Grizzy and the Lemmings – Crazy Party is about as straightforward a proposition as a party game can get: take the chaotic antics of the animated series, throw a bunch of Lemmings onto a selection of colorful boards, add a sizeable collection of minigames and let everyone fight over jars of Nutella. The comparison with Mario Party is impossible to avoid, because the basic structure is immediately familiar, but that is hardly a problem when the formula is this well suited to its source material. On PS5, Balio Studio has created a cheerful couch multiplayer experience that understands exactly what its audience is looking for. It does not attempt to reinvent the party game, but it does a surprisingly good job of making the Grizzy and the Lemmings licence feel like more than a coat of paint.
That is particularly noticeable in the presentation of the playable characters and environments. We get a substantial selection of Lemmings to choose from, and while some might initially look like straightforward variations on one another, several have their own animations and visual quirks that give them a little more personality. The boards likewise make good use of the cartoon’s exaggerated world, moving from familiar locations such as the ranger cabin to increasingly ridiculous settings including a moon base. Each board introduces its own twists and special spaces, while random events can turn a seemingly comfortable lead into a sudden scramble for victory. It gives the otherwise conventional board-game structure enough flavour to keep it feeling connected to the licence.
The real meat of Crazy Party, however, lies in its minigames, and here Balio Studio has done enough to make the package worthwhile even for players who have never seen an episode of the show. There are 50 challenges built around racing, reflexes, memory, precision and general chaos, with some considerably more successful than others. The strongest games are immediately understandable and create exactly the sort of frantic competition we want from a couch party game, while the variety ensures that a session rarely feels stuck on one particular type of challenge. Some minigames do stumble, though. A handful are less intuitive than they should be, and occasional control or instruction inconsistencies can turn confusion into frustration rather than comedy. That is a shame, because the best games demonstrate that the underlying formula is perfectly capable of standing on its own.
The board-game component also strikes a decent balance between luck and actual ability. Random events and special spaces can certainly interfere with carefully laid plans, but the minigames give capable players enough opportunities to claw their way back into contention. We particularly like that different session lengths allow Crazy Party to function as either a quick family diversion or something that can occupy an entire evening. With several modes and five themed boards, there is more here than the basic premise might initially suggest. The absence of online multiplayer is nevertheless a significant limitation in 2026. This is fundamentally a local multiplayer game, so anyone hoping to play with friends remotely will have to look elsewhere. For a title built around bringing people together, that restriction is difficult to ignore.
On PS5, the game also benefits from the straightforward nature of its controls and presentation. The minigames generally get players into the action quickly, which is important for a family-oriented title where complicated instructions would only get in the way. The largely text-light approach is also a sensible fit for a franchise that communicates so much through physical comedy rather than dialogue. Technically, the package appears comfortable with the hardware, and there is little indication that hectic multiplayer sessions cause performance problems. Visually, though, we should temper expectations. Crazy Party is colorful, recognisable and perfectly functional, but it is not pushing the PS5 particularly hard, and the production values fall short of the more lavish entries in the genre. That is not necessarily a deal-breaker for its intended audience, but it does make the modest presentation more noticeable when the game is placed alongside its obvious competitors.
Audio is a similarly mixed proposition. The inclusion of music from the television series is obviously a nice touch for younger fans and immediately reinforces the connection with the source material. At the same time, the same familiarity can become somewhat exhausting over longer sessions, particularly for adults who are hearing the tunes repeatedly while everyone else is happily causing chaos on the board. It is a small issue, but one that becomes more apparent precisely because Crazy Party encourages repeated rounds. The same applies to some of the minigames: they can be great fun when the whole group is engaged, but a few are easy to write off after a single attempt. Fortunately, the broad selection means there are enough stronger challenges to carry the experience.
That brings us to the game’s biggest question: how long will we actually want to keep playing? There is a reasonable amount to unlock, including a large collection of Lemming characters and stickers, and the variation between players means that different groups can produce very different matches. For families with children who already adore Grizzy and the Lemmings, that may be more than enough to keep the game in regular rotation. For adults looking for a deeper or more competitive party experience, however, the familiar formula and occasional weaker minigames make its limitations apparent fairly quickly. Crazy Party is therefore not the sort of release that transforms the genre, nor does it need to be. Its greatest achievement is that it turns a recognisable cartoon into a competent, accessible and genuinely enjoyable local multiplayer game without losing the silly spirit that made the licence appealing in the first place. On PS5, that makes it an easy recommendation for families and fans of the series, provided everyone is happy to gather around the same screen.
Score: 7.6/10