Unravel

Unravel by Coldwood Interactive follows Yarny, an anthropomorphic creature composed entirely of yarn. The player takes control of Yarny as they traverse the everyday world, dangerous for a creature so small and soft, as they endeavour to return a missing item to its rightful owner.

Spin Us a Yarn

Yarny is, in a way, as much the main character as they are not. The player controls Yarny but the creature is just a vessel for a greater story that has already come to pass. We are shown a story that involves topics such as love and loss to broader themes like industrialization. The game does very well in making us feel like a second hand witness to the events, which is exactly what we are but the excellence of the deliver ensures that you still feel the weight of everything you see and shows us the greatest and toughest moments we face in our families in life.

The focus is divided between the story and the puzzle platformer gameplay that the levels are comprised of. I cannot overstate how satisfying the gameplay in this title is. Swinging around tree branches like a tiny spider-man to surfing around on tricycles, the physics base mechanics are delightfully tight and very easy to use.

An Adorable Character

“Charming and cute” is perhaps the best way to describe Yarny. The tiny protagonist conveys more emotion with no countenance or voice than I’ve seen some actors give in their entire careers. From the way its little ears sag when sad or cold to the way it gazes up at the world, truly demonstrating a wonder and awe that makes you feel their small stature. I never thought I’d be able to attribute ‘personality’ to a yarn doll but I can and I don’t feel silly doing so. It’s better than I’ve ever seen sidescrolling, puzzle platformers been done before.

The Details

The world that Yarny inhabits is our own and the attention to detail on that fact is breathtaking. The interesting departure from what we know and to suddenly be smaller in it is an interesting take that I welcomed, giving a new dimension to an existence that know all too well.

This in conjunction with just how much detail was put into the look and substance of that world is so pretty to look at that, on more than one occasion, I spent at least a solid minute just looking at things in my surroundings. It’s a very different style of game than something like Inside by Playdead.

Conclusion

This game was such a joy to play that my only wish is that it was longer. Unravel is a stunning game with excellent controls and a brilliant character in a story that I found to be profound and interesting.

Pros

• Excellent Visuals
• Engaging Story
• Tight gameplay and responsive controls

Cons

• Too short
• lack of side puzzles and missions