Leap Year

About

"Leap Year" is a compact, hand-drawn platformer focused on knowledge and discovery, with about 2 hours of gameplay and 40+ rooms. Collect calendar pages and uncover secrets to access new areas, accompanied by a soundtrack of 6 audio tracks and friendly dancing characters. The game offers a charming exploration experience in a world full of hidden paths.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

99%

Audience ScoreBased on 800 reviews

gameplay58 positive mentions

story3 negative mentions

Leap Year features clever level design that encourages exploration and discovery, making each moment engaging and rewarding.
The game introduces unique mechanics that subvert traditional platforming expectations, creating a fresh and enjoyable experience.
It's a short but satisfying game that doesn't overstay its welcome, providing a compact and delightful puzzle-platforming adventure.

The platforming mechanics can feel slippery and imprecise at times, leading to occasional frustration during gameplay.
Some players may find the lack of checkpoints in the latter half of the game to be punishing, especially during more challenging sections.
The game is quite short, which may leave some players wanting more content or a longer experience.

gameplay
182 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
32%
66%
2%
The gameplay of "Leap Year" is characterized by its clever and innovative mechanics, primarily centered around jumping, which are gradually revealed to the player, creating a satisfying learning curve. The level design is praised for its intricacy, turning each screen into a mini-puzzle that encourages problem-solving and exploration. While the game is short, lasting around 2-3 hours, it effectively maximizes its minimal mechanics to deliver a fun and engaging experience that keeps players intrigued without overstaying its welcome.
- “The game does a very nice job of getting you to discover its various mechanics, and the final puzzle/endgame twist was very enjoyable, a nice new brainteaser to cap everything off.”
- “The level design is really clever, and your mind will be blown every time you discover a new mechanic.”
- “This game is amazing at using its mechanics to deliver a tightly-designed, fun, and surprisingly hilarious experience.”
- “The puzzle conceit is creative, and learning about the game mechanics recontextualizes earlier puzzles in a way that makes you think 'that was there the whole time?!' My only gripe is that the movement is a bit floaty and imprecise, which leads to occasional frustration.”
- “Nice game, but the main game mechanic can get annoying and tedious (anti-platformer muscle memory). The last puzzles really need some more checkpoints, but overall it's a good game.”
- “Underneath its deceptively cute design, there lie devious and cheeky mechanics which will both surprise and frustrate you.”
music
26 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
77%
15%
8%
The music in the game is widely praised for its charm and ability to enhance the overall experience, with many reviewers highlighting its catchy and engaging qualities. It complements the minimalistic art style and level design, contributing to a fun and immersive atmosphere. Overall, the soundtrack is considered a standout feature that adds depth to the gameplay.
- “The level design, mechanics, introductions to said mechanics, puzzles, art style, music... it's all just superb.”
- “Perfect feel, plays with your curiosity just the right amount, music adds volumes, level design is genius and that's putting it lightly, mechanics are genius and fresh.”
- “This puzzle platformer has great mechanics, is great at getting you to figure them out, on top of great ambiance, controls, music.”
- “The music plays like a record scratch to your actions, and I can't wait to find out more secrets in this little world.”
- “The visuals and music are pretty charming.”
graphics
24 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
58%
29%
13%
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their charming and minimalistic art style, with many reviewers highlighting the hand-drawn visuals and cute aesthetics. The combination of appealing graphics and great music enhances the overall experience, making it a recommendable choice for fans of platformers. While some visuals may be simple, they effectively contribute to the game's engaging atmosphere and nostalgic feel.
- “Loved the art style, loved the music, absolute recommend to anyone who likes platformers who push the genre.”
- “The visuals are simple but charming, and the sound and music is great.”
- “Charming hand-drawn graphics.”
- “The visuals are simple but charming, and the sound and music are great.”
- “With every new discovery, the layout of areas and seemingly mundane visuals become the sort of pixel hunt that conjures up memories of classic adventure games.”
- “The visuals and music are pretty charming.”
humor
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is highlighted by its clever mechanics, particularly the fall-damage gimmick that leads to both hilarious moments and creative puzzles. Players appreciate the game's ability to maintain a lighthearted tone through its engaging level design and succinct gameplay, resulting in frequent laughter and a sense of cleverness throughout the experience. Overall, the combination of a funny premise and well-executed gameplay makes for a delightfully entertaining platformer.
- “Very cute and clever little platformer that made me laugh out loud multiple times.”
- “The central conceit, that your normal jump kills you when you land, is a hilarious idea that led to creative puzzles and kept messing with my mind and muscle memory right up to the end of the game.”
- “This game is amazing at using its mechanics to deliver a tightly-designed, fun, and surprisingly hilarious experience.”
story
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
17%
50%
The game's story is minimal and not a focal point, with players encouraged to enjoy the gameplay rather than seek a narrative. It evokes nostalgia for classic indie games, particularly those like "Untitled Story," but primarily serves as a backdrop for the puzzle-platforming experience.
- “A neat little puzzle-platformer, reminiscent of a deep forest or an untitled story.”
- “Reminded me of an untitled story and some other old classic indie games.”
- “A neat little puzzle-platformer, reminiscent of a deep forest or an untitled story.”
emotional
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the game emotionally engaging, evoking a range of feelings from laughter to surprise, and fostering a sense of nostalgia reminiscent of classic indie titles. The gameplay experience is described as both intellectually stimulating and playfully silly, contributing to its overall emotional impact.
- “This is one of the best games I've ever played; it made me laugh, it made me gasp, it made me feel really smart and really silly.”
- “Made me feel like I was playing an old indie game from the days of VVVVVV, Star Guard, and Knytt.”
- “This game evokes a sense of nostalgia and emotional connection that is hard to find in modern titles.”
grinding
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players generally find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious, particularly due to excessive backtracking and the need for improved checkpoints in challenging puzzles. While some acknowledge that it can be annoying, many still appreciate the overall experience.
- “That's one of my main complaints with these types of games: the backtracking can feel quite tedious when you just want to work on a puzzle.”
- “Nice game, but the main game mechanic can get annoying and tedious (anti-platformer muscle memory). The last 'puzzles' really need some more checkpoints, but overall good game.”
- “A tiny bit tedious in some parts, but overall it was nice!”
replayability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
Replayability is notably high due to the emphasis on speed achievements, encouraging players to revisit the game to improve their times.
- “Replayability is high for the speed achievements.”