Last Flag

I booted up Last Flag expecting a cute indie riff on classic CTF — what I got was a buzzy, TV‑gameshow‑style shooter that somehow makes hiding a flag feel dramatic. It wears its influences proudly (TF2, Monday Night Combat, a splash of Gigantic) but still has its own goofy personality. The hook is simple: hide a flag, hunt the enemy, then defend for a frantic 60 seconds. For twelve bucks and no microtransactions, Last Flag promises pick‑up‑and‑play matches where teamwork, a weird gimmick or a clutch play can win the show.

Hide, Hunt, Hold — The Flag Race That Actually Works

Matches start with a frantic 60‑second flag placement timer where your team buries the objective somewhere on the sprawling map. From that moment the loop clicks: roam, secure towers and cashbots, build upgrades, then go find the enemy flag. Gameplay feels like a hybrid of hero shooter and objective strategy — you’re not just aiming, you’re making choices about when to farm, when to contest, and how to funnel the enemy into a trap. Running with the flag is tense in a way few CTF modes manage; the last-minute defenses make a single capture feel earned. Most rounds are a blend of skirmishes, tower fights, and sudden sprints that end with a chaotic 60‑second home defense.

When Characters Steal the Spotlight

The contestant roster gives the game its personality: knife‑focused assassins, turret engineers, crowd control specialists — each has a signature ability that encourages creative combos. I loved how some kits are overtly selfish but still offer tiny team utilities, which keeps solo plays viable without making everyone a liability. There’s meaningful experimentation in item upgrades bought with in‑match cash: you can lean into raw damage, utility, or defensive options to suit the map and your role. It’s not only about aim; it’s about synergies. Playing with friends to chain abilities (teleporting an ally into a tower, popping a tornado as an escape route) produced the most satisfying MVP moments I had.

A Boombox of Style, Music and Performance

Visually the game goes for bright, exaggerated cartoon vibes with bold silhouettes that help readability in the chaos. The announcer and soundtrack lean into that retro gameshow energy — sometimes it’s brilliant, sometimes it’s a little too chatty (thankfully there are sliders to tone it down). Effects are flashy and readable most of the time, though on cluttered screens I missed clearer hit feedback (hitmarkers, killfeed, assist popups). Performance varied across players: I had smooth matches, but community reports mention stutters and optimization quirks on lower‑end rigs. Netcode and matchmaking also felt uneven on launch for some regions, producing odd long‑distance lobbies early on. That said, the studio is responsive and the roadmap teases maps, modes and balance updates coming this summer.

Last Flag is a love letter to folks who miss messy, creative team shooters — it’s charming, chaotic and full of moments that feel earned. At its price point and with no microtransactions, it’s an easy buy for anyone curious about a different spin on CTF, especially if you can play with friends. Be mindful that the launch build is light on maps and modes and still needs some QoL polish (HUD tweaks, hit feedback, optimization). If the devs stick to their roadmap and keep iterating, this could become one of the best small indie PvP surprises of the year.