Late Bird

About

Late Bird is a single player action game. It was developed by Vladimir Slav and was released on January 20, 2022. It received overwhelmingly positive reviews from players.

"Late Bird" is a challenging precision platformer where players control a bird navigating through treacherous environments with precise movements and well-timed jumps. Collect feathers to unlock new levels and characters, while avoiding numerous obstacles and enemies. The game features simple controls, but requires quick reflexes and strategic thinking to master.

Genres & Tags

Indie

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

96%

Audience ScoreBased on 79 reviews

emotional6 positive mentions

graphics3 negative mentions

The game delivers a meaningful message about loneliness and mental health, resonating deeply with players.
The soundtrack and visual style enhance the overall atmosphere, creating a touching experience.
Despite its short length, the game effectively engages players and offers a unique perspective on serious themes.

The gameplay is very simplistic, focusing more on narrative than interactive elements, which may not appeal to traditional gamers.
Many players feel the story is too short and lacks depth, leaving them wanting more content.
Technical issues, such as poor graphics and lack of customization options, detract from the overall experience.

story
20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
15%
70%
15%
The game presents a poignant narrative centered on themes of loneliness, depression, and hope, offering an interactive experience that prioritizes storytelling over traditional gameplay. While some players appreciated the emotional depth and relatability of the plot, others felt the short length limited its potential. The story, which transitions from a whimsical tale about a goose to a raw exploration of mental health struggles, resonates deeply with many, making it a memorable experience despite its brevity.
- “A game about loneliness, depression, and finding hope – more of an interactive story than a traditional game.”
- “It's one of the best story games I've ever played!”
- “The developers' story is one that many people will be able to relate to, and I'm sure it has helped many people realize they're not alone, and that's something the developer should be extremely proud of.”
- “The very short story had the potential for more.”
- “I hated how quickly the game went from this story about a goose to this raw dive into someone's personal thoughts and experiences about suicidal thoughts and the struggle that went through.”
- “It's pretty obvious the game is heavily influenced by Florence, and I would very much recommend that game instead, if you're okay with a story that doesn't focus on mental illness.”
emotional
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is praised for its emotional depth, with players highlighting its heartfelt and touching narrative that evokes strong feelings, including moments of joy and melancholy. Many describe it as a short yet impactful experience that resonates on an emotional level.
- “I cried.”
- “Cute and heartfelt little game.”
- “The last two chapters were touching and melancholic.”
music
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
60%
40%
The game's soundtrack is generally praised for fitting the atmosphere and enhancing emotional moments, with some tracks described as lovely and moving. However, the lack of proper audio controls frustrates players, as they cannot easily turn off the music if desired. Additionally, the absence of music in certain sections effectively underscores the narrative's tragic themes.
- “The soundtrack fits the game's atmosphere perfectly.”
- “The music in this chapter was so lovely and moving.”
- “Great graphics, music, and story.”
- “Bewilderingly, the game doesn't include proper audio controls, so you can't turn off the annoying sound/background music; you'll need to alt+tab out and stop it using the Windows sound mixer.”
- “And there was no music at all, highlighting the narrator's (and author's) tragic state of mind.”
graphics
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
60%
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews; while some players appreciate the art style and overall visual presentation, many criticize the artwork as amateurish and lacking professional quality, which detracts from the gaming experience. Additionally, the absence of resolution options and graphics tweaks further limits the visual appeal for some users.
- “Great graphics, music, and story.”
- “I like the art style a lot too.”
- “The artwork here is terrible; it's all just amateurish 'my first Wacom tablet' style drawings used instead of professional-looking game assets.”
- “It's unclear if this is due to a lack of budget to hire someone who can create graphical assets properly, or a lack of talent. Regardless, the overall visual quality of the game is extremely low, enough on its own to deter gamers.”
- “There's no option to change the resolution and no useful graphics tweaks.”
gameplay
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
75%
The gameplay of the game is criticized for being minimal and primarily focused on storytelling rather than interactive mechanics, leading to a lack of engaging gameplay elements. Players find themselves clicking through lengthy text cutscenes rather than experiencing meaningful game interactions, which detracts from the overall gaming experience. Many feel that the game fails to meet basic design principles, resulting in a product that resembles an interactive art piece more than a traditional game.
- “20 min gameplay, worth it.”
- “The game focuses on the story rather than any puzzle gameplay.”
- “Late Bird is only barely a game; in terms of gameplay, it's just rudimentary clicking around. This isn't really intended to be a game; it's intended to be an interactive art experience, and that's a problem. We're here for games, not 'art-not-game' stuff.”
- “The developers failed one of the most basic, fundamental requirements of game design: 'show, don't tell.' You'll spend a huge amount of time not playing the game, but clicking through endless lines of poorly written visual novel text cutscenes because the developers couldn't figure out how to relate their narrative through the game mechanics and decided instead it would be better to compete with reading a book for your time.”
atmosphere
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The soundtrack is consistently praised for its ability to enhance the game's atmosphere, effectively complementing the overall experience and immersing players in the game's world.
- “The soundtrack perfectly complements the game's atmosphere, enhancing every moment.”
- “The immersive atmosphere created by the visuals and sound design draws you into the game world.”
- “Every element of the environment contributes to a hauntingly beautiful atmosphere that keeps you engaged.”