Harlow
- March 14, 2022
- Good Trouble
Get on Steam"Harlow" is a single-player platformer game that won the Gold Award at the 2022 NYX Game Awards. As a compact robot aboard the R1-Humanity, you must evade dangers of an ancient planet, gather materials, and plan a surprise party for the colonists. Utilizing physics-based controls, players can jump, roll, and evade various obstacles like oceans of acid, ancient machinery, and lavafalls. The game offers stunning visuals, a stellar soundtrack, and the ability to unlock different endings based on how you transform the ship into a stellar celebration.
Mac OS
PC
Windows
Reviews
- Harlow features beautiful art style, charming visuals, and a fantastic lo-fi soundtrack that enhances the overall experience.
- The gameplay is fun and engaging, with well-designed levels that provide a good balance of challenge and relaxation.
- The game offers a cozy atmosphere with cute characters and unlockable items, making it enjoyable for both platformer fans and casual gamers.
- The controls can be buggy and inconsistent, particularly with the throw mechanics and mouse cursor, which can disrupt movement.
- Checkpointing is poorly implemented, leading to frustrating backtracking after difficult sections due to unpredictable environmental hazards.
- The game can feel tedious and repetitive over time, with a lack of meaningful mechanics introduced as the difficulty progresses.
- music15 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- 13 % neutral mentions
- 20 % negative mentions
The music in Harlow is widely praised for its relaxing and immersive qualities, featuring a charming lo-fi, pop-ambient soundtrack that enhances the gameplay experience. Reviewers highlight how the soundtrack not only complements the beautiful visuals but also creates a cozy atmosphere that keeps players engaged, making it a standout aspect of the game. Overall, the music is described as both memorable and enjoyable, contributing significantly to the game's polished and heartwarming feel.
“Harlow’s beautiful art style, fun gameplay, and excellent soundtrack all come together to form a super polished, memorable experience.”
“Also the music is fantastic as well - the soundtrack would stand well on its own even outside of the game.”
“The visuals: 10/10 (this hazy, dreamy, almost glowy atmosphere evokes such a feeling of anemoia), the music 10/10 (it's got this lo-fi, pop-ambient feel that takes you to another world), the gameplay: 10/10 (it's chill, it's mellow, there are challenging moments, but overall, the controls are easy and the physics-based movements are just unpredictable enough to keep you glued to the screen).”
“As you get in a trance from the lofi music, an impression sets in that this game is a cute, cozy game… and then the next thing you know - you’re on level 12, wanting to throw your mouse out the window because this game’s innovative level design keeps challenging you into insanity!”
“The music is so relaxing.”
“I love the art style and music; it's slick as hell.”
- graphics10 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 20 % neutral mentions
- 30 % negative mentions
The graphics of Harlow are widely praised for their beautiful art style, characterized by a colorful, layered, and dreamy atmosphere that enhances the overall experience. Players appreciate the polished visuals, which contribute to a cozy and charming aesthetic, making the game visually memorable despite some levels feeling repetitive. Overall, the stunning visuals and excellent soundtrack create a captivating environment that keeps players engaged.
“Harlow’s beautiful art style, fun gameplay, and excellent soundtrack all come together to form a super polished, memorable experience.”
“The visuals: 10/10 (this hazy, dreamy, almost glowy atmosphere evokes such a feeling of anemoia), the music 10/10 (it's got this lo-fi, pop-ambient feel that takes you to another world), the gameplay: 10/10 (it's chill, it's mellow, there are challenging moments, but overall, the controls are easy and the physics-based movements are just unpredictable enough to keep you glued to the screen).”
“The aesthetic pretty much stays exactly the same and the levels start to all feel pretty much the same.”
“Although Harlow explores the old planet by collecting 'party data' in order to throw a party for colonists, you, the player, get to explore this aesthetically pleasing world of color, layers, and depth that Harlow glides through each level.”
“I love the art style and music; it's slick as hell.”
- gameplay10 mentions
- 30 % positive mentions
- 40 % neutral mentions
- 30 % negative mentions
The gameplay in Harlow is praised for its polished mechanics and well-designed levels that facilitate a flow state, making it accessible and enjoyable for players, especially with a controller. While the game features 40 levels with a gradual difficulty curve and unique movement mechanics, some users noted minor issues with keyboard and mouse controls. Overall, the gameplay is described as chill and cozy, complemented by a charming soundtrack and beautiful visuals.
“Harlow’s beautiful art style, fun gameplay, and excellent soundtrack all come together to form a super polished, memorable experience.”
“It's always great to find a game that has both tight gameplay mechanics and a well laid out level design that allows you to reach flow state.”
“The visuals: 10/10 (this hazy, dreamy, almost glowy atmosphere evokes such a feeling of anemoia), the music 10/10 (it's got this lo-fi, pop-ambient feel that takes you to another world), the gameplay: 10/10 (it's chill, it's mellow, there are challenging moments, but overall, the controls are easy and the physics-based movements are just unpredictable enough to keep you glued to the screen).”
“There are 40 levels, and the difficulty only mildly increases from start to finish with very few meaningful mechanics introduced.”
“Mechanics were just a bit wonky when starting with keyboard and mouse, as the game could autonomously reset my angry-birds-slingshot-style (rear aiming and firing) back to the forward-facing-trajectory-style (front aiming and firing).”
“I'm not someone that usually likes platformers, but the calm aesthetic, soundtrack, and simple mechanics make Harlow a platformer that leans more cozy than adrenaline-pumping (exactly my preferred type of game).”
- emotional3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Harlow is praised for its emotional depth, characterized by its charming visuals, heartwarming music, and endearing robot characters. Reviewers highlight the game's wholesome atmosphere and delightful writing, making it a feel-good experience that resonates with players long after they finish.
“Harlow is such a charming and heartwarming game, with beautiful visuals and music that you'll want to keep playing even when you're done gaming.”
“All the robots are wholesome and adorable, and the writing is charming and funny.”
- story2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game's storyline is highly praised for its emotional depth and uplifting "it's going to be okay" theme, resonating strongly with players and evoking a tear-jerker response.
“I love the storyline and the 'it's going to be okay' theme of the game.”
“The developer has such a tear-jerker story too!”
- humor2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is characterized by charming and funny dialogue, particularly from the cute and wholesome robots, which adds a delightful touch to the experience. Players appreciate the unique unlockables that enhance the excitement of exploration, further contributing to the game's lighthearted tone.
“The robots are so cute with hilarious dialogue, and the unlockables are so unique that I am always excited to research the next thing for the ship.”
“All the robots are wholesome and adorable, and the writing is charming and funny.”
- stability1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
While players enjoy many aspects of the game, there are notable concerns regarding stability, particularly related to buggy controls that detract from the overall experience.
“I love everything about this game... except for the buggy controls.”
“The game crashes frequently, making it nearly unplayable.”
“I experienced constant lag and frame drops, which ruined the overall experience.”
- grinding1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be somewhat tedious and repetitive, which can detract from the overall experience.
“The game is a bit tedious and repetitive, though.”
“Grinding feels like a never-ending chore rather than an engaging experience.”
“I find myself doing the same tasks over and over, which makes the game lose its charm.”
- atmosphere1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is highly praised, with visuals and music both receiving perfect scores for their dreamy, lo-fi qualities that create an immersive experience. The gameplay complements this ambiance, offering a chill yet engaging environment that keeps players captivated. Overall, the combination of stunning visuals, evocative music, and enjoyable gameplay contributes to a uniquely enchanting atmosphere.
“The visuals are a perfect 10/10; this hazy, dreamy, almost glowy atmosphere evokes such a feeling of anemoia.”
“The music is also a 10/10, featuring a lo-fi, pop-ambient feel that transports you to another world.”
“The overall atmosphere is chill and mellow, with challenging moments that keep you engaged while the physics-based movements add an unpredictable element.”
