Munin
- June 10, 2014
- Gojira
- 17h median play time
Collect feathers to return to Asgard in this laid-back puzzle-platformer.
"Munin" is a single-player fantasy platformer game set in the world of Norse mythology. As Munin, a wing-stripped raven turned mortal girl, players rotate environments to solve puzzles and surpass obstacles, using realistic physics and various gameplay elements. With phenomenal visuals, good music, and a unique atmosphere, Munin aims to reclaim her power and return to Asgard.
Reviews
- Unique puzzle mechanics that revolve around rotating sections of the environment, providing fresh challenges.
- Beautiful visuals and an immersive Norse mythology setting that enhances the gameplay experience.
- Challenging puzzles that require creative solutions, with a gradual increase in difficulty that keeps players engaged.
- Clunky controls and inconsistent jumping mechanics can lead to frustrating gameplay experiences.
- Difficulty spikes in certain levels may lead to player frustration, especially when having to restart entire levels after dying.
- Minimalistic visuals and a repetitive soundtrack may detract from the overall immersion and enjoyment of the game.
- gameplay166 mentions
- 30 % positive mentions
- 64 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The gameplay of "Munin" features a unique level rotation mechanic that introduces a variety of puzzles across different worlds, each with its own distinct challenges. While many players appreciate the innovative mechanics and engaging puzzles, some criticize the game's handling and responsiveness as janky and unsatisfying, leading to a mixed reception regarding overall gameplay experience. Despite its flaws, the game offers a visually appealing and thematically rich puzzle-platforming experience that can be rewarding for those who enjoy clever problem-solving.
“Munin offers a refreshing take on puzzle-platformer gameplay, incorporating unique mechanics and a captivating Norse mythology setting.”
“The idea of the game is to flip tiles of a map around in order to progress through the levels to collect feathers to beat levels, but it is a formula that is constantly shaken up, with each world having its own unique mechanic with elements such as boulders, water, lasers, connecting runes by spinning tiles and two tiles being spun at once. The game's mechanics are often taken to such extremes that there are some incredibly challenging, complex, and unique puzzles to be solved, especially on the final levels of each chapter.”
“With a unique level rotation mechanic, an engaging narrative based on Norse mythology, and a charming visual design, the game provides a memorable and entertaining experience.”
“It's janky and unsatisfying to play... and any experienced gamer will tell you, the handling, responsiveness, and general gameplay feel of the control scheme must be well polished for this kind of game to succeed.”
“Unfortunately, the gameplay is lackluster, tedious, and quite buggy.”
“The gameplay has floaty jumps and pretty uninspired level design.”
- graphics123 mentions
- 41 % positive mentions
- 54 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with many players describing the art style as minimalistic and lacking in detail, which may detract from immersion. While some appreciate the unique charm and atmospheric fit of the visuals, others criticize them as simplistic or even unattractive, suggesting that the graphics do not significantly enhance the overall experience. Overall, the artwork is seen as a double-edged sword, appealing to some while leaving others wanting more depth and variety.
“This game combines Norse mythology, increasingly challenging puzzles, as well as hauntingly beautiful artwork combined with an amazing soundtrack.”
“The graphics are beautiful, the music and sounds are perfectly aligned with the visuals, and the puzzles are really trying sometimes.”
“Munin features a charming graphic style, with visuals reminiscent of storybook illustrations and mythology.”
“The artwork is pretty mediocre, high school art student stuff, 'my first Wacom tablet' kind of art.”
“While there are options to change the resolution for the mobile app, all this does is scale up the simplistic 2D art assets used to make the mobile app, which makes little or no difference to the graphics quality.”
“Without any other substantial graphics tweaks, it's not possible for gamers to improve the lackluster 2D visuals.”
- music92 mentions
- 45 % positive mentions
- 49 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The music in "Munin" is generally described as atmospheric and fitting for the game's aesthetic, with calming Nordic influences that enhance the overall experience. However, many users noted that the soundtrack can become repetitive and monotonous over extended play sessions, suggesting that a more varied composition could improve engagement. While some praised the music for its ability to complement the visuals and create an immersive environment, others found it less memorable and somewhat simplistic.
“This game combines Norse mythology, increasingly challenging puzzles as well as hauntingly beautiful artwork combined with an amazing soundtrack.”
“The soundtrack complements the experience with compositions that help create an immersive and engaging environment.”
“Beautiful minimalist design, gorgeous soundtrack, great puzzler.”
“Munin features a repetitive soundtrack that may become monotonous over extended play sessions, diminishing the enjoyment and atmosphere of the gameplay.”
“The music is not much, and the only Norse mythology that I encountered were pages of text that came up after a series of levels.”
“The graphics are decent, background music barely noticeable which is okay; the story is non-existent apart from a few writings between each chapter, the whole game focuses on the logic puzzles.”
- story47 mentions
- 21 % positive mentions
- 70 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
The story in Munin is largely criticized for its simplicity and lack of depth, with many players noting that it consists mainly of brief snippets related to Norse mythology that fail to create a coherent narrative. While the game's visuals and puzzle mechanics are appreciated, the minimal storytelling detracts from the overall experience, leaving players feeling disconnected from the plot. Overall, the narrative serves more as a backdrop than a driving force, leading to a perception of limited engagement and replay value.
“Munin is inspired by the rich Norse mythology, presenting the story of the raven Munin, one of Odin's companions.”
“The storyline, steeped in Norse legends, creates a fascinating backdrop for the player's adventure.”
“Engaging narrative: the story based on Norse mythology is engaging and provides a rich and interesting context for the game's puzzles and challenges.”
“The Norse mythology angle didn't do much for me -- you get some snippets of cryptic text between level sets that don't really add up to a coherent story, and I guess you'd only know what was supposed to be going on if you already knew Norse mythology.”
