KUNAI

About

"KUNAI is a single-player open-world game featuring marvelous mechanics and stellar visuals. Take control of Tabby, a robot imbued with an ancient warrior's soul, and navigate through a world filled with secrets and hidden passages. With ninja mobility and a deadly arsenal of weapons, fight against evil machines and increase your strength by killing enemy robots to unlock abilities and kick-ass tricks."

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

78%

Audience ScoreBased on 260 reviews

gameplay27 positive mentions

stability4 negative mentions

The game features a unique and charming art style with a minimalist color palette that enhances the overall aesthetic.
The movement mechanics, particularly the use of kunai for traversal, are fluid and satisfying, allowing for dynamic platforming.
The combat is engaging, with a variety of weapons and upgrades that keep gameplay interesting.

The game suffers from a lack of fast travel, leading to tedious backtracking through previously explored areas.
The story and character development are minimal, making it feel less engaging compared to other titles in the genre.
Some boss battles and platforming sections can be frustratingly difficult, leading to a steep difficulty spike that may deter players.

gameplay
84 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
32%
64%
4%
The gameplay of "Kunai" features a unique kunai mechanic that allows for fluid traversal and engaging platforming, though it suffers from some clunky combat mechanics and a lack of intuitive controls. While the movement is generally praised for its responsiveness and fun factor, the overall experience is marred by linearity, awkward mechanics, and a few frustrating design choices, such as the ineffective grappling hook and unnecessary collectibles. Despite these issues, many players find the game enjoyable, especially for fans of the metroidvania genre, thanks to its charming aesthetics and solid core mechanics.
- “The gameplay is fast-paced and delightful, the kunai grapple feels wonderful when traversing, and the game is packed to the brim with metroidvania secrets.”
- “Kunai is a seriously fun metroidvania/platformer hybrid with unique gameplay and music that sets it apart from its peers.”
- “From the opening moments to the end credits, everything about Kunai just oozes charm and its movement mechanics make it a joy to play.”
- “The gameplay experience is sadly very different from what the trailer promised, which is disappointing.”
- “The charge attack takes all the gameplay away from you by auto-aiming at every enemy, making it feel less engaging.”
- “Movement and combat feel rather sluggish, with some mechanics that don't make any sense, detracting from the overall experience.”
graphics
58 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
52%
43%
5%
The graphics of "Kunai" receive mixed reviews, with many praising its charming pixel art and unique aesthetic that evokes a retro feel, reminiscent of Game Boy Color visuals. However, some players criticize the visuals for being repetitive and lacking in detail, particularly during chaotic gameplay moments. Overall, while the art style is appreciated for its creativity and consistency, it is also noted that technical issues and design flaws detract from the overall graphical experience.
- “Otherwise a lot of fun and the visuals are amazing!”
- “Beautiful pixel art style, satisfying and smooth movement, and great combat.”
- “Fluid and dynamic with a great aesthetic.”
- “Graphics are trash; try to read the game when 20 things are happening at the same time, you can't even see what is on the screen.”
- “A choice was made to use obsolete, decades-old retro pixel 'art' as a substitute for contemporary PC graphics.”
- “There's no option to change the resolution and no useful graphics tweaks.”
story
56 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
18%
71%
11%
The story in the game is largely criticized for being unremarkable and lacking depth, often described as a standard post-apocalyptic narrative with minimal engagement. While some players appreciate the humor and charm in the dialogue, many feel that the plot is forgettable and fails to provide meaningful world-building or character development. Overall, the story serves more as a backdrop to the gameplay rather than a compelling element of the experience.
- “Great style, tight controls, and a story that's fun and non-intrusive.”
- “The theme of an apocalyptic future with a tablet robot (that is extremely expressive) that acts like a 1980s kung-fu action hero when wielding his weapons is hilarious, and while the story felt arcade-like more so than deep, I still went away appreciating it as it stayed consistent.”
- “A charming metroidvania with super quick combat and an interesting story.”
- “The game tries to set up an intriguing post-apocalyptic world, but the plot never really grabs your attention.”
- “The real missed opportunity with Kunai is the story; there is just enough structure to the world and nothing more.”
- “The story is very boring and doesn't build up excitement, so that you want to see what comes next; every single monologue of NPCs is completely useless and doesn't tell any lore.”
music
54 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
44%
49%
7%
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with many players praising the soundtrack as catchy and enjoyable, reminiscent of classic 16-bit games. However, some critics note that the tracks can become repetitive, particularly during extended gameplay, leading to a lack of memorability. Overall, while the music enhances the atmosphere and is a highlight for many, it may not be engaging enough for all players.
- “The soundtrack is excellent and really helps set the mood.”
- “The music was lovely and enhanced the atmosphere of the environments.”
- “Highly addictive, awesome style, amazing soundtrack, challenging but not too hard, nicely balanced.”
- “Music wasn't bad but not very memorable.”
- “However, I was pretty surprised to find the final boss music was... the same as every other boss.”
- “The combat music is one and the same throughout the entire game.”
humor
