Game: Stick it to the Stickman
Developer: Free Lives
Publisher: Devolver Digital
Genre: Physics Roguelite Brawler
1.0 Launch: September 23, 2026
Price at 1.0: $11.99
Playtime: 10–15 hours
Steam Deck: Verified
⏰ The Price Goes Up on September 23
Stick it to the Stickman leaves Early Access on September 23, and the price rises to $11.99 at 1.0. It’s on sale right now, and Free Lives confirm that anyone who already owns it won’t be affected by the increase.
If you were going to buy it anyway, buying before Tuesday is the cheaper option.
🔨 Stick it to the Stickman hits 1.0 on September 23. The full release adds two new game modes, finishes the story with three new quests, and — in the studio’s words — finally reveals the final form of capitalism.
⚖️ Climb the Corporate Ladder. Violently.Free Lives — the studio behind Broforce and Terra Nil — makes games with a very specific sense of humour, and Stick it to the Stickman is no exception.
It’s a slapstick, physics-based roguelite brawler about fighting your way to the corner office. You batter through coworkers, middle management and bosses, armed with staple guns and chainsaws, acquiring subsidiary companies along the way until you’re the most powerful company under capitalism’s foot.
The satire runs all the way through the marketing too. Free Lives announced 1.0 in the form of a corporate memo addressed to “highly valued scab workers”, framing the price rise as a stock tip and thanking readers for crossing the picket line. It’s very much of a piece with the game.
The fastest way up is through
Batter your way through middle management, acquire a few subsidiaries, and find out what the final form of capitalism actually looks like.
Free Lives and Devolver Digital are taking Stick it to the Stickman out of Early Access on September 23, with the 1.0 build launching on Steam at $11.99.
The full release brings two new game modes, the conclusion of the story, a batch of new content for the Foreign Manufacturing expansion, and a long list of bug fixes. It’s Steam Deck Verified and runs 10 to 15 hours to complete.
What 1.0 Adds
🧠 Neurolink
A new Survivor-style game mode joining the roster at 1.0.
🏚️ Billionaire Bunker
Fight from the bottom to the top of the bunker with wild new powerups, ending in a ridiculous boss fight.
📜 The Ending
Three new quests complete the story — and reveal the final form of capitalism.
🎮 Deck Verified
Officially Steam Deck Verified, with 10–15 hours of content.
Foreign Manufacturing Gets Two New Archetypes
🥷 The Ninja and The Negotiator
The Foreign Manufacturing expansion has been updated too, with two new playable Archetypes:
• The Ninja — a backstabbing fighter who swaps the slide for a teleport
• The Negotiator — armed with bags of cash and some very strong language
Both are unlocked in the Expansion Screen for Foreign Manufacturing, and both make use of Shadow Mastery, which Free Lives describe as bringing “ghostly strikes and shady deals to the table.”
On top of that, every Archetype now has access to new secondary weapons, and there are new passives, bosses and level segments to make overseas runs feel more varied.
The Bug Fixes
🔧 What’s Been PatchedUltrawide players get the biggest win here. Free Lives have fixed a batch of ultrawide display issues, including being able to walk out of trap rooms, getting softlocked in some boss arenas, and enemies spawning directly in your face.
Also fixed:
• Progression in the Employee Evaluation centre
• Infinite Promotions in Fulfillment (which, the studio notes, was not as fun as it sounds)
• 1000 Sudokus now works in Foreign Manufacturing
• Passive visibility is more consistent, and can now be enabled in the settings menu
• Smoother stitching between level segments in Foreign Manufacturing
• Enemies get stuck in doors less often
• Better targeting on some abilities
An Early Access Price Rise, Done Properly
💸 Promised Up Front, and Existing Owners Are Protected
Price increases at 1.0 tend to annoy people, but this one is about as fair as the practice gets. Free Lives say the rise is in line with the Early Access promises they made, they’ve announced it in advance rather than springing it on launch day, and existing owners keep what they paid.
The studio is also refreshingly blunt that the low Early Access price was a deliberate strategy — describing their “undercut” phase of total market capture as now being over, which is exactly the kind of joke this game is built on.
It’s worth noting as a contrast: some Early Access games hold their price at 1.0 and some raise it. Neither approach is wrong, but the important part is saying which one you’re doing, and saying it early. Free Lives have.
One more small thing worth a mention, given how often the subject comes up lately: buried in the announcement, Free Lives take a moment to state plainly that they don’t use AI in the game’s development. It arrives wrapped in a joke about a fired intern, but the confirmation itself is clear enough.
When and Where
📅 September 23 · Steam · $11.99
Stick it to the Stickman leaves Early Access on September 23, 2026, priced at $11.99 (local pricing will vary). It’s Steam Deck Verified, and takes roughly 10 to 15 hours to finish.
It’s discounted right now, ahead of the increase — so if it’s on your list, before Tuesday is the moment.
Hi there! I’m Marie, also known as CtrlQueen. I’m passionate about keeping up with the latest in gaming news and sharing my insights. RPGs steal my heart with their rich narratives and immersive worlds, but I also love unwinding with fun, casual games. Whether you’re here for deep dives into game mechanics or just to chat about your favorite casual game, you’ve found the right place! Let’s game and explore together.
