Tennis in the Face

🎮 Game Information

• Developer / Publisher: 10tons Ltd
• Engine: Proprietary (10tons)
• Release Date: December 4, 2013
• Platforms: PC, PS4, PS3, PS Vita, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, iOS, Android
• Genre: Physics Puzzle, Comedy
• Mode: Single-player

🎾 Introduction

“Tennis in the Face” is a chaotic physics-based puzzle game starring Pete Pagassi, a former tennis superstar who takes down the evil energy drink corporation Explodz by—quite literally—smacking people in the face with tennis balls. It’s ridiculous, fast-paced, and built on pure slapstick charm. As someone who finished the full campaign with all stages completed, I can say this game is simple fun done right—no deep story, no complicated mechanics, just arcade puzzle satisfaction.

🕹️ Gameplay

Its core gameplay is centered around whacking tennis balls around each level to clear out enemies and obstacles. It’s like Angry Birds in spirit, but with more of a focus on ricochet physics and trick shots.

Each stage provides you with a number of hits to cause chain reactions, and the challenge is finding the right angle to topple shelves, hit explosive cans and knock down multiple enemies with one shot. The game progresses, adding new enemy types (such as riders, scientists, clowns and office employees) each with their own movement patterns.

Game play controls are easy to learn and provide a good learning experience but a challenge though not to challenging, game does have enough tracks with more coming through an update. A few later levels demand patience and precision, but they never feel unfair. The loop is pure arcade fun — fast restarts, short stages and lots of “one more try” energy.

🎨 Visuals & Art Style

The art style is clean, colorful, and deliberately cartoonish. Characters have exaggerated reactions when hit, explosions are comedic, and the environments are filled with breakable props that make each ricochet feel satisfying.

It’s not graphically complex, but it doesn’t need to be—its charm comes from expressive animations and clear visual design that supports the fast-paced physics gameplay. Everything is easy to read, even in chaotic moments.

🔊 Sound & Music

Sound effects do the heavy lifting—every hit, bounce, and crash has a punchy, comedic feel that makes the gameplay more satisfying. Enemy reactions ("Uhh!", "Oof!") add to the charm.

Music is simple, upbeat, and loops quietly in the background. It’s not memorable, but it fits the light-hearted tone well. This is a game where sound effects are the star, not the soundtrack.

📖 Story & Atmosphere

The story is delightfully absurd: a down-and-out tennis pro takes on a shady energy drink company by taking out their goons with tennis balls. That’s the gist of it—and honestly, that’s all it really needs. The setting is a collection of themed districts (like offices, police stations, labs, and amusement parks), each brimming with quirky foes and fun environmental elements. The humor is silly and consistent, but when it comes to the story, it’s really just a backdrop for the gameplay. Don’t go in expecting any emotional depth—just brace yourself for some slapstick mayhem.

🐞 Bugs & Technical Performance

The game is super lightweight and runs like a dream on all platforms. You won’t experience any crashes or major bugs, and the loading times are almost instantaneous.

There’s just a tiny hiccup now and then with some physics objects bouncing around in unexpected ways, but honestly, it’s more funny than frustrating and hardly ever gets in the way of your progress. Overall, the performance is smooth, stable, and really polished.

🔁 Replayability

There’s moderate replay value if you enjoy completing challenges:

• Earn 3 stars per level
• Clear bonus challenges
• Achieve perfect ricochet runs
• Unlock extra stages

The game is fun to revisit in short bursts, but once you’ve completed all levels, there isn't much new content. The experience is enjoyable but finite.

🔚 Final Verdict

Tennis in the Face is an absolute gem of a game—it's quirky, fun, and surprisingly well-crafted as a physics puzzle experience. It delivers on its promise with fast-paced gameplay, laugh-out-loud moments, and satisfying trick-shot challenges. This game isn’t trying to tug at your heartstrings; it’s all about having a blast, and it nails that goal perfectly.

If you’re a fan of lighthearted puzzle games, slapstick humor, or quick arcade-style fun, you’re in for a treat with this one!