Review: Gully Gangs: Street Cricket – Pad Up. The Future of Cricket Games Is Coming.

Introduction
5th Ocean Studios is a daring and inventive studio of game development that is dedicated to making culturally informed, high-energy games for mobile audiences. The teams’ vast spectrum of experience includes being very much connected with Indian street culture, and being very passionate about gaming, so 5th Ocean Studios is set out to blend unique local flavour with global-level production. From idea to execution, 5th Ocean Studios makes games that are new, relatable, and addictive for the next generation of gamers.

Gully Gangs: Street Cricket is a quick, 4v4 multiplayer cricket experience that brings the raw energy of India’s favorite sport—played in gullies, not stadiums. No helmet, no pads—only passion, ability, and good old desi craziness. With colorful Indian landscapes, eccentric characters, and lightning-quick matches, the game brings the heart and hustle of actual street cricket right to your fingertips.

Open in Open Beta, Gully Gangs is filled with features such as:
Real-time 4v4 multiplayer combat
Authentic desi avatars and gully environments
Quick 2-over matches for immediate entertainment
Skill-based bowling and batting action
Tournaments, leaderboards & bragging rights coming soon

Gully Gangs: Street Cricket – Gameplay

Gully Gangs gets the street cricket feel just right with quick action and intuitive controls. Once you get the timing down, it’s like cutting through butter in your path to victory—it’s so smooth and rewarding. Games are brief, tense, and crammed full of energy. But the fielding is somewhat rough around the edges. The ball also becomes difficult to spot at times, and the catch prompts get confused with standard fielding actions, misleading players. Currently, it looks like the fielding was included as an afterthought, but I seriously hope they improve it—because this game does have the potential to be a street cricket classic.

The cricketing gameplay itself was a lot of fun, and I loved the diversity of play styles and options on offer. The actual gameplay is really something to be proud of for an early access game. You can tell how much effort and shine went into the batting and bowling—it’s lively, responsive, and actually really fun to play. You can tell the devs really invested their hearts into those mechanics, and it pays off on the pitch.

FTUE
The FTUE is actually superbly executed—it adds features that are actually utilized in gameplay, and that makes everything snap together quicker. It’s easy and seamless to follow instructions, which makes the learning curve natural. Graphically, it’s excellent, and it’s actually fun switching between batting, bowling, and fielding. The tutorial itself does feel part of the actual experience, rather than a checklist.

Monetization
Monetization in Gully Gangs: Street Cricket is remarkably reasonable, particularly for an early access title. There are no intrusive ads within the game, fair prices for items, and you can gain a good amount of money through daily login and other sources within the game But there are only two skins available for purchase through those marbles. It’s well-balanced and player-friendly. Still, I did have a problem with the rating system—namely, rare skins cost more than epic and even legendary ones, and that can be disorienting and might make progression feel uneven. Otherwise than that, the monetization isn’t in-your-face and complements the game instead of impeding it.

Visuals and Sound
Graphics and sounds wise, Gully Gangs: Street Cricket is a great game. The surroundings look fantastic, the pitches are colorful, and the player models are clean. Sound design also lends itself to the experience, making the games themselves lively and immersive. Although the animations at times glitch out, it does so very infrequently and can be forgiven for an early access title. One area that did appear to be lacking in a negative manner, however, was the utilization of AI-created artwork for player avatars and the posters throughout the stadium. As this is a creative arena, the use of AI art—particularly when visually apparent—seems out of place and detracts from the sense of authenticity. Having unique, artist-designed images replace them would be wonderful in the future.

Strengths and Weaknesses
Pros:
Quick and lively gameplay that’s easy to learn and fun once you’ve mastered the timing.
Batting and bowling are responsive and smooth, with obvious effort exercised in making them enjoyable.
Excellent FTUE (First Time User Experience) – clear, well-timed tutorial that instructs real gameplay concepts.
Attractive environments and character models, accompanied by zesty sound effects that really get you immersed.
Sleek transitions between play modes (batting, bowling, fielding).
Low and reasonable monetization – no aggressive ads, fair prices, and good currency rewards from daily logins.
Short and fast multiplayer matches perfect for mobile gaming.

Cons:
Fielding mechanics come across as poorly developed – bumpy animations, poor ball visibility, and conflicting catch instructions.
Rare skin costs more than epic and legendary skins, confusing the rating system.
Only two buyable skins offered through marbles, restraining customization possibilities.
Random animation glitches, though uncommon and to be expected in early access.
Over Reliance on AI-generated art for player icons and ground posters feels unnatural in a creative field and detracts from authenticity.

Things I’d Love to See
More Raw, Emotional Celebrations: The current celebrations feel a bit flat and lack the spirit of real gully cricket. In the streets, every moment—a wicket, a six, a close call—is celebrated with full energy. I’d love to see more expressive, desi-style celebrations, like Virat Kohli’s iconic roars or animated group reactions. That raw emotion is what makes gully cricket truly memorable, and adding it would seriously elevate the experience.
More Ground Variations: There would be much to gain from more ground types, such as concrete lanes, rooftops, schoolyards, or turf fields—locales where actual street cricket takes place. Having diverse and recognizable Indian settings would not only provide visual variety but also increase immersion by evoking actual life recollections of where we’ve actually played.

Conclusion
Gully Gangs: Street Cricket is a robust early access game that captures the raw power and essence of Indian street cricket. It has quick gameplay, seamless batting and bowling controls, and a good onboarding experience, which provides a good starting point for a top multiplayer mobile game. The graphics and sound design are colorful and engaging, bringing life to each game. While there’s room to be refined—such as the clunky fielding mechanics, fleeting animation glitches, and use of AI art—the game demonstrates obvious potential. The monetization is trivial and reasonable, being fun without paywalls or stress. If the developers keep perfecting the experience, particularly in visual coherence and gameplay clarity, Gully Gangs is a long way towards being a go-to title for cricket enthusiasts and general gamers alike.

Rating: 8/10