Skatesterre is now available on Xbox Series X|S, bringing trick chains, high-score runs, and colorful skate parks to players who miss the pick-up-and-play feel of classic arcade skateboarding. Headup and Goon Squad explained the game’s origins in an Xbox Wire announcement.
Rather than leaning into strict sports simulation, the game looks back to the arcade style of Skate or Die, Dave Mirra, Grind Session, and the early THPS titles. The goal is a control scheme that lets players start pulling off tricks quickly, then rewards them for learning better routes and connecting longer combos.
Here, a skate park is more than a collection of ramps. Rails, gaps, bowls, and hidden paths can all become part of one flowing run, with manuals, grabs, kickflips, grinds, and other tricks feeding into bigger score multipliers.
The campaign uses mission objectives to push players through its levels, while high scores provide a reason to return and try a cleaner line. Completing those objectives also unlocks clothing and gear, giving Sterre Meijer more room to develop a personal look as the game progresses.
Sterre Meijer helped shape the game’s identity
Goon Squad’s lead developer had already been building skateboarding prototypes before joining the studio and even constructed a miniramp in his garden. That background helped give the project a clear direction, while Sterre’s involvement gave the character and presentation a more personal center.
The team first connected with Sterre after following her skating career online, then met with her in the Netherlands. She and her brother supported the project from the beginning, and the developers paid close attention to how her style should appear in the game. The character model was eventually rebuilt after the team decided an earlier version did not represent her well enough.
Players take control of Sterre, also known as Surfsterre, as they skate through streets, parks, and urban playgrounds. Her look is only one part of the customization system, which also includes outfits and other fashion items to unlock.
The result is a game with a playful, colorful tone that leaves room for experimentation. Players can chase the highest possible score, hunt for more creative lines, or simply spend a run testing how many tricks they can connect before the landing goes sideways.
Its soundtrack also follows the throwback approach, with underground skate punk and skate rock tracks designed to match the energy of an arcade run.
Skatesterre is available now on Xbox Series X|S. Share your thoughts on the game in the comments, and follow us on X, Bluesky, YouTube, Instagram, Steam, and Telegram.