“While the game looks nice and unique and has Norse mythology, there was basically no storytelling.”
“The story is non-existent apart from a few writings between each chapter; the whole game focuses on the logic puzzles.”
- atmosphere30 mentions
- 77 % positive mentions
- 23 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its immersive qualities, enhanced by thematic elements, detailed artwork, and a fitting soundtrack that complements the gameplay experience. However, some players note that the repetitive nature of the music can detract from the overall enjoyment during extended play sessions. Overall, the combination of challenging puzzles and a rich, atmospheric setting makes for a compelling adventure.
“While the difficulty spikes and minimalistic visuals may deter some players, the challenging puzzles and immersive atmosphere make for an enjoyable adventure overall.”
“Everything fits the atmosphere perfectly; the murky art style, the simple soundtrack, and the desolate background designs.”
“The artwork is beautiful and I found the music lovely, very fitting to the atmosphere of the game.”
- replayability14 mentions
- 14 % positive mentions
- 64 % neutral mentions
- 21 % negative mentions
Overall, the game offers limited replayability, particularly after completing the main story, as puzzle solutions do not change in subsequent playthroughs. While some players may find value in revisiting the game after a significant time gap due to its challenging puzzles, the lack of additional content or alternative solutions diminishes the incentive for immediate replay.
“Awesome graphics, clever puzzles, and pretty good replayability unless your memory is much better than mine.”
“However, the challenging nature of the puzzles and the desire to improve performance encourage replayability.”
“Once the main story is completed, Munin offers limited replay value, as the puzzle solutions remain unchanged upon subsequent playthroughs, reducing the incentive for exploration and experimentation.”
“Additional content or alternative puzzle solutions could enhance replayability.”
“Not immediately replayable, but a few years down the line, you may want to come back.”
- grinding10 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players consistently describe the grinding aspect of the game as tedious and lackluster, often feeling more exhausted than accomplished after overcoming obstacles. The gameplay fails to provide engaging challenges, leading to a sense of frustration rather than enjoyment. Overall, the experience is marked by a repetitive and buggy nature that detracts from the initial appeal.
“Unfortunately, the gameplay is lackluster, tedious, and quite buggy.”
“The premise of the gameplay appealed to me greatly, but the puzzles it presents are merely tedious, rather than challenging.”
“The game doesn't present problems to solve, only obstacles to overcome - thus, you don't feel smarter when you succeed, you feel exhausted and relieved after the tediousness of it all.”
- stability8 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game's stability is marked by inconsistent controls and a number of glitches, including issues like getting stuck in walls and swimming problems. While some players report these glitches as infrequent and not significantly impacting the overall experience, others find the gameplay tedious and buggy. Overall, stability appears to be a mixed aspect, with notable issues present but varying in severity among players.
“The controls can be quite wonky, and I did run into a fair share of glitches, such as glitching into a wall or not being able to swim in water.”
“Unfortunately, the gameplay is lackluster, tedious, and quite buggy.”
“All together a good game with poor controls and a few glitches.”
- optimization4 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- -25 % neutral mentions
- 75 % negative mentions
Users have noted that reducing screen resolution is a key method to enhance performance, particularly for solving challenging levels. Despite optimization issues, the game's difficult puzzles and the pursuit of more efficient solutions foster replayability and encourage players to revisit levels.
“However, the challenging nature of the puzzles and the desire to improve performance encourage replayability.”
“Re-engaging challenges: the difficulty of the puzzles and the search for more efficient solutions provide an incentive to revisit levels and improve performance.”
“Reducing your screen resolution is necessary to improve performance; it's the only way I could solve certain levels.”
“The challenging nature of the puzzles and the desire to improve performance encourage replayability.”
“The difficulty of the puzzles and the search for more efficient solutions provide an incentive to revisit levels and improve performance.”
- monetization2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The monetization of Munin has been criticized as a cash grab, with reviewers highlighting its origins as a low-quality mobile app that lacks the production values expected from a PC game. The game is perceived as a poor port that prioritizes profit over quality, leading to disappointment among players who feel it does not justify its presence on Steam.
“Munin is a mobile app that's been dumped on Steam as if it was a real PC game (it's not)... it's a cash grab from greedy mobile devs. This 10-year-old mobile app is a puzzle platformer with a simple gimmick: you can tap on your iPhone screen to rotate sections of the platformer level, which opens up different passages or rotates obstacles so they're over your head. It's a novel concept that might have worked well if the game had higher production values, but this was made with iPhones in mind. As usual, it doesn't matter which platform the game hits first; it's all about the lowest common denominator. If it looks like a mobile app and quacks like a mobile app, etc.”
“Munin is a mobile app that's been dumped on Steam as if it was a real PC game (it's not)... it's a cash grab from greedy mobile devs. This 10-year-old mobile app is a puzzle platformer with a simple gimmick: you can tap on your iPhone screen to rotate sections of the platformer level, which opens up different passages or rotates obstacles so they're over your head. It's a novel concept that might have worked well if the game had higher production values, but this was made with iPhones in mind. As usual, it doesn't matter which platform the game hits first; it's all about the lowest common denominator. If it looks like a mobile app and quacks like a mobile app, etc.”
- emotional2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players have expressed that certain puzzles, particularly one involving a ball, evoke strong emotional responses, with some feeling moved to tears by the elegance and impact of the experience.
“One of the puzzles at the end with the ball was so elegant I almost shed a tear.”
Critic Reviews
Munin Review
Collect feathers to return to Asgard in this laid-back puzzle-platformer.
80%Munin review: nevermore
Munin may be rough around the edges, but it has an inspired core
75%Latest News
If you are a puzzle game junkie this will offer a lot for you so check it out and get lost in the soothing magical world, everybody else, proceed with caution.
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