Knytt Underground

About

Knytt Underground is a single player arcade platformer game. It was developed by Nifflas' Games and was released on October 25, 2013. It received mostly positive reviews from critics and positive reviews from players.

"Knytt Underground" is a serene yet action-packed platformer following Mi, a mute sprite with special powers. Set in a post-apocalyptic world underground, Mi must find and ring the six bells of fate to prevent a destructive chain reaction. Featuring captivating quests, zen-like gameplay, and dynamic characters, embark on an unforgettable adventure to discover the secrets of their origin and the meaning of life.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

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84%

Audience ScoreBased on 368 reviews

story46 positive mentions

grinding6 negative mentions

Extremely relaxing and atmospheric game with beautiful backgrounds and great music.
Offers a huge nonlinear open world filled with secrets and exploration opportunities.
Engaging platforming mechanics that allow for creative movement and satisfying challenges.

The story and character dialogues can feel juvenile and detract from the overall experience.
The game can become tedious with excessive backtracking and fetch quests.
Lacks native controller support, making it less accessible for some players.

story
239 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
19%
77%
4%
The story of "Knytt Underground" is often described as thin and lacking depth, primarily consisting of fetch quests and character interactions that may not lead to satisfying conclusions. While some players appreciate the quirky, humorous dialogue and the endearing characters, many feel the narrative is disjointed and fails to provide a compelling arc, leaving the overall experience feeling lackluster. However, the game's atmospheric world and exploration elements are praised, suggesting that the story serves more as a backdrop to the gameplay rather than a central focus.
- “The story is compelling through the tidbits of dialogue spoken by characters, while not taking itself too seriously.”
- “There's an interesting and slightly bizarre 4th wall-breaking story in there as well.”
- “The story defies a lot of genre conventions; quests don't always end in a way the characters find satisfying, and ultimately a lot of doubt is cast on the claim that your quest to 'save the world' is actually doing anything.”
- “The story is a mess (but grew on me eventually with its very personal character struggles).”
- “The way the story is written and the plot is delivered almost completely eschews how 'video game writing' is supposed to work.”
- “The story itself however is really awful.”
gameplay
143 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
34%
61%
5%
The gameplay of "Knytt Underground" is characterized by its exploration-heavy platforming mechanics, allowing players to traverse a beautifully crafted world while engaging in fetch quests and solving puzzles. While some players appreciate the simplicity and charm of the mechanics, others criticize the lack of depth and challenge, noting that the game can feel repetitive and slow-paced, particularly in later chapters. Overall, the game offers a mix of enjoyable mechanics and atmospheric design, though opinions vary on its engagement and replay value.
- “Knytt Underground is a ton of fun, both from a gameplay and story perspective.”
- “The gameplay feels snappy and responsive.”
- “Knytt Underground is an atmospheric exploration platformer with a huge world, great soundtrack, and fun mechanics.”
- “You don't get any new abilities throughout the game; you don't face many new challenges, and the game offers no more than a handful of mechanics to master. Your main objectives are to find some items, usually junk, and trade them for other junk or buy some passage with them. Some quests do not have any rewards or reasonable outcomes, and even the ending is deliberately bland.”
- “The gameplay is simplistic and kind of boring, but the story is fun, in a post-ironic sort of way.”
- “The game’s content is bloated, repetitive, and lacking in interesting new mechanics to explore after a while.”
music
137 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
52%
46%
2%
The music in Knytt Underground is widely praised for its atmospheric and ambient qualities, enhancing the game's exploration and overall experience. Players appreciate the extensive soundtrack, which features over 100 tracks that create a relaxing and immersive environment, although some note that certain pieces can become repetitive. Overall, the combination of beautiful visuals and a captivating soundtrack contributes significantly to the game's charm and appeal.
- “The soundtrack alone is almost 5 hours of beautiful mostly-ambient tracks, and it’s a perfect zen companion to even more hours of exploring the vast underground world finding all manner of obscure secrets.”
- “The music helps greatly, ranging from atmospheric ambiance to catchy tunes, creating a captivating atmosphere that enhances the gameplay experience.”
