The best powers in South Park: Snow Day!, ranked

South Park: Snow Day! gives you additional powers on top of melee and ranged weapons to use during combat. Choosing the best powers can be the difference between success and failure, so strap up because we’re ranking all powers in South Park: Snow Day! from worst to best.

You should give yourself a good head start by using the best weapons in Snow Day, but equipping the best powers too will turn you into the bane of all South Park kindergartners and sixth graders. There are eight powers in total, of which you can add two to your loadout for each chapter. Though they are not split into categories, there’s an obvious division into four offensive and four defensive powers.

South Park: Snow Day! is quite liberal in allowing for different playstyles, which could include an ultra-offensive setup with two offensive powers, a more reserved approach with both slots taken up by defensive powers, or a balanced loadout with one of each. Which one you go for is up to you, but we’ll split our ranking into these two categories so you can easily pick the pair that best suits your preferred playstyle.

The best offensive powers in South Park: Snow Day!, ranked

4) Drone Bomb

The Drone Bomb power generates a drone that attaches itself to the nearest enemy and detonates after a few seconds, dealing damage to every enemy within the explosion range. Even the worst power in Snow Day isn’t outright bad, but the Drone Bomb suffers from the unfortunate circumstance that it’s a straight-up worse version of another power.

The main problem is that it often ends up doing damage to one or two enemies max, and it doesn’t affect them at all before detonation. Once it blows up, it knocks everyone to the ground, which is arguably more valuable than the damage itself, but it’s not enough to push it higher on the list.

3) Snow Turret

The Snow Turret stays true to its name. You literally build a stationary turret that fires snowballs at enemies. It cannot be damaged and crucially isn’t time-based but keeps firing until it’s all out of snowballs. That way, you’re not wasting your power if enemies happen to be hidden from the turret at any particular moment.

The Snow Turret doesn’t face the struggles of the Drone Bomb and is a unique ranged option that is particularly helpful for melee-oriented players who like to get all up in enemies’ grill. It’s only at the three spot because the other two remaining offensive powers are just that much better.

2) Gravity Bomb

The power creep that cemented Drone Bomb at the bottom of the list is all due to the Gravity Bomb. It is very similar in that it generates an object—in this case, a balloon—that detonates for huge damage after a few seconds. The difference is that the Gravity Bomb pulls enemies in its radius and actively moves away from you. It deals damage to more enemies and simultaneously serves as a defensive power by keeping targets at a distance.

It’s an objectively better version of Drone Bomb, which is unfortunate for the latter, and a bit of an oversight by the developers. It can also become downright overpowered when buffed with Upgrades, but it still doesn’t hold a candle to the best offensive power in South Park: Snow Day!

1) Cheesing

What if all the enemies suddenly start fighting with you instead of against you? That question is answered by the Cheesing power. You pull out a cat from your hat, which “cheeses” enemies with its, uhm, juices. Cheesed enemies immediately switch sides and start fighting against their former allies.

Turning several foes into teammates in an instant can be a tad bit overpowered, and Cheesing is far and away the most impactful offensive option in South Park: Snow Day! be it a weapon, power, or even Bullshit. Cheesed enemies remain switched for a while and you can keep spamming the quickly rechargeable power to cheese more and more enemies until there are none left to fight you.

Cheesing can be very overwhelming, but there’s one catch. Bosses are immune to Cheesing, so you’ll practically be left with a single power during boss battles while Cheesing is equipped. Is this enough to balance the fact you can stroll through everything leading up to the boss? We say no, but we can live with some chaotic overpowered fun in a PvE South Park game.

The best defensive powers in South Park: Snow Day!, ranked

4) Bullrush

Despite being the most offensively potent defensive power, Bullrush is the weakest of the bunch. It launches you forward, pushing and damaging enemies that come in your path. The damage you deal is minor compared to truly offensive powers. The main benefits are the ability to escape from tough situations and being able to drag along an enemy or two, which you can then fight in isolation.

We’re not going to dump on Bullrush because it’s not a bad power. It does its primary job well and adds some damage dealing on top, but the two best defensive powers are game-changing powerhouses, and the third one does what Bullrush is trying to do better, which leaves us no choice but to place this power at the bottom.

3) Fart Escape

We’re glad to say Fart Escape is a literal description of this power. You launch yourself in the air with the power of your internal gas and remain afloat until you go for an aerial attack or reach the ground which takes upwards of 10 seconds. You also deal a small amount of damage upon release of this power.

Fart Escape is the better of the two dodge powers, as it takes you completely out of the action for several seconds, giving you time and opportunity to scout the battlefield and decide where and when to strike next with a devastating aerial assault. You can also cause your enemies to vomit if you fill up their stink meters, which must be the most hilarious status effect in any game ever.

2) Bubble Shield

The Bubble Shield is one of two defensive and three total powers that can completely change the way you play South Park: Snow Day! It gives you full protection from all ranged attacks while it lasts, reflecting any projectiles coming your way back toward enemies.

Ranged opponents can be a major hassle—damaging you, freezing you, or throwing bombs at you. Being able to ignore them and focus entirely on what’s in front of you is a game changer. That your power meter replenishes upon engaging enemies also means that you can run the Bubble Shield all the time by simply hitting the closest enemies a few times. It’s a near-unbreakable shield against all ranged attacks, which would be grand in any game, and yet, it isn’t even the best defensive power in Snow Day.

1) Healing Totem

There’s nothing quite like being able to fill up your entire team’s health bar in a matter of seconds. That’s what the Healing Totem does. It spawns a pole with a healing area around it that replenishes the health of each team member that steps in it a set amount per second. Similarly to the Snow Turret, the Healing Totem does not expire and keeps healing until its capacity is all dried up.

One of our tips and tricks for mastering South Park: Snow Day! states that you should always bring the Healing Totem along. We’re all for freedom of playstyle, but there’s no denying that having a bag of health with you at all times is very hard to pass on. The Healing Totem is so vital for survival that we’d argue it adds a new difficulty level to Snow Day if you decide to forgo it. Leave the hub without this power at your own discretion.

How to upgrade powers in South Park: Snow Day!

All powers can be upgraded via Upgrade cards you can purchase from Jimmy. These Upgrades can significantly buff your already overpowered moves, like increasing the area of effect or adding damage output to the Healing Totem. You can’t take Toilet Paper with you after finishing a chapter, so make sure it doesn’t go to waste and spend it at Jimmy’s to acquire the ultimate power.

Perks are another way to boost your powers. Unlike Upgrades, Perks are permanent but are much more difficult to get. Make sure to talk to Mr. Hankey, give the Perk tree a good look, and work toward the Perks that match your favorite powers. Getting that 20 percent extra healing from the Healing Totem, for example, can make a significant difference.

Powers are, well, powerful, but there’s yet another step up on the food chain. The best Bullshit powers in South Park: Snow Day! can completely change the tide of a battle with a single concentrated blow. They do go both ways, though, so be prepared to take the punishment you’re willing to dish out.