Summary
- Felt That: Boxing is a quirky game with puppet art and Punch-Out!! Vibes.
- Independent games strive to fill the Punch-Out!! Gap with unique characters and fast-paced gameplay.
- Felt That features puppet boxing, minigames, and stunning Unreal 5 graphics, setting it apart in the indie scene.
Felt That: Boxing is an upcoming boxing game with an artstyle reminiscent of a gritty take on Jim Henson's Muppets. Described by one of the lead developers as a title where “some weird furry puppets had an emotional baby with Punch-Out!!,” its reveal is yet another exciting announcement from the Summer Game Fest 2025.
Ever since Nintendo’s classic boxing series Punch-Out!! Went on hiatus after the release of the 2009 Wii installment, many games have tried to emulate its style. The independent scene in particular has made multiple attempts to create a spiritual successor with the same focus on lightning-quick reflexes, speedrunning tactics, and highly distinct characters. Now, indie titles such as Thunder Ray and the upcoming Big Boy Boxing are joined by a new challenger.
Every Game Revealed at Day of the Devs 2025
From stealth sims to musical chaos and melancholic photo quests, Day of the Devs 2025 gave indies the stage and every game had something to say.
Audiences got their first look at Felt That: Boxing in a trailer which premiered during the Summer Game Fest. The video introduced protagonist Ezra "Fuzz-E" Wright, a “flimsy puppet” who must become a boxing champion in order to save his old orphanage from getting demolished.
Felt That: Boxing Features Slapstick Puppet Gameplay
In the gameplay portion of the trailer, Fuzz-E takes on a colorful cast of opponents in the boxing ring. Fans of Punch-Out!! Will already be familiar with the third-person camera angle, which emphasizes the size difference between the two boxers while also giving the player more visibility. Aside from the main matches, Felt That features a variety of minigames that help Fuzz-E hone his skills. Training activities include plunging toilets, dodging flying slices of toast, and punching slabs of frozen meat à la Rocky Balboa.
With its slapstick physics, irreverent humor, and campy story, Felt That combines many different aesthetics. The game will stick out to many fans, however, as a technical achievement. While introducing the game, Geoff Keighley confirmed that all of the footage used in the trailer was captured in-engine in Unreal 5. It’s not surprising that the game boasts a photorealistic artstyle considering the pedigree of the team behind it. Co-developers Sans Strings Studio and Stoopid Buddy Stoodios are known for pushing the technological boundaries of the animation medium. Sébastien Deguy, one of the founders of Sans Strings, has won an Emmy and an Oscar for his innovation in the field of computer graphics.
The Summer Game Fest was home to many other game reveals as well. In the AAA space, audiences were surprised by the announcement of the next mainline Resident Evil game, Requiem. There were many offbeat indie games in a similar spirit to Felt That, however. These include the stop-motion co-op platformer Out of Words and the Game-Boy-esque action title Mina the Hollower.