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Pipistrello and the Cursed Yoyo

Pipistrello and the Cursed YoYo is not only a loving tribute to classic GBA games, but a serious elevation of the style.
Pipistrello and the Cursed Yoyo Game Cover
93%Game Brain Score
Most mentioned positive aspects:gameplay, music
Most mentioned negative aspects:grinding, optimization
98% User Score Based on 1,209 reviews
Critic Score 89%Based on 12 reviews

Platforms

Nintendo SwitchXbox Series X|SPCPlaystation 5XboxSteam DeckWindowsPlayStation
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Pipistrello and the Cursed Yoyo Game Cover

About Pipistrello and the Cursed Yoyo

Pipistrello and the Cursed Yoyo is a single player platformer game with a kids theme. It was developed by Pocket Trap and was released on May 28, 2025. It received positive reviews from critics and overwhelmingly positive reviews from players.

Explore a vast urban landscape in this narrative-driven, 2D top-down platforming adventure!In Pipistrello and the Cursed Yoyo, you're a budding yoyo master facing off against enemies using the weapon you know best: your prized yoyo! As Pippit, you'll be quite literally thrown into the shocking story of your auntie's business empire, a soul-stealing mega-laser, and four dastardly crime bosses!Each …

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Pipistrello and the Cursed Yoyo screenshot
Pipistrello and the Cursed Yoyo screenshot
Pipistrello and the Cursed Yoyo screenshot
Pipistrello and the Cursed Yoyo screenshot
Pipistrello and the Cursed Yoyo screenshot
Pipistrello and the Cursed Yoyo screenshot
Pipistrello and the Cursed Yoyo screenshot
Pipistrello and the Cursed Yoyo screenshot
Pipistrello and the Cursed Yoyo screenshot
Pipistrello and the Cursed Yoyo screenshot
Pipistrello and the Cursed Yoyo screenshot
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Reviews

98%Audience ScoreBased on 1,209 reviews
gameplay166 positive mentions
grinding11 negative mentions
  • The game offers a fresh and creative take on the Zelda-like top-down adventure with unique yoyo-based combat and traversal mechanics that are satisfying and well-integrated.
  • The pixel art, music (including tracks by Yoko Shimomura), and vibrant GBA-style aesthetic are highly praised for their charm, detail, and nostalgic quality.
  • Level and puzzle design are exceptional, with clever, rewarding puzzles and platforming challenges that increase in complexity and encourage exploration, making each part of the game engaging and fun.
  • The upgrade system, which involves taking on debt and penalties until paid off, is seen as frustrating and overly punishing by some players, especially during boss fights and later gameplay.
  • Some players find the combat clunky, repetitive, and sometimes unfair due to limited attack directions, large enemy hitboxes, and certain enemies feeling like bullet sponges.
  • The late-game platforming segments can be challenging to the point of frustration due to precise inputs and finicky controls, causing some to feel the game overstays its welcome and becomes tedious.

  • gameplay

    378 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    44% positive mentions, 55% neutral mentions, 1% negative mentions

    The gameplay of "Pipistrello and the Cursed Yoyo" is widely praised for its fresh, creative yo-yo mechanics that skillfully blend combat, exploration, and puzzle-solving in a top-down Zelda-like metroidvania framework. It offers tight, responsive controls, a clever upgrade system with risk-reward choices, and inventive level designs that steadily introduce and build upon mechanics to keep the experience engaging and rewarding throughout. Although some note occasional difficulty spikes and minor finickiness in controls, the overall gameplay is highly satisfying, accessible, and a standout feature that elevates the game’s charm and depth.

    • “Gameplay is great; snappy controls, clever puzzles, platforming challenges, thoroughly thought-out mechanics that the game doesn't treat you like a moron to learn, and I didn't feel there was a drop of missed potential from the main gimmick of the game.”
    • “The yoyo mechanic is well exploited, with combat techniques and many movement techniques. The game's level design cleverly integrates these mechanics, gradually layering complexity without overwhelming the player, maintaining momentum and discovery throughout.”
    • “Pipistrello is an incredible top-down metroidvania with a big focus on movement and traversal skills that stays fresh throughout 15-20 hours, thanks to a clever implementation of its yoyo-based core mechanics.”
    • “A lot of people comparing this game to Mina the Hallower, but where that game had very thoughtful, challenging and intricate design, this game had bland and uninspired gameplay, coupled with relatively amateurish pixel art and a way too busy overworld design.”
    • “Good game, could have been great but the horrible upgrade mechanic means you'll be spending the whole game annoyed and this just gets more aggravating the further you get into it.”
    • “The last quarter of the game was a bit of a slog to finish (around the time when the wall run mechanic is introduced) and I personally felt a difficulty spike there, coupled with some frustrating design choices.”

  • music

    211 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    61% positive mentions, 37% neutral mentions, 2% negative mentions

    The music in the game is widely praised for its catchy, upbeat, and nostalgic qualities, often compared to classic GBA and SNES-era soundtracks, with noted contributions from composer Yoko Shimomura. While generally regarded as a strong complement to the game's art style and gameplay, a few players found some tracks repetitive or annoying over time. Overall, the soundtrack is considered a major highlight that enhances the retro aesthetic and immersive experience.

    • “The music really surprised me though with a blast of nostalgia: it's not a masterpiece, but a very solid soundtrack, and it does employ the GBA soundfont masterfully, especially with those beautiful trumpets straight out of Gen-3 Pokémon games.”
    • “Also consider me astounded at the end of the game; I was humming the tunes the entire time and was going to commend the soundtrack for being so good, but then during credits I see the composer was Yoko Shimomura?”
    • “Every single track of this OST was a hit for me and would be stuck in my head for quite a while after putting the game down (especially the standard battle and the poultry FC stadium themes).”
    • “The only negatives were the punishments while unlocking skills are a bit too harsh (I'd halve some of the later ones, going from 6 to 2 hearts for a thousand+ gold is too much) and the music ranges from okay to annoying.”
    • “The music is either middling or bad.”
    • “I would love some soundtrack variation in some areas; you will be spending upwards of 3 hours in some areas. Can I get some more great tracks? Sure, they are good but they can start to grind after the 15th repeat.”

  • story

    170 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    38% positive mentions, 58% neutral mentions, 4% negative mentions

    The story of the game is generally described as charming, lighthearted, and quirky with a focus on humor and satire, particularly critiquing capitalism. While it is often seen as simple, straightforward, and not the main focus compared to gameplay and exploration, many players appreciate its engaging characters and clever writing that add flavor and emotional weight without overstaying its welcome. Overall, the story complements the gameplay well, providing a fun and memorable backdrop to the game’s puzzles and mechanics.

    • “Returning to town in search of a cash infusion from his wealthy aunt (head of the Pipistrello family and local energy corporation), Pippit gets caught up in a scheme of the local crime lords to remove his aunt from power, sending him on a quest to track down pieces of her soul that have been fused into mega-batteries, the final piece ending up in your yoyo.”
    • “The world feels handcrafted, each corner filled with clever visual storytelling that hints at the social hierarchy and technological contradictions of the Pipistrello empire.”
    • “Presentation is top notch, I love how many setpiece animations there are, music is great, characters look cool and cute (especially Pippit running while holding an object above his head), and the story, though simple, is still smart and interesting with some hilariously pointed commentary on the ills of unregulated capitalism delivered by genuinely amusing and endearing characters.”
    • “I probably could've lived with all of that and stuck with it if the character designs and story grabbed me at all, but unfortunately they really didn't.”
    • “If I could complain, I thought the story bits at the very end were disappointing as the 'twist' meant nothing and felt pointless.”
    • “My only pet peeve with the game is the narrative part, which is honestly understandable considering the target audience of this game is more for the young, but still, most NPCs are uninteresting, some of the secondary characters lack personality besides their art style, and the main storyline is really short, linear and predictable.”

  • graphics

    132 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    48% positive mentions, 50% neutral mentions, 2% negative mentions

    The graphics of "Pipistrello and the Cursed Yoyo" receive widespread praise for their charming, vibrant pixel art that authentically captures and modernizes the nostalgic Game Boy Advance aesthetic, complete with thoughtful details like a virtual handheld emulator. While the art style can be polarizing to some, most appreciate its unique, lively design and how it enhances exploration and gameplay, supported by smooth animations and detailed character designs. Overall, the visuals are considered a standout feature, harmonizing perfectly with the game’s soundtrack and contributing significantly to its retro-modern appeal.

    • “Pipistrello and the Cursed Yoyo is clearly going for a GBA aesthetic and feel (as evidenced by the loading animation when you first fire it up) and they absolutely nail it.”
    • “The pixel artwork is some of the best you will see in a game this year—from the detailed character design to the introductions of items and the abilities you unlock.”
    • “The music, graphics, animation, general silliness, etc are all perfect and feel exactly like a game made nearly 25 years ago, but with modern polish.”
    • “I'm not the biggest fan of the chonky GBA-style graphics, or the combat, but there are a decently wide variety of enemies and I appreciate that there's a fully 3D modeled GBA you can play on, complete with screen scratches.”
    • “The graphics are colorful, though I feel they need a bit more polish in some areas.”
    • “Despite the areas in the city having different themes (like a mall or a construction zone), the environment can start to feel a little repetitive in terms of aesthetics.”

  • humor

    86 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    100% positive mentions, 0% neutral mentions, 0% negative mentions

    The humor in this game is widely praised for its clever, witty, and lighthearted writing that delivers consistent laughs without overstaying its welcome. Players appreciate the funny dialogue, quirky NPCs, and satirical take on capitalism, which blend seamlessly with engaging gameplay and charming characters. Overall, the humor enhances the game's vibrant world and makes exploration and puzzles even more enjoyable.

    • “The graphics are stunning, music is top-notch, the story is interesting, the humor is superb, Pippistrello has drip and his aunt... well she's like my aunt but less annoying.”
    • “Presentation is top notch, I love how many setpiece animations there are, music is great, characters look cool and cute (especially Pippit running while holding an object above his head), and the story, though simple, is still smart and interesting with some hilariously pointed commentary on the ills of unregulated capitalism delivered by genuinely amusing and endearing characters.”
    • “This game has the best Zelda-style dungeons I’ve experienced since CrossCode (which is mega high praise). They’re expansive, thematically creative and oftentimes hilarious—from football stadiums preying on gambling addictions, outdoor concerts hosted by shady influencers with cryptoscams, shopping malls exploiting labor via trending fast food slop—to name a few environments that all do a great job highlighting just how bad capitalism has gotten.”

  • character development

    19 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    42% positive mentions, 42% neutral mentions, 16% negative mentions

    Character development in the game is primarily praised for its bold, expressive, and charming pixel art designs, which bring energy and personality to the characters, especially favorites like Pippit and Pepper. However, some users feel the character designs are inconsistent with the pixel art style or find certain designs unclear or unappealing, and a few mention that the story and character motivations lack depth and engagement. Overall, the visual and animation quality enhances the characters, even if narrative development is weaker.

    • “Character designs are bold and expressive, and the animation work is fluid, giving the game a sense of energy that makes even simple movement satisfying to watch.”
    • “The pixel artwork is some of the best you will see in a game this year—from the detailed character design to the introductions of items and the abilities you unlock.”
    • “Colours are crisp, the character design is top-notch, and everything just 'feels' great.”
    • “I probably could've lived with all of that and stuck with it if the character designs and story grabbed me at all, but unfortunately they really didn't.”
    • “Character designs are weird and crunchy, and the fact that Pippit is basically a nepo baby whose main motivation is to keep getting allowance to focus on yoyo tournaments (that he sucks at) is a great setup.”
    • “I find the character designs overworked to the point of being unclear and unpleasant to look at, although I do like the animations and silhouettes of Pippit's various moves.”

  • grinding

    11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    0% positive mentions, 0% neutral mentions, 100% negative mentions

    Grinding in the game becomes tedious and repetitive by late stages, largely due to the costly upgrade system that demands extensive farming and penalizes deaths with permanent money loss. Boss fights are criticized for being overly long and "spongy," exacerbating frustration and leading to frequent, monotonous grind sessions to survive harder challenges. While exploration remains engaging, the forced grinding for upgrades significantly hampers the overall pacing and enjoyment.

    • “By the last quarter of the game, I wanted to skip most of the challenges because they felt tedious and repetitive.”
    • “The ever debuffing upgrade grind is especially frustrating, with each death permanently costing you a portion of your money, respawning enemies no longer yielding any cash unless you stop to rest, and huge money bags appearing in specific spots. This results in upgrades being either trivialized and feeling unearned or requiring tons of monotonous farming.”
    • “Not being able to pay outright for upgrades due to an in-game mechanic forces you into extremely lame money grinding before the final boss, as the final upgrades have such a high debt cost that even after completing two dungeons, you are still paying it off, making survival very difficult.”

  • emotional

    11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    100% positive mentions, 0% neutral mentions, 0% negative mentions

    The game delivers a heartfelt and emotionally satisfying experience, blending humor, nostalgia, and clever storytelling without becoming melodramatic. Its inventive mechanics and playful tone evoke a childlike wonder, culminating in a strong, impactful ending that resonates deeply with players. While some side characters lack depth, the main narrative and emotional twists leave a lasting impression.

    • “This all builds to an emotionally satisfying conclusion that maintains its humour while still managing to tug at your heartstrings.”
    • “It weaves humor and satire into its story without losing emotional weight.”
    • “The main thrust of the story is pretty threadbare, but the game shocked me with a genuinely very effective endgame twist and an emotionally satisfying and strong ending.”

  • atmosphere

    4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    75% positive mentions, 0% neutral mentions, 25% negative mentions

    The game's atmosphere is praised for its unique and varied environments, combining nostalgic yet modern sights and sounds that enhance the sense of adventure. Standout music tracks and thoughtful design details contribute to a jaunty and immersive experience, with each area reflecting the nature of its villain to create distinct moods.

    • “Together, the sights and sounds of the game create an atmosphere that feels nostalgic yet unmistakably modern, capturing the sense of wonder that defines great adventure games.”
    • “Each area in the game has its unique feel and atmosphere based on the type of villain you're dealing with.”
    • “There are a couple standout tracks, and it does a decent job of providing some jaunty atmosphere.”
    • “This is such a small detail that few might appreciate, but in so many similar games you usually travel through many 1 screen rooms to reach dungeons which break the atmosphere.”

  • replayability

    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    100% positive mentions, 0% neutral mentions, 0% negative mentions

    The game offers excellent replayability, praised for its enjoyable gameplay and extensive customization options in abilities and difficulty, allowing for varied experiences each time.

    • “10/10 very fun game, very replayable.”
    • “Tons of customization in both abilities and difficulty, which gives it a lot of replayability.”

  • stability

    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    100% positive mentions, 0% neutral mentions, 0% negative mentions

    The game demonstrates excellent stability, running smoothly on both PC and