Though it could have been a lazily slapped together game, given the danger of it being a one joke premise, Attack of the Karens is a game that’s way better than its title may imply.

Attack of the Karens is a sideways scrolling shoot ’em up with roguelite elements; it also has a very unusual colour scheme that makes it feel very much like an 8-bit title, despite many modern gameplay elements.

In Attack of the Karens, you’re tasked with taking on four cybernetic Boss Karens and their various deadly accessories, with high heeled shoes, cell phones and many more random objects flinging projectiles into your path as you try to reach their owner.

It’s a proper bullet hell style shooter, with the difficulty dialled up to 11; though it’s made easier the more you play, thanks to you being able to purchase persistent power ups between runs, that difficulty never really lets up.

Full voice acting, streamlined, one button gameplay and plenty of customisation options for your ship add to the appeal of Attack of the Karens, which takes its challenge very seriously despite the incredibly daft premise.

It’s not for the faint-hearted or easily frustrated, but if you’re a fan of old school shoot ’em ups, there’s a lot to like here.

And if it’s not to your taste, perhaps you can demand to speak to the manager?

Attack of the Karens is out now for download on Nintendo Switch. Many thanks to publisher Flynn’s Arcade for providing me with a code for review purposes.