Cirno! Lifts a Boulder

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Cirno! Lifts a Boulder is a single player open world platformer game with fantasy and anime themes. It was developed by Alexander Golke and was released on March 11, 2026. It received overwhelmingly positive reviews from players.

Help Cirno get back into her home! A chill, bite-sized 3D platformer in which you explore a frozen Misty Lake and gain boulder-lifting strength.

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99%

Audience ScoreBased on 503 reviews

music29 positive mentions

story3 negative mentions

Charming and cozy 3D platformer with enjoyable and smooth movement mechanics.
Lovely art style and soothing music that enhance the relaxed, nostalgic atmosphere.
Well-designed single-level map with collectibles and secrets that provide replayability and achievement challenges.

The game is quite short, with completion often taking just 1-2 hours, leaving some players wanting more content.
Limited horizontal movement options and the lack of a camera system that follows movement can make navigation feel less fluid.
Invisible walls and some hidden frog placements can cause frustration during exploration and affect player experience.

music
48 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
60%
34%
6%
The music in the game is widely praised for its calming, cozy, and chill atmosphere that perfectly complements the gameplay and visuals, often evoking nostalgia and enhancing the relaxing experience. While some note the soundtrack's limited variety, with a small number of tracks on repeat, the jazzy, touhou-inspired arrangements remain catchy and enjoyable throughout. Overall, the soundtrack significantly contributes to the game's charm and immersive, laid-back vibe.
- “The combination of the music, graphics, and overall vibe of the game creates a newfound nostalgia, making it enjoyable especially during Christmas and wintertime.”
- “The soundtrack wonderfully adds to the game's atmosphere, enhancing the overall experience.”
- “Soft background music accompanies the player during exploration, creating a calm and pleasant ambiance that fits the snowy setting.”
- “Adding a few more soundtracks would definitely help (although easier said than done).”
- “The only real complaint I have is the music is a bit repetitive, it's just three songs looped, but they're catchy enough to where I'm not too bothered by it.”
- “It controls well, the music is chill and relaxing (albeit repetitive as it's just the same 2-3 tracks playing over and over).”
gameplay
33 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
24%
67%
9%
The gameplay is a charming and simple 3D platforming collectathon with fluid movement mechanics and gradual progression through power-ups that enhance exploration and stamina. While its relaxed, playful design and smooth controls offer a cozy, enjoyable experience, some find the gameplay somewhat shallow and lacking depth or challenge. Overall, it appeals most to players seeking a lighthearted, aesthetically pleasing platformer rather than a complex or highly engaging gameplay system.
- “The mechanics of the game unlock as you collect the red ️ items (and also increase your stamina), which creates really good progression as it allows you to get to higher and harder to reach places the more you collect.”
- “A super fun and charming little 3D Touhou fangame with cool visuals, chill tunes, fluid yet solid platforming mechanics, plenty of hidden secrets and references, and achievements that provide a satisfying amount of replayability.”
- “Using the flutter jump and the float mechanics to get around and having the movement increase with more power was very rewarding, and having the game open up more helped encourage me to explore.”
- “Gameplay wise, I will critique it does get boring.”
- “The gameplay is simple and easy to pick up, but maybe a bit shallow for some people.”
- “It's a well-made game from a technical and art perspective, but the gameplay itself just didn't do much for me.”
graphics
32 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
47%
44%
9%
The game's graphics feature a charming, low-poly art style reminiscent of classic 64-era titles, creating a cozy and nostalgic atmosphere enhanced by bright colors and simple geometric designs. The cute character animations and peaceful snowy landscapes combine with thoughtful visual details and references to the Touhou franchise, making exploration inviting and visually delightful. Overall, the clean, polished visuals complement the relaxing gameplay experience, earning consistent praise for their charm and aesthetic appeal.
- “The low-poly graphics reminiscent of the 64-era masterpieces and the atmosphere expressing the silence of winter are well-combined, and the existence of a 'sit button' that lets you sit anytime will surely provide a moment of healing.”
- “Art style that feels like it just walked out of a PlayStation developer's dreams, cozy soundtrack, and so many wonderful hidden touches representing all facets of the Touhou Project franchise; there's just so much to take in wandering Misty Lake for those precious power items, appreciating all the little details referencing past and present Touhou entries.”
- “Although the graphics are relatively simple compared to larger platforming titles, the clean visual style helps the game maintain clarity and charm without requiring complex technical detail.”
- “The low poly graphics on everything and the peaceful music made the game very comfy to play through and it was satisfying getting all 100% of the collectibles.”
- “The graphics are very charming low poly style, and the collectables are fun to find.”
atmosphere
17 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
35%
59%
6%
The atmosphere is widely praised for its cozy, warm, and relaxing vibe, enhanced by charming visuals and a soothing soundtrack that immerses players in a calm, exploration-focused experience. Despite some simplicity in gameplay, the game's nostalgic low-poly graphics and thoughtful sound design create a comforting and enjoyable environment perfect for leisurely play.
- “The low-poly graphics reminiscent of the 64-era masterpieces and the atmosphere expressing the silence of winter are well-combined, and the existence of a 'sit button' that lets you sit anytime will surely provide a moment of healing.”
- “Its minimalist design, charming atmosphere, and satisfying collectible-driven progression make it an enjoyable experience for players who appreciate cozy platformers and whimsical adventures.”
- “The game is pretty simple on its surface, essentially a 'find the objects' game, but it helps you out when you get stuck and the atmosphere around it makes it really cozy and chill.”
- “The game with this mode has a kinda depressing atmosphere with a loneliness feeling.”
humor
13 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is lighthearted and charming, featuring cute and funny references that especially appeal to Touhou fans. The playful character personalities and whimsical elements contribute to a witty and enjoyable experience with a relaxed, cheerful vibe.
- “Yeah, it's a really cute game with lots of funny references for Touhou fans.”
- “Cirno’s mischievous personality and determination to solve her problem give the adventure a humorous tone, emphasizing curiosity and determination rather than danger or dramatic conflict.”
- “Really fun hour spent, you can tell the creator understands how your movement options let you move around in funny ways and your access to items feels very, very intentional.”
replayability
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
30%
40%
30%
The game offers modest replayability through achievements, collectibles, hidden secrets, and multiple endings that appeal to completionists and speedrunners. While some find the collectible aspects enriching, others feel the replay value is limited beyond one or two playthroughs. Overall, it provides satisfying replay options for those who enjoy exploring challenges and achieving full completion.
- “Great one-shot experience with some good replayability if you like collectathons, improving high scores, or speedrunning.”
- “A super fun and charming little 3D Touhou fangame with cool visuals, chill tunes, fluid yet solid platforming mechanics, plenty of hidden secrets and references, and achievements that provide a satisfying amount of replayability.”
- “While these collectibles are not essential for completing the main objective, they add a layer of replayability for players interested in achieving full completion.”
- “I'll be honest, it's a collectathon that feels empty and has no real replayability.”
- “I wish it had more mobility options and more replayability to it, but hey, to have some more media of your beloved characters is such a privilege that I am grateful for.”
- “There is some replayability in that there are technically multiple endings, there are things to find that you might not find on a single playthrough, and there is even a challenge type of run that few will probably consider doing, but I would be surprised if people give this more than one run on the majority.”
emotional
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game evokes a range of strong emotions, from warmth and coziness through its atmosphere and soundtrack to moments of heartfelt joy and tenderness. While some players found it adorable and wholesome, others experienced a bittersweet or empty feeling after completing it. Overall, the emotional impact is deep and varied.
- “Scary mode made me cry.”
- “OST and atmosphere made me feel warm and cozy despite the game being set 200% in snow.”
- “I cried when she finally lifted the boulder.”
stability
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
50%
The game runs smoothly and is well-optimized, with no significant bugs, crashes, or softlocks reported. While generally stable and polished, some players find certain achievements, like the "terrain expert," frustratingly difficult due to challenging controls and map navigation, especially in the aerial sections. Overall, stability is solid, contributing to a satisfying gameplay experience.
- “I give it a thumbs up because it is exactly as the store page portrays it, and the game is very polished in terms of options, graphics, sound, music, and being generally bug free; I encountered no softlocks either.”
- “Runs great.”
- “Also runs great on my laptop.”
- “The "terrain expert" achievement is legitimately frustrating since I could not imagine doing this without exploiting bugs and glitches, which took hours of trial and error. It's unclear if this is intentional as a nod to the retro-gaming community, but completing it without exploits would require hours of repetitive precise movement and control.”
- “Trying to go for the terrain expert achievement is pretty difficult, even though it is manageable without glitches. Additionally, the aerial section of the map is a huge pain to navigate because, even with max draw distance, you can't see far enough to know where you're going.”
- “The game's achievements, particularly the terrain expert, demand extremely precise movement and controls, requiring significant trial and error that affects the overall stability and flow of the gameplay.”
story
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20%
20%
60%
The story is minimal and lighthearted, primarily serving to motivate exploration, with themes of overcoming challenges and appreciating life’s joys. While simple, it effectively supports the gameplay and has potential for expansion into a fuller narrative.
- “Lifts a boulder is a story about conquering impossible odds and doing whatever you can to improve while reminding oneself what it means to live in the first place; the joys of creation, the friends you've made along your journey, and frogs.”
- “The game's story is intentionally minimal, serving mainly as a lighthearted motivation for the exploration that follows.”
- “Baka lifts a boulder, end of story.”
- “I ought to replay the game sometime to see if there were any signs of that plot development unfolding.”
grinding
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Grinding in the game can become tedious due to the large level size and repetitive item collection, though the short overall playtime lessens this impact. Limited upgrades beyond the initial stamina boosts also reduce long-term progression variety. However, unique mechanics like the Terrain Expert approach add some engaging variety to the experience.
- “The level is very large and having a dash or something to make running around less tedious would've been nice.”
- “My only two issues are collecting everything gets a bit tedious by the end (which isn't much of an issue, the game's only an hour long) and that there aren't any upgrades past the first few you get besides more stamina.”
optimization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is well-optimized for speedrunning, offering a fast and smooth experience, though the overall content is brief.
- “Very short, but optimized for speedrunning for people who are into that.”

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Frequently Asked Questions

Cirno! Lifts a Boulder is a open world platformer game with fantasy and anime themes.

Cirno! Lifts a Boulder is available on PC, Steam Deck, Windows and Linux.

Cirno! Lifts a Boulder was released on March 11, 2026.

Cirno! Lifts a Boulder was developed by Alexander Golke.

Cirno! Lifts a Boulder has received overwhelmingly positive reviews from players. Most players liked Cirno! Lifts a Boulder for its music but disliked it for its replayability.

Cirno! Lifts a Boulder is a single player game.

Similar games include Grow Up, Tinykin, Grow Home, A Short Hike, Cavern of Dreams and others.

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