Unravel

It’s a beautiful game about human emotions and memories, and while I hope there’s never a sequel, I cannot wait to see what this team comes up with next.

Clocking in at a little under 6 hours, there was no part of Unravel that I found wanting. Great visuals, excellent mechanics, and a satisfyingly sweet, personal narrative background make this a complete no-brainer in my book. I adore this game, and if you have any kind of a heart beating inside of you, I have no doubt that you will too.

The atmosphere is so compelling that I couldn’t help but feel like a piece of my own story was wrapped up in the game with the rest of the photo album. It’s rare but a special thing when a game manages to impart a story that touches strings deep in the heart, and Unravel manages to meet and exceed this feat. Get ready to have all the feels.

I walked away from Unravel thinking not about those moments of frustration, plentiful as they are. All I could think about - and still keep thinking about - is the beautiful adventure I’d been on with Yarny, all culminating in one of the most captivating, lovely, heartwarming endings I’ve seen.Truly, Unravel is a special game.

It's very sad to score with numbers a game made of hearth. Sorry about that, Unravel. You're more than a videogame, you're the soul of your creators.

Unravel is not only an eye candy, it fulfills its objectives as a good videogame with interesting platforming challenges based on the unraveled character and its yarn. With an outstanding presentation, beautiful landscapes, sensitive story and reflexive ambients, it's a pleasure that many people should enjoy.

Yarny heads a fantastic 2D platformer that suffers from one or two issues, but ultimately becomes one of the more enjoyable experiences in recent memory.

A moving puzzle platformer bolstered by strong level design, a creative mechanic, and an unbelievably endearing main character

What does matter is that in Unravel Coldwood has succeeded in creating a beautiful, poignant, and compelling game interested in going beyond mere entertainment. It wants to make us think about the what and why of everything that happens.

Unravel is a story about a family you don’t know and memories you don’t have. Its journey is watching and becoming the force piecing them together, a force that takes shape in a small, humble character named Yarny.

Unravel is a gorgeous, tender, heartwarming experience. Endearing to the last thanks to a well-designed world and achingly sweet protagonist.

It feels like the game equivalent to your favorite art house movie, where it speaks a message that is both universal, and yet completely personal to you. Even beyond the artistic, the game functions well on a technical level, delivering both great graphics and fantastic music, while also hitting on some great gameplay. Trial and error deaths get in the way, and some puzzles might frustrate, but overall Unravel is a triumphant experience from start to finish.

It’s an experience that was quite intense for this particular reviewer. It is a wondrously constructed game born of love and culminating as an incredibly, beautifully bittersweet, emotional adventure. Filled with heart from its opening to the cessation of the credits, it will wow you, make you smile and make you cry. Gamer or not, you need to play Unravel.

Unravel’s appeal goes far beyond pretty levels. Beautiful, poignant and with an iron grip on your heart, Yarny manages to effortlessly deliver a wonderful platformer and a bittersweet message.

A wonderful platform adventure set in the beautiful Swedish wilderness. Not many games come close in graphical prowess.

A wonder to play, a joy to experience, a feast for the senses and a heartfelt story told by a team of passionate developers.

Like the biggest Pixar's productions, Unravel delivers on very different levels. On one hand, it's a 2D platformer-puzzler that is very well-designed and, on the other hand, offers a poetic message about life, friendship and death. All wrapped in its own style, with a lovely main character made of wool and a fantastic world to explore and interact with, with great visuals and soundtrack. It's sold as an indie game, but at some points it looks more like a triple A game. If you loved Journey and other art-games, you should go for it.

Unravel is a unique piece of art in a gaming world filled with first-person shooters and epic AAA titles. It’s not perfect, but it does a great job challenging one’s brain, while delivering some visually stunning scenery to make you forget you’re working hard to progress and push through.

It is really hard not to fall in love with Unravel. The atmospheric, beautiful world is the perfect setting for an emotional story. There are a few hiccups when it comes to gameplay, but thanks to the quality of the adventure that is hardly noticeable.

Unravel isn't perfect or particularly original, but there's so much love and care put into it that it becomes something unique and special. One of those games that you'll enjoy if you need a break from Triple A and blockbusters.

Unravel is a fleeting yet enjoyable experience, with great gameplay and production design. Experienced players may find it too easy, but it's a gorgeous blend of story and gameplay for everyone else.

It might be tempting to write off Unravel as another indie-made platformer, but you’d be denying yourself a surprisingly deep puzzler with an unmeasurable amount of charm. There might not be much replay value, but you’ll be glad you took the time to see it to the end.

Quotation fortcoming.

As a puzzler it has charm due to Yarny’s engaging skills, but as a platforming experience it’s less remarkable. But to judge it solely on these mechanical aspects would be to overlook its greater achievement: the way it provokes subtle and complex emotions through the use of nature and nostalgia. It all makes for a sincere, warm-hearted, and extremely likeable adventure.

Unravel is a gorgeous tribute to the little things in live. A touching, soft story that’s rarely seen in games.

Unravel's audiovisual beauty is only paralleled by the sympathy Yarny inspires, with all its cuteness and immortality. Although Coldwood Interactive has made some gameplay mistakes that weigh down the experience quite a bit, you can't ignore all the effort they put in the game, that plays with nostalgia like few other games have achieved.

A platform-puzzler with real heart, Unravel makes up for mechanical shortcomings with a world as palpable as it is pretty. It's no classic, but it's a memorable journey all the same. [Apr 2016, p.90]

Unravel is a beautiful, serene platformer with neat idea. [March 2016]

An ode to joy. Unravel is a relaxing game that strikes a chord with many of its players. It is a calm, joyous adventure with not so complex puzzles nor gameplay, yet adorable little voyage you'll gladly take.

Unravel is a bit of a slow starter, but as the adventure unfolds it’s easy to get totally lost in the beautiful scenery and the stunning graphics. It’s a game that's going to make you feel warm and joyful, and for that we can overlook some of the lesser parts, like the puzzle design.

It’s true that there is a lot of room for improvement, especially on the puzzle department. Nevertheless, Coldwood Interactive made a major comeback with Unravel, a game which has some of the finest visuals we‘ve seen and an outright adorable main character which is a joy to handle.

As cute as it is touching, and as unique as it is enjoyable, Unravel is a title very much worth experiencing.

While Unravel might not be the deepest experience or present the most complex puzzles to solve, the impossibly beautiful presentation is overwhelming and Yarny is a character that's easy to love. This small-scale journey of the mind and heart had no trouble keeping me engaged until the last memory was found, and I look forward to what this developer does next, even if yarn isn't involved.

This isn't a stitched-together game in danger of falling apart, but a well-constructed and surprisingly emotional platformer.

It's not the most difficult platformer ever made, but Unravel manages to deliver a truly sweet, gentle and tender experience. It's a delicate, red ball of yarn that will twine around your heart.

Unravel is certainly one of the most charming games in recent years, one filled with intimate details from the author's life - perhaps a bit too often. It does not change the fact that - if we accept such concept - we're in for a treat.

Yarny’s journey might have its ups and downs, but it’s brief and beautiful. It is a mostly wordless message of love.

Unravel is pure charm from start to finish. It's not going to redefine the platformer genre, but it's a wonderfully atmospheric and enjoyable title with solid gameplay and delightful visuals.

The team wanted to make it more than just a cute face and pretty graphics. Even if puzzles can seem obtuse, seldom do they ever feel impossible. The few faults in Unravel can be excused, because it’s so well executed. With the emotions it stirs and the warmth it makes you feel, it’s obvious that a lot of heart was poured into this game.

Unravel is like a colored Limbo. It's a touching and creative trip, even if it lacks a bit of depth and is sometimes repetitive.

Unravel is a solid (if flawed) puzzle platformer wrapped up in beautiful visuals and emotional moments. It's like a Christmas sweater. It's not perfect, but you're compelled to love it just the same.

A beautiful first try, that deserves to be played. It ain’t perfect, due to some design problems in the second half of the game, but it’s also a splendid title, whose locations and protagonist will stay in your heart for a while.

Unravel is a remarkable achievement on the artistic side, with some evocative nordic landscapes and an effective protagonist. But the dualism between his platform and puzzle mechanics are not totally convincing, and the level design is a bit flat.

Unravel is a delicate game, cloaked in an overall positive morale. The gameplay is as light as the graphics and the narration, and that will surely disappoint those who will look for a deeper platforming experience, but the atmosphere is still unique, and sound.

Unravel never entirely shakes that aura of niceness over its five hours or so. It is both its strength and weakness. The background tale of Yarny searching through a family’s memories is a bit mawkish, but the little fella’s determination to trek through the challenges Coldwood chucks at him is adorable and endearing.

With smart gameplay, gorgeous graphics, and a brilliant story to tell, it looks as though Unravel could be ColdWood’s first breakout hit and a deserving one at that.

Simple in its mechanics but very refined, Unravel is a charming adventure that will probably make you remember some distant memory with a smile.

Its puzzles can be a little woolly, but Unravel has endless spools of charm. [March 2016, p.70]

Unravel isn’t a bad game on any level but it can be frustrating and the margin of error is not very forgiving for some of the puzzles. Nonetheless, it does have its moments of glory which did keep me interested and motivated to finish the game.

With just a dozen levels, Unravel's brief six-hour runtime still proves too long for the basic puzzle mechanics. However, the satisfying platforming, thoughtful story, and adorable protagonist make it a worthwhile journey. I grew tired of repeating the same puzzle solutions, but seeing Unravel through to the end was still a treat.

The game shines through its stunning visuals, heartfelt soundtrack and unique platforming elements creating a truly unforgettable experience. Unfortunately, gameplay does lack substance, as it can be completed in just six hours and lacks any real replay value.

We were expecting one of the best games indies can make but the truth is Unravel is just a good game. Good, but very far from something like LIMBO or the recent Ori and the Blind Forest.

The game constantly hints at greater things, but never quite reaches those heights. In the end, instead of feeling moved, we felt content. A wonderfully charming game with gorgeous, varied stages and crafty puzzles, but we wish it left more of a lasting mark.

From the moment that little ball of red yarn tumbled down the old woman’s steps to the last bit of yarn that I strung from place to place in the old woman’s memories, I enjoyed almost every step, swing, and catapult. The emotive little Yarny had me feeling for him as I traversed the dangerous terrain with his ever unraveling figure. Though the gameplay falls victim to ebbs and flows of being too frustrating at times and too easy at others, it was still an overall enjoyable experience.

Like its enigmatic protagonist, Unravel is never anything less than charming, even during moments when it doesn't quite hold together. [April 2016, p.108]

When it all comes together – and it often does – Unravel is an adorable game with a charming soundtrack and some gorgeous background environments. There’s still a sense of satisfaction each time you solve a puzzle and Yarny’s animations are enough to warm your heart. It’s just a shame that the game’s myriad frustrating moments ensure this warm heart is accompanied by heat under the collar.

Endearing, gorgeous platformer that tugs on the heartstrings early, but ultimately winds up feeling mechanically threadbare. [April 2016, p77]

It's gorgeous, it truly is, but Unravel falls short of being the emotionally engaging game we were expecting. It's still fun, but feels much hollower than it clearly intended to be. [Issue#267, p.70]

It’s charming and easy to fall in love with - dependant on your familiarity with storytelling in games away from the blockbuster excesses. However, picking it up expecting deep gameplay and equally involved experiences would be potentially too hasty.

Even though I enjoyed Unravel I wish there was more of it. Strip away the beautiful wrapping and heartwarming story, and you're left with a fairly simple game with not too difficult puzzles that won't last you more than three or four hours. Thankfully, it's that simplicity that makes it work.

This generation has seen a glut of puzzle platformers grace the PlayStation 4, but fortunately for those interested, Unravel is absolutely one that deserves attention.

Unravel might look like LittleBigPlanet, but in practice it’s the kinder, gentler Limbo.

An astoundingly beautiful puzzle platformer, that’s a little too frustrating in practice but far from the twee family game some may mistake it for.

Unravel's strengths lie more in its heart-warming story than offering compelling gameplay. Even though there are some thought-provoking puzzles, they’re few and far between. There’s no doubt Yarny is quite the adorable little mascot who has good intentions, but a video game can’t succeed on good intentions alone.

Assessed purely on gameplay, it’s everything I tend to fear about indie projects; Beautiful, heartfelt, but like Yarny himself, not robust enough.

When Unravel did not annoy me with its poor level design and shortcomings related to gameplay mechanics, it was really enjoyable. [03/2016, p.38]

Unravel is a beautiful puzzle platform game that quite vividly speaks to your emotions. The downside however, is that the game itself is simply not a lot of fun to play.

Unravel puts all its cards on being cute and charming while having repetitive, lackluster gameplay. If you're looking for a very casual cute game, you might forgive its shortcomings

Over the course of my seven hours with the game, it was an enjoyable, simple and easy experience. Unravel doesn't do anything special with its gameplay or narrative, though it does have a magnificent soundtrack and stunning visuals. If you're a person who is a hardcore platforming fan, you will most likely be very underwhelmed with Unravel, but if you're looking for a fun, easy and light experience, then maybe this game is for you.

Despite all of its cutesy posturing and promises, Unravel is still looking to fill some kind of void. And I’m not sure if that void is its shortcomings as a mood board, as a videogame, or a cloying digestible basket of “feels” for EA.

Unravel can deliver some picturesque desktop wallpaper, but when in motion, this 2D platformer becomes a frustrating puzzler that expects you to know more than you've been taught.

When the end titles start rolling, you’ll look back at your journey in disbelief, saying “And this is it? So, those were the puzzles?! Wait, what about the story?”