Squirrel Stapler

Squirrel Stapler is a popular horror simulation game where players embark on a journey to hunt squirrels in the forest. Players must carefully conceal themselves, attract other squirrels with their squirrel calls, predict their movements with their weapons, and precisely hunt them down to obtain their pelts and enhance their wife's beauty. As the game progresses, more mysterious and terrifying monsters will appear in the forest, adhering to the rule against hunting squirrels; players must be even more cautious to survive. The game also supports gamepad controls, allowing for customized button layouts for a more comfortable gaming experience.

Gameplay of Squirrel Stapler:

With the game being made by the creator of Dusk, it’s unsurprising to see that visually Squirrel Stapler is very reminiscent of his previous title. It has that same low-poly look that makes it feel like it was made in the Quake engine, although the controls feel vastly different. Whilst Dusk was more about fast paced action, this is more of a hunting game and thus designed for you to take things a little more slowly.

With your bolt action rifle in hand, the goal is to track and kill squirrels with your limited amount of ammunition. More can be found scattered around, but you certainly aren’t able to simple spray and pray. In order to take down these wily little creatures, you’ll need to creep up on them as best you can. You have a meter showing how visible and audible you are, so once you hear the sounds of nearby squirrels you want to take care not to alert them. Doing so is quite tricky at first, as your impatience will no doubt see you reaching for the run button, but you should get used to it by the end of the first day. Of course, more seasoned FPS gamers will probably end up sprinting and popping the squirrels off as they run away, which isn’t all that hard due to their poor AI and the gyro assisted aiming, but both techniques feel quite satisfying.

Regardless of your tactics, after collecting five skins your job will be done for the day and you can go back to the cabin to warm up your dead wife. Things get more complicated later on as the game will have you hunting down a giant squirrel that needs to be tracked by whistling and seeing where the response comes from, and later days have you avoiding predators, but the central gameplay loop remains largely the same throughout. It’s a bit of a shame that the first few days have some substantial gameplay changes and then things remain the same after that, but given the short length of the game it doesn’t feel like a major issue either.

Features of Squirrel Stapler:

Squirrel Hunting Mechanics: Players must stealthily navigate the forest to hunt squirrels, utilizing bushes for cover and timing their shots perfectly. The thrill of hunting enhances the horror elements, making every encounter a test of nerves. Mastering the hunt is vital to fulfilling the protagonist's dark purpose.

Lure Bigger Squirrels: Utilize a squirrel call to attract larger squirrels, adding a strategic layer to the gameplay. This feature not only enhances hunting dynamics but also reflects the macabre humor embedded in the game. Timing and placement are crucial for successful luring.

Dangerous Creatures Lurk: The forest is filled with dangers beyond just squirrels, including larger creatures and vengeful spirits that challenge the players' survival instincts. Navigating this perilous environment adds depth to the gameplay and keeps players on edge. It creates a tense atmosphere as they balance hunting with evading threats.

Exploration and Learning: Freely explore a vast, nonlinear map filled with educational squirrel facts and eerie surprises. This feature encourages players to engage more deeply with the environment, combining horror with knowledge. Players will enjoy uncovering secrets hidden throughout the woods.

New Features and Quality Updates: The latest version includes an array of improvements, such as a new GIANT SQUIRRELS mode, enhanced UI, and better game balance. Full controller support and expanded options make the game more accessible and enjoyable. The addition of achievements and various bug fixes contributes to an overall smoother experience.

Player Comments of Squirrel Stapler:

Squirrel Stapler, as the store page puts it, is a game where you hunt squirrels, staple them to a corpse, and meet god. This game is not simple. Appearances in this game are often deceptive. Likewise, I assume that anyone reading this review will have the intellectual engagement to read its contents, rather than expect it to run like an answer key to a multiple-choice quiz.

Since Squirrel Stapler is such an open-ended game, no single understanding of the events of the game can be regarded as "correct" above other understandings. The purpose of the discussion in this review is not to establish a final authority on the events of Squirrel Stapler, but to provide one unified grasp of the game that answers the majority of the questions presented within the game.

As I have played and studied the game, I have concluded that the plot of Squirrel Stapler exists on four different levels of narrative reality. These four levels of narrative reality are: the Cosmic level; the Political level; the Individual level; and the Squirrel level. All of these narrative levels progress at the same time, and they interweave through each other. In the interest of keeping my explanation unconvoluted, I will describe the flow of each of the four narrative levels, insofar as they operate independent of each other.

The Cosmic Level of the narrative is the easiest to describe. However, I should clarify up front that there are three different entities known as "Stapler" in this game. They look alike and speak alike; they are related to each other; however, they are distinct from each other. I will describe each of them, as they relate to their respective levels of narrative. The "Stapler" on the Cosmic Level of narrative is the character who I refer to as "Germanic Stapler," or G. S. I name him "Germanic Stapler" because his manner of living suggests that he belongs to a spiritual tradition related to Western religious heritage, which is dominated by religious traditions that find their roots in Germanic history.

G. S. is described as "the squirrel stapler." His rival is the Squirrel, who is described as storing and preserving "the Nuts of God." G. S. represents Western culture and civilization: Europe and the Americas. The Squirrel represents Eastern culture and civilization: the Asian continental nations and Japan. During the first day of the game, we see that G. S. uses energy drinks (in the Squirrel Stapler group) as transportation. He and the Squirrel have a long history of friendship, though they seem to regard each other with professional (rather than personal) affection. They reflect upon their competitive relationship as experienced via chess games; most of the time, G. S. wins.

David Szymanski (the visionary developer of the game) has been quoted as remarking that G. S. and the Squirrel represent "the futility of war." This seems most keenly expressed in the game's final epilogue, which occurs 5 days after the game begins in the forest. I do not disagree with David Szymanski's comment; I would add, also, that it seems to represent the inevitability of war and the eternal irresolution of differences between East and West, so long as one attempts to aggress upon the other.

At the end of the first day, G. S. fires a tank-piercing bullet at the Squirrel, who dies and is attached to G. S.'s wife after having been killed by its impact. This moment signifies the beginning of the "chess game" that occurs in the forest, through the course of the game's events. The only time G. S. appears is when he is in the company of the Squirrel.

Squirrel Stapler is a post-modern story, and (as such) leaves many holes for the gamer to fill with his or her personal explanations. If I wrote this review with the intention of wresting those holes from the reader and filling them with my own explanations, then I would have betrayed the vision of the creative team.

Summary:

I feel that Squirrel Stapler is one of those games that everyone needs to try. It is the kind of thing that you can not appreciate just crazy it is until you have played it. I tell you, this game is nuttier than squirrel turds! The whole premise and humor that the game has is sure to be something you love. Also, the game is over in like an hour so this is an experience that is well worth having and one that is not asking for much of your time at all.