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is characterized by quirky, playful dialogue and charming moments that provide consistent laughs throughout the experience. While the story may not be deep, the expressive characters and amusing scenarios, including boss battles and a unique premise, contribute to its overall charm and entertainment value. Players appreciate the lighthearted tone, which enhances the gameplay without overshadowing the core mechanics.
- “The style and dialogue are so playful with a strong sense of humor throughout.”
- “It's short but it's fun, the story is charming and pretty hilarious at times.”
- “The humorous moments present in the writing of this title offer an additional charm to the overall experience, providing some laughs here and there.”
emotional
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players express a mix of frustration and nostalgia regarding the emotional experience of the game. The abrupt ending and tedious exploration mechanics evoke feelings of disappointment, while the game's charm and potential for enjoyment still shine through, suggesting a complex emotional landscape that balances irritation with a desire for a fulfilling experience. Overall, the emotional response is characterized by a blend of exasperation and a longing for a more polished adventure.
- “The extremely sudden credits roll with the reused track made me feel like I was giving too long of a speech at the Oscars.”
- “I would highly recommend this game to anyone looking for a wholesome good time.”
stability
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's stability is mixed; while some players report a smooth experience with consistent 60fps and no crashes, others highlight significant bugs and glitches that detract from the overall design and enjoyment.
- “This game is too buggy and not designed thoughtfully.”
- “Very buggy but a very good game.”
- “Despite some glitches, the game offers quite neat gameplay.”
replayability
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
75%
Overall, the game's replayability is seen as limited, with players enjoying their initial playthrough but questioning the longevity of the experience. While unique weapon combinations offer some variation, the repetitive level design raises concerns about long-term engagement. Additional endgame content could enhance replayability.
- “This would add some replayability or endgame content to the game.”
- “It's good, but doesn't really have much replayability.”
- “I really enjoyed my 9-10 hours playing this, but I'm not sure how much replayability it has.”
- “The unique weapon combinations can make each run different and interesting, but the repetitive nature of each level means that the game's replayability could be in doubt.”
optimization
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
25%
The game's optimization is highly praised, with users reporting excellent performance even on low-spec hardware and no encountered bugs, indicating a well-polished experience. Additionally, the in-game store offers performance enhancements for weapons, further contributing to the overall positive feedback on optimization.
- “Aside from all that, there’s also an in-game store where players can use in-game currency (also dropped by enemies) to buy performance enhancements for all of Tabby's weapons, as well as a smithy bot that can upgrade the katana’s base damage output.”
- “Performance on low spec hardware - awesome.”
- “Performance is great, and there are no bugs that I encountered, so it's a well-polished game.”
grinding
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be a mixed experience; while the varied enemies provide some excitement, the lack of fast travel and the vast empty spaces contribute to a tedious traversal experience. Additionally, the search for cosmetics can feel overly laborious due to insufficient clues for hidden areas.
- “The whole world is big empty spaces, and the lack of fast travel makes traversing the environments tedious.”
- “Even then, finding those cosmetics is more tedious than anything else since there's rarely any indications pointing towards hidden rooms.”
- “The enemies are nice and varied to keep you on your toes, but sometimes can be a tad bit tedious in my eyes.”
character development
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
100%
Character development is highlighted by solid and distinct character designs, featuring charming pixel art that enhances their appeal. The use of tweening and physics for animations, particularly in clothing and hand movements, adds a dynamic quality to the characters, making them more engaging and identifiable.
- “The character designs are pretty solid, with distinct and easy-to-identify characters to meet.”
- “Some of the character designs indeed seem to be using pixel art, but the objects such as cloth and hand movements appear to be using tweening and physics quite nicely.”
- “+ Lovely pixel art and adorable character designs.”
- “The character designs are pretty solid, though the character development feels lacking and uninspired.”
- “Some of the character designs indeed seem to be using pixel art, but the overall character development is shallow and fails to engage the player.”
- “While the visuals are appealing, the depth of character development is disappointingly minimal.”
atmosphere
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
50%
The atmosphere is generally enhanced by the lovely music, which complements the environments effectively. However, some users feel that while the music contributes positively, it lacks standout moments that could elevate the overall experience.
- “The music was lovely and enhanced the atmosphere of the environments.”
- “The accompanying music and occasional lack thereof certainly help the atmosphere.”
- “The accompanying music and occasional lack thereof certainly help the atmosphere, but I can't really find anything that stands out, whether good or bad.”
monetization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
The monetization strategy has been criticized as a blatant cash grab, leaving players feeling insulted and exploited.
- “Is this game just a cash grab aimed at insulting gamers?”
- “The monetization system feels exploitative and frustrating.”
- “It's disappointing to see such aggressive monetization tactics in a game that could have been great.”

77%Critics’ scoreBased on 20 critic reviews

Buy KUNAI

7h Median play time

7h Average play time

7-7h Spent by most gamers

*Based on 1 analyzed playthroughs

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