Those who don't understand how to win a dance-off in Ooblets are going to be in for a very painful gaming experience. Battle management comes down to hitting a point value before the opponent hits it. While that might make it sound like it's all about raw point totals, that is not entirely accurate.
Most often than not, the team that wins the battle wins the buff/debuff fight. Players who stack their bars with the right buffs can get an entire battle's worth of points in a single round. Those who get too many debuffs, on the other hand, might not be able to score a single point, even with the strongest cards that Ooblets has to offer.
Buff: Hype
- Adds one more point gained for each stack of Hype
Hype is described in the game as a move that "increases the power of dance moves." It must be stated that this only goes for point totals, such as gaining or stealing points. Stun moves won't last longer and warm-up moves won't be executed in fewer rounds.
Hype is currently the only buff in the game, but it's a good one. After ten stacks of hype, even at zero points, it's quite possible to win in a single turn with a good draw.
Debuff: Fluster
- Adds one fewer point gained for each stack of Fluster
It never fails that gamers will be going along, enjoying their video games while listening to podcasts, and suddenly, out of nowhere, they lose in devastating fashion even though the game was so easy before that point.
Fluster does the opposite of what Hype does, taking away a point that would be gained by cards. This value can't go into the negative, but after about ten stacks of Fluster, it becomes nearly impossible to gain a single point for the rest of the dance-off. Use Fluster against enemies and, if they use it on the main character's team, cancel out the effect by generating Hype as quickly as possible.
Debuff: Trepidation
- Adds one useless card to the deck for each stack of Trepidation
Especially in battles of three or fewer ooblets, this debuff can be the equivalent of ruining a player's entire turn. Teams draw a certain number of cards and this variety is a huge part of winning the game. If half of the cards they draw are useless, then they aren't able to execute a specific strategy.
Be careful as some ooblets offer a benefit at the cost of adding Trepidation to the player's own deck. These don't usually spiral out of control in the way that Hype and Fluster can, but in tighter dance-offs, it can be the equivalent of a stun that can happen at any moment.
Ooblets is available now for PC, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch.