that defines the best party collections.
Yet that same structure reveals too many cracks. The core board game mode, which should serve as the backbone of matches, ends up feeling overly simplistic and oddly anticlimactic. Rolls often feel uninspiring, progression lacks strategic nuance, and the victory conditions don’t always align with the excitement of the mini-games – a disconnect that leaves the overall experience feeling less cohesive than it ought to be. Simple randomness overwhelms meaningful choice, and winning a match sometimes feels more like gambling on dice than summoning any real skill.
Where the game’s ambition begins to lose traction is in the consistency and quality of its mini-game roster. There are undeniably enjoyable segments – a few that manage to balance accessibility with genuine fun – but these are interspersed with others that feel either poorly calibrated or simply undercooked. Some mini-games suffer from unresponsive mechanics or confusing objectives that dilute their replay value, making them feel more like chores than crowd-pleasers. That inconsistency undercuts one of the party genre’s central tenets: that every player, regardless of skill, should feel engaged and included throughout the session.
Visually and aurally, Petite Party delivers the expected palette of colourful, kid-friendly stylings that fit its theme of whimsical chaos. The aesthetic is bright and approachable – characters are charmingly oddball, and the boards are lively if somewhat lacking in detailed polish. However, this visual cheer doesn’t fully mask a feeling of outdated or minimal art direction, where environments and animations sometimes appear sparse or underdeveloped compared with leading titles in the genre. Audio, while not egregiously bad, rarely makes a memorable impression either; sound effects and music are serviceable at best and rarely elevate the experience beyond background ambience.
Control responsiveness and UI practicality on PS5 are a mixe bag. Some moments feel comfortable and intuitive once players settle in, while others expose clunky elements that occasionally detract from the flow, particularly during fast-paced challenges or competitive scrambles. These usability quirks, combined with moments of unclear system feedback, underscore an unevenness that prevents Petite Party from feeling truly refined.
In the end, Running Fable Petite Party is a party game that wears its heart on its sleeve but doesn’t always stick the landing. It can be genuinely hilarious and exciting in bursts, especially when shared among a group willing to embrace its unpredictability and laugh at its more chaotic moments. Yet the underlying design – from simplistic board mechanics and inconsistency in mini-game quality to visual and control shortcomings – holds it back from being a standout contender in a crowded party genre. As a PS5 experience, it’s perhaps best enjoyed as a casual diversion or a short burst of social fun, rather than a definitive living room staple. For all its colourful charm and mischievous intent, Petite Party has enough rough edges that not every group will find it as compelling as its premise suggests.
Score: 6.1/10
Press Play Media 