Mini Review: Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba - Sweep the Board! (PS5) - An Anime Alternative to Mario Party

Given its overwhelming popularity, it’s a surprise there aren’t more alternatives to Mario Party – especially on platforms Nintendo doesn’t support. Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – Sweep the Board! may initially seem like a strange proposition, then, but it fills a niche on the PS5 that no one else has bothered to. Whether or not you like the source material, it’s the practically the only option if you want a Mario Party-esque experience on Sony’s new-gen console.

And developer CyberConnect2 has not hidden its influences here: this is practically a 1:1 rendition of the popular virtual board game with a Shonen Jump skin. You pick one of a dozen characters from the manga or anime, and select on one of five colourful maps, each themed after famous locations from the books. Each location has a unique rule set, like Board Three which allows you to reach otherwise unreachable areas via a train.

During the day, your goal will be to reach a target space, which will cause the sun to set and the demons to come out. Different coloured spaces will either reward or punish you, and once everyone’s taken a turn, you’ll play a minigame to compete for Slayer Coins.

These include various entertaining activities, like one where you need to trace the outline of shapes or another where you need to guess where Nezuko is hiding. The gameplay is simple and designed to be enjoyed by anyone, so it makes things suitable for families or friends who may not play games normally.

Once night descends you’ll need to deal with demons, and again you’ll need to engage in combat minigames to compete. Many of these involve button mashing or rhythm gameplay, but they capture the ostentatious action of the source material.

Random events, as well as unpredictable final round qualifiers, render the competition largely meaningless, and it’s a coin toss as to who will actually win. It’s worth underlining this point because, much like Mario Party, it doesn’t really matter how well you play – ultimately, a large part of it just comes down to luck.

Online multiplayer is supported and you can play the minigames standalone if you like. Additionally, a raffle mechanic allows you to unlock profile customisation items. But ultimately your enjoyment will come down to how much you want a Mario Party game on your PS5, because right now, this is your only option.