Foamstars

Foamstars is a third-person shooter that is playable by up to eight players in online four-versus-four matches. The players are divided into two teams, which can be identified by the colour of their outline and foam. Players use their weapons to shoot foam, which can be used to damage players on the opposing team. Additionally, foam can be placed on the ground, creating foam banks, which can be surfed on or used as a cover.

Players standing in the foam of the opposing team are slowed down. When the player's health reaches zero, they will be "foamed", appearing in a foam bubble. The effect can be removed if a teammate surfs into the foamed player. Being hit by a surfing enemy player while foamed makes the player "chilled" (a pun on killed), sending the player back to the starting point.

Developer Toylogic is based in Tokyo, Japan. Foamstars was announced at the PlayStation Showcase 2023 livestream on May 24, 2023.

The game was officially released on February 6, 2024. The game was available on the PlayStation Plus subscription for no additional cost until March 4, 2024, after which it was sold for $29.99 until it became free-to-play on October 4, 2024.

Upon reveal, Foamstars saw immediate comparison to Nintendo's Splatoon series, as both titles utilize non-lethal ammunition that doubles as a traversal mechanic and form of territory control. Leigh Price of Silconera would express in an editorial that while "Nintendo doesn’t have an exclusive right to make painting-turf gameplay," Foamstars' reveal trailer showcased several weapons that have direct counterparts in both appearance and function to those within Nintendo's third-person shooter franchise.

Foamstars producer Kosuke Okatani would later criticise these comparisons, remarking that Foamstars' gameplay diverges heavily outside that shared aspect, and saying that games like it and Splatoon should become their own genre, akin to metroidvania or soulslike, suggesting the term "party shooter".