The Cub

The Cub is a really good platformer with an excellent use of the soundtrack to really immerse you into the world. While some platforming bits are a little frustrating, overall the experience is tight with a smooth flow. The story is engaging, the world interesting to explore, and the themes touching on climate change and how society deals with it relevant.

The Cub is a brief, energetic and beautiful thrill ride that already has me jumping back in for a second run. Expanding on the world introduced to us in the indie darling Golfclub: Nostalgia, there is so much to love about this charming, apocalyptic storybook platformer.

The Cub fits in well with the rest of the games developed by Demagog to showcase the Great Climate Catastrophe story arc. Once again it is a game that carries a deep message, while not failing to entertain as a videogame. The shift in perspective between Golf Club: Nostalgia and The Cub is a fascinating way to present the same story but as two sides of the same coin. The challenge is not trivial, yet not painstaking either, the game being entertaining for newcomers and veterans alike.

The Cub is a short but sweet little tribute to licensed Mega Drive platformers that revisits the fantastic world set up in Demagog's previous game, Golf Club Wasteland, and comes out just as striking and memorable. Crucially, the warm tones and cool tunes of Radio Nostalgia from Mars are back to have you vibing in your seat for a handful of hours as you throw a small, mutant child into mortal danger over and over again.

The Cub is a delightful adventure that develops Demagog Studio’s universe in new and interesting ways. As a platformer, it’s solid. The movement is fluid and responsive which allows you to effortlessly traverse the environment. Each step has been animated with flair and helps to enhance the beautiful backdrops that accompany your journey. Combining this with the slick beats that blast through the radio station makes the overall presentation both unique and unforgettable. While the game is on the short side, taking only around 2 to 3 hours to see the credits roll, each part of that is meticulously designed to create a truly memorable experience.

The Cub is simple and has an excellent story. Despite the limitation, it is committed to keeping the player entertained, contemplative and focused in challenging moments, always surrounded by the illusory peaceful sensation. The unique art style and sound elements inserted into an experimental narrative are reason enough to play the title.

The last chapter in temporal order of the Great Climate Catastrophe trilogy of Demagog Studio so far is an intense adventure with a powerful message. The Cub, with its post-apocalyptic parkour, is the perfect way to start this 2024: don’t miss it.

Taking the world established within Gold Club: Nostalgia and pivoting to the platforming genre, The Cub is a continuation of a stunning visual style and a contemplative narrative that feels more topical than ever.

The rich took off to Mars quite some time ago and now the toxic Earth is ruled by the orphans of the apocalypse. But one of these cubs is extra curious in the ways of humans compared to the others. Raised by the wolves, equipped with a dead astronaut’s helmet with Nostalgia radio and well skilled for parkour traversal of this dead man’s land. Are you brave enough to embark with him on this short yet dark adventure across the dangerous surfaces of our planet, overtaken by the forces of sci-fi nature and ready to face-off any unwanted intruders?