Friends Vs Friendsburst onto the gaming scene with heaps of style and tremendous polish, propelling the game into popularity immediately after its launch. The FPS/Deckbuilder borrows mechanics fromNeon Whiteand combines them with arcade arena-shooter FPS action commonly found in games likeHalo.
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It could be argued that part ofFriends Vs Friends' success comes from its creative and well-designed maps, of which there are (currently) five. Players can only hope that more maps are released, as the ones currently in the game show great promise.
Updated 15th July 2023, by Harry Ted Sprinks:One of the most recent updates to Friends Vs Friends at the time of writing added a handful of new cards as well as an entirely new map, “Island”. The developers, Brainwash Gang, have stated that new maps won’t be the norm for Friends Vs Friends updates, which may disappoint some players.
Nonetheless, the addition of a new map is a welcome one that makes the map rotation less monotonous.
5Trucks
Simultaneously one ofthe most fun and most frustratingofFriends Vs Friends’maps, “Trucks” has players fight on moving vehicles. It’s easy to fall off of the map and doing so results in a lot of damage (or immediate death), which can be both frustrating and hilarious.
However, what makes “Trucks” so great is how small the map is while remaining diverse in its terrain. The map features two trucks with interiors and several other vehicles that players can platform across, making the gameplay here frantic and packed with non-stop movement.
Cards with AOE effects like the Karrotov, Bomb, or Flash Bomb are very strong here, as well as turrets and the landmine when placed in strategic locations. By far thebest weapon choice for thisFriends Vs Friendsmap is the boomstick due to its high damage while in close range, which players will spend most of their time doing due to the map’s small size.
4Island
This Summer-themed tropical island is one of the smaller maps in the game, and the most open. The flat and open beaches of “Island” are broken up only by two tall rocks jutting from the ground, dotted with various foliage. The level design allows for a lot of cat-and-mouse style gameplay, and kiting can be a good strategy when the climbable rocks are used to a player’s advantage.
This map arguably suits 1v1s better due to its small size and relative lack of consistent cover, but Island is also part of the 2v2 rotation and is also good fun in that mode. The Albatross sniper rifle is next to useless in this map unless players are good at quick-scoping, due to the fact that despite the lack of cover, the map is small, and makes it easy for players to rush down snipers.
Weapons that excel in close range excel in this map, including weapons like the Katana and the Boomstick. However, the best weapon to use on this map is arguably the Laika due to its strength in both medium and close range. Turrets aren’t quite as useful on this map due to the large cover in the center blocking line of sight, but Phantom Bullets can be extremely helpful if players know where their opponents are, as it allows them to shoot through the center rocks. Combined with Poison, players can track their opponents across the entirety of the duration and shoot them through cover.
3Theatre
Featuring several layers of elevation and moving platforms, there are plenty of opportunities for players to juke their opponents in the “Theatre.” Flanking is an important strategy inFriends Vs Friends, especially in 2v2s, and it’s important to learn the layout of the interior maps (currently just “Theatre” and “Subway”) to best avoid losing track of opponents and know where to go to get behind them. This is especially true in “Theatre” due to the levels of elevation and higher ground that opens up below, so positioning is key.
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The Smoke Bomb is an especially useful card on this map due to the large open space at its center that can be hard to cross when the opponents have the high ground, and it’s also useful for blocking the various choke points in the map. Most of the chaos tends to ensue around the staircase where the two hallways connect, as well as the basement area, so players should be especiallycareful of opponents with boomsticksin these locations. Players should also avoid placing any turrets or deployable walls in the central seating area, as they can easily be avoided or destroyed from above.
Most of the weapon cards are viable on this map, but the Albatross covers a small range, primarily being useful in the seating area as that is the primary open space of the map. Players that struggle on “Theatre” should think about diversifying their deck to be better for both long and short-range encounters, as well as dealing with tight and open spaces.
2Subway Station
This map combines the chaotic magic of “Trucks” with the diverse space and terrain of “Theatre” to create a unique blend that’s full of great choke points, ambush spots, and large and complex space that is a joy to navigate through. The classic gimmick of moving subway trains through the main area of the level adds a nice level of tension and map awareness that elevates the level, constantly keeping players on their toes.
An interesting part of this map is the long hall that connects either side; it’s packed with fairly large cover and quite narrow, as well as being quite long, which makes it great for both the boomstick and the Albatross, and it creates some interesting scenarios. The hallway also features windows that look down on the main area and provide a vantage point for players to get a bead on their opponents.
Flanking is especially easy to do on “Subway” without players noticing, mainly due to the amount of tight corners and dense environments (like the intermittent trains) that frequently block the player’s line of sight. This is especially true on the main platforms, as the hallway that bridges either of the platforms is easy to sneak across if the other player(s) aren’t paying attention.
1Rooftops
Perhaps the most classicalin terms of level design, “Rooftops” is as its title describes. The map features two high-rise rooftops with a small gap that’s short enough to jump over but wide enough to fall through. Both rooftops feature a lot of cover both small and large, enabling long-range firefights that can quickly transform into panicked cat-and-mouse chases across both rooftops as either side pushes their opponent. This progression of the firefight is part of what makesFriends Vs Friendsso special, and it’s ever-present in this map.
It’s no secret that the Albatross is at home on this map due to the huge amounts of open space and perches that make great spots for sniping, yet somehow this rarely feels unfair. “Rooftops” offers plenty of opportunities to avoid snipes by weaving in and out of the sparingly (but strategically) placed cover.
This map is also one of the most funFriends Vs Friendsmapsto play in 2v2, as the long-range firefights can get chaotic and intense extremely fast with more players. The map’s level design allows for one member to flank and advance from one rooftop to another while a teammate lays down covering fire.
