Your Only Move Is Hustle: Why This Indie Gem Still Holds Up in 2026
All fighting games have one main idea in mind: two players enter an arena, map, or environment, and they fight until someone emerges victorious. Games like Street Fighter and Tekken are incredible examples of the genre, with Super Smash Bros. Ultimate being another incredibly popular choice. But these games do not quite compare to an indie fighting game created by Ivy Sly in 2022 called Your Only Move Is Hustle (shortened to YOMI Hustle). We’ve written about this game in the past, but why not rediscover it nearly three years later?
Before I dive in, I should declare that this is not our first time covering this indie hit. I wrote a review of it back in 2023, but this article isn’t just a review; it’s about why this game still holds up in the year 2026—and why you should get it!
Strategy Over Reflexes: A Different Kind of Combat
The main reason YOMI Hustle is classified as one of the best fighting games is an often-overlooked feature I haven’t seen in many other titles. If you’ve played Tekken, Street Fighter, or Super Smash Bros., you know they all feature the core mechanic of fighting in real-time. You press an input, and your character immediately performs an attack or movement. YOMI Hustle changes how fighting games work by requiring more strategy and prediction than reflex and agility.
Instead of real-time combat, YOMI Hustle works like a game of chess. During the match, the game freezes, and you and your opponent choose from a variety of attacks, movements, or special abilities. Once both players lock in their choices, the game plays out the frames until the actions reach an endpoint. Then, you repeat the cycle. While a match may take longer than most fighting games, the actual “combat time” is usually less than a minute. When you watch a replay of the fight without the choice frames, you see a seamless, high-speed battle.
Each option has its own direction, modification, or movement style. Because of the “freeze period” aspect, characters—including modded ones—often have a wider variety of options than you’d find in a traditional fighting game. Since the game only requires a mouse to play, the developer can fit way more abilities onto a character than a standard real-time controller layout would allow. The concept is truly unique and is rarely seen elsewhere in the genre.
A Thriving Modding Community
It is also impossible to mention this game without bringing up its incredibly talented modding community. Don’t let its age scare you; YOMI Hustle maintains an average of over a thousand simultaneous players, which is impressive for such a niche title. Using the Steam Workshop, users have uploaded a massive variety of characters. Modders have implemented fighters from franchises like Super Mario, Jujutsu Kaisen, Ultrakill, Deltarune, Undertale, Lobotomy Corporation, Sonic, Cyberpunk 2077, and most recently, the popular online series Animation VS. Minecraft. The list is endless, and many fan-made characters fit into the game perfectly.
Even if modding isn’t to your taste, the five base characters are deep enough to satisfy any player, as each one is incredibly complex. The game also boasts an active online community where you can practice or take your skills to the ranked lobbies. You can even find fan-organized tournaments on the official YOMI Hustle Discord server!
The Verdict: Is YOMI Hustle Worth It?
Now, before you ask, “How is this the best fighting game?” let me clarify: I’m saying it is one of the best, not the absolute best. The game does have its hurdles; the community is niche, it has an extremely high skill ceiling, and the fact that it is a PC exclusive limits its reach. However, this game is very—and I mean very—underrated. It has more potential than almost anything else I’ve seen in the indie scene. At a price of only $4.99 on Steam, it’s a mystery why everyone isn’t playing it.
So, if you’re looking for a unique, complex, and strategy-based fighting game, why not give Your Only Move Is Hustle a try? From the innovative mechanics to the brilliant community and endless modded collaborations, there is so much to love. Support the creator, Ivy Sly, and let’s give this small, brilliant game the love it deserves.
Learn more about YOMI Hustle on Steam