- “The soundtrack on this game is nothing short of amazing, very calm and charming along with the brilliant visuals that decorate the background and they vary a lot from level to level.”
- “Music just kills any enthusiasm, which hasn't been killed yet by the level design.”
- “Some platformers have inspiring music, but this just makes you feel melancholic.”
- “The music is often quite trippy and kind of melancholy, which really adds to the lonely atmosphere of the game.”
graphics
91 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
46%
50%
4%
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some praising its unique and beautiful art style that creates an immersive atmosphere, while others criticize it for appearing simplistic or dated. Many players appreciate the charming visuals and how they complement the game's soundtrack, contributing to a relaxing experience, though some find the character designs and certain graphical elements unappealing. Overall, the game's aesthetic is seen as a blend of striking environments and quirky character art, leading to a varied reception among players.
- “It's a beautiful looking game when it comes to the art style.”
- “The graphics and ambient soundtrack are really well done.”
- “The look and sound of the game is gorgeous and easily rivals the best 2D artwork out there.”
- “The game, rather than offering a challenging experience, merely presents players with a mind-numbing journey of aimless exploration within a basic graphic style reminiscent of a beginner's project.”
- “Visually, the game also disappoints with its subpar graphics that appear dated and unimpressive.”
- “The art style of this game is pure trash.”
atmosphere
88 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
70%
27%
3%
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its immersive and captivating qualities, enhanced by a stunning soundtrack and beautiful visuals that create a unique and relaxing environment. Players appreciate the vast, explorable world filled with diverse atmospheres and ambient soundscapes, which encourage leisurely exploration without pressure. However, some critiques mention that certain character designs and juvenile dialogue detract from the overall atmospheric experience, though the game's focus on exploration and ambiance remains its strongest appeal.
- “The appeal of this game is that you can spend many hours exploring a staggeringly massive, lush, atmospheric world while listening to great ambient music.”
- “The incredible soundtrack and beautifully unique art style create a dense atmosphere supported by an interesting lore passively told through small snippets sprinkled all over the map as item descriptions and dialogues.”
- “The world is enormous and beautiful and full of little details in its art and atmosphere.”
- “Even the moody atmosphere of the previous games is ruined by characters that look like muppet rejects and dialog that is insultingly juvenile.”
- “But the story serves no purpose besides trying to be humorous, which in turn ruins the atmosphere.”
- “Having the protagonists talk to the author talking steals away some of the atmosphere.”
humor
30 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is a blend of darkly hilarious moments, witty dialogue, and quirky character interactions that often break the fourth wall. Players appreciate the mix of funny quests and thought-provoking insights, though some find the humor can be uncomfortable or forced at times. Overall, the game is praised for its clever writing and the ability to evoke laughter amidst its emotional and atmospheric storytelling.
- “The overall gameplay is nice, with quests to help you progress and funny NPCs that constantly break the fourth wall.”
- “The storytelling is nice and funny - I liked the grumpy blue fairy best, her remarks are very witty.”
- “It's really funny to see how future cultures see human artifacts from the past (current) technology age.”
emotional
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
92%
25%
The game is praised for its heartfelt and thought-provoking emotional depth, blending humor with sincerity and exploring themes like religion, emotional trauma, and the significance of small joys. Players appreciate the touching use of music and the flawed characters that populate its expansive world, although some note that the story can be somewhat dull. Overall, it is described as a labor of love that evokes a range of emotions through its atmosphere and gameplay.
- “A thoughtful, heartfelt game.”
- “A true labor of love, from the hours and hours of subtle but emotionally resonant music, to the massive world and its myriad, flawed inhabitants.”
- “Religion, atheism, emotional trauma, and finding happiness in the little things play a major key in the story and even gameplay in the form of quests.”
- “The ambient music is great, but the story is pretty boring.”
- “The emotional depth of the characters feels lacking and unengaging.”
- “I expected a more impactful narrative, but it fell flat emotionally.”
character development
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
34%
33%
