Kalimba
- April 22, 2015
- Press Play
- 14h median play time
Get on Steam
Get on Xbox Games Store"Kalimba" is a platformer game with stunning graphics and marvelous music, offering both single-player and local multi-player modes for up to 2 players in a couch co-op challenge. As totems, players journey from the underworld to the heavens to restore light to the island of Kalimba, which has been cast into darkness by an evil shaman. Acclaimed by critics with scores of 10/10 and 9/10, Kalimba is a must-try for fans of platforming adventures.
PC
Steam Deck
Windows
Xbox One
Xbox Series X|S
Xbox
Reviews
- Incredibly well-polished with a wonderfully creative art style and an outstanding soundtrack.
- Satisfying puzzles and tight controls make for a rewarding gameplay experience, especially in co-op mode.
- A unique and challenging puzzle platformer that is fun to play solo or with friends, offering a mix of skill and puzzle-solving elements.
- Controller support is inconsistent, with many users reporting issues, particularly with PS4 controllers and Steam Link.
- The co-op campaign is short, consisting of only 10 levels, which may disappoint those looking for more content.
- The game can be frustrating for completionists due to its restart mechanics and the difficulty of achieving perfect scores.
- gameplay21 mentions
- 48 % positive mentions
- 38 % neutral mentions
- 14 % negative mentions
The gameplay is praised for its cooperative elements and innovative mechanics, providing a fun and polished experience, though some players note the main campaign's brevity with only 20 levels. The game effectively explores unique mechanics without repetitive formulas, offering a mix of action-platforming and puzzle-solving that keeps the experience engaging, despite some levels feeling similar towards the end. Overall, the combination of impressive visuals, sound, and gameplay mechanics sets it apart in the puzzle-platformer genre.
“It expertly explores its mechanics in interesting ways.”
“The cooperative play is incredibly fun and well done, and it's extremely polished in every way - visuals, audio, and gameplay.”
“The sound, art, and gameplay are all fantastic and really set this game apart from other puzzle-platformers.”
“Very short gameplay.”
“It also focuses on the stacking mechanic, whereas the single player has more different puzzle types.”
“This is a pretty simple action-platformer with a bunch of neat puzzles built into its unique movement mechanic.”
- graphics16 mentions
- 81 % positive mentions
- 6 % neutral mentions
- 13 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their polish and unique art style, contributing to a visually stunning experience. While some users noted minor glitches, the overall aesthetic is described as gorgeous and whimsical, complemented by an outstanding soundtrack. The combination of creative visuals and engaging gameplay makes it a standout title in the platformer genre.
“It is incredibly well polished, has a wonderfully creative art style, and has one of the best soundtracks I've ever heard.”
“Gorgeous graphical style.”
“Genuinely an all-time great platformer, outstanding visuals and a fantastic soundtrack, and tight platforming controls.”
“The art style is fairly distinct and not that common at all.”
“I know it sounds ridiculous, but believe me - it's a pretty sensible and damn addictive game, made even better by its retro graphics.”
- music16 mentions
- 94 % positive mentions
- 6 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The music in the game is consistently praised for its quality and creativity, with many reviewers highlighting it as one of the standout features alongside the game's unique art style and engaging gameplay. The soundtrack is described as beautiful, whimsical, and well-polished, contributing significantly to the overall aesthetic and enjoyment of the game. Overall, the combination of impressive music and visuals enhances the gaming experience, making it a memorable platformer.
“It is incredibly well polished, has a wonderfully creative art style, and has one of the best soundtracks I've ever heard.”
“Genuinely an all-time great platformer, outstanding visuals and a fantastic soundtrack, and tight platforming controls.”
“The music, art, and gameplay are all equally impressive.”
- story4 mentions
- 75 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 75 % negative mentions
The story of the game is described as intriguing and enjoyable, featuring a unique narrative delivered by a humorous character, the meta hoebear. Set in the whimsical world of Kalimba, the writing combines silliness with engaging elements, complementing the fun art design and puzzle platforming gameplay.
“A unique little puzzle platformer, fun art design, and a nice little story.”
“The meta hoebear was kind of funny and cool; the story was intriguing enough, and the graphics looked nice.”
“Kalimba is the world in which our story takes place.”
“The story feels disjointed and lacks a coherent narrative flow.”
“The characters are one-dimensional and fail to evoke any real emotional connection.”
“The plot twists are predictable and do not add any depth to the overall experience.”
- humor3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is characterized by epic and hilarious boss battles, alongside amusing elements like the meta hoebear. While many jokes are present, they are described as only somewhat funny, suggesting a mixed reception regarding the overall comedic impact.
“The level design is high quality, and the 'boss' battles are epic and hilarious at the same time.”
“The meta hoebear was kind of funny and cool, the story was intriguing enough, and the graphics looked nice.”
“There are lots of jokes that are somewhat funny.”
- stability2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game exhibits stability issues, with users reporting buggy keyboard controls and occasional graphical glitches, though the overall experience remains enjoyable despite these flaws.
“Even the keyboard controls seem buggy.”
“The game offers some nice graphics, although there are some ugly glitches here and there.”
- grinding1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Many users find the grinding aspect of the game tedious, particularly when striving for perfect scores, leading to a general recommendation against it.
“I don't recommend this game because of how tedious it is to achieve perfect scores.”
“The grinding feels endless and takes away from the enjoyment of the game.”
“I found the repetitive tasks to be a major turn-off, making the game feel like a chore.”
- replayability1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players appreciate the high amount of content available for a reasonable price, which significantly enhances replayability and encourages them to improve their skills.
“There's plenty of content for a great price, which gives a lot of replay value and challenges you to become even better!”
- optimization1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Overall, users report a positive experience with optimization, noting that performance is smooth and without any complaints.
“Performance-wise, I found nothing to complain about.”
“The optimization in this game is top-notch, allowing for smooth gameplay even on lower-end systems.”
“I was impressed by how well the game runs; the developers clearly put a lot of effort into optimizing the experience.”