Character development in the game is a mixed bag; while some players appreciate the depth and subtlety in character interactions and story moments, others find the character designs and dialogue lacking, feeling out of place or overly simplistic. Despite these criticisms, many agree that the engaging gameplay and unique setting can lead to rewarding character interactions and development. Overall, the game offers a blend of charming visuals and heartfelt moments, though opinions on character design vary significantly.
- “Interacting with the denizens produces a lot of interesting commentary about the setting and can unlock character development and allow you new characters to interact with.”
- “Gorgeous, soothing visuals and soundtrack; tight controls; puzzle platforming ranging from easily doable to devastatingly brutal, but always cleverly and fairly designed; a story that's partly just a bunch of tropes and jokes but sneakily filled with subtle moments of heart and bittersweet character development.”
- “This game is really well made, you have awesome character development, an extremely fitting art style and background music which makes you feel comfortable and the map of Knytt Underground is huge and got tons of secrets.”
- “I think character design is the weakest point here, being in a stiff 'toon' style which feels a bit out of place, but that’s also not what’s front-and-center most of the time, and it’s still fine anyway.”
- “The things that threw me off most originally were the character designs and dialogue.”
- “This game has bad character design and the storyline is not one of the best.”
grinding
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be a mixed experience, with many describing the early stages as slow and tedious, leading to boredom. While the expansive map offers diverse areas, it also results in excessive backtracking and repetitive side-quests that can feel menial. However, some players appreciate the unexpected story elements and the lack of punishing repetition upon character death, which helps mitigate some of the tedium.
- “This slow-paced and tedious beginning fails to captivate the player, leading to a sense of profound boredom rather than anticipation for what lies ahead.”
- “- Side quests were menial, tedious, and follow the repetitive trope of 'go here, collect this, return back.'”
- “However, its story and characters come with some unexpected surprises which you'll probably find off-putting, while late-game can get tedious with lengthy backtracking.”
replayability
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
50%
The game offers significant replayability by allowing players to complete the story at their own pace and in various item orders, alongside a wealth of secrets to discover. While 2D platformers typically lack replay value, this title stands out by encouraging exploration and experimentation.
- “The game lets you complete the story at your own pace and with items in different orders, so it has great replay value.”
- “If you want to play a game with replay value, the numerous secrets in this game will ensure that.”
- “I've never really heard of a replayable 2D platformer before, except for maybe Mario Maker, but this game truly stands out.”
- “Replayability -- I've never really heard of a replayable 2D platformer before, except for maybe Mario Maker, but that's not really a game.”
- “If you want to play a game with replay value, the secrets in this game, of which there are many, will ensure that.”
optimization
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is well-optimized, with no reported performance issues, smooth gameplay, rebindable controls, and satisfactory graphics options.
- “The performance is excellent, with no issues at all. The game runs smoothly, and I appreciate the rebindable controls and satisfactory graphics options.”
- “I am impressed by the optimization; everything runs fine, and the ability to customize controls is a huge plus.”
- “The game performs flawlessly, with a variety of graphics options that allow for a tailored experience.”
stability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is praised for its exceptional stability, with users reporting no significant bugs or glitches, resulting in a smooth and reliable experience.
- “No real bugs, no glitches, all in all a fantastically stable experience.”

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80%Critics’ scoreBased on 1 critic reviews

Wii U Review - 'Knytt Underground'
Worthplaying.com
80%

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Frequently Asked Questions

Knytt Underground is a arcade platformer game.

Knytt Underground is available on PC, Mac OS, Windows, PlayStation 3 and others.

Knytt Underground was released on October 25, 2013.

Knytt Underground was developed by Nifflas' Games.

Knytt Underground has received mostly positive reviews from players and mostly positive reviews from critics. Most players liked this game for its story but disliked it for its character development.

Knytt Underground is a single player game.

Similar games include Owlboy, Iconoclasts, Wuppo: Definitive Edition, AER Memories of Old, Hob and others.

Knytt Underground

Platforms

Wii U Review - 'Knytt Underground'

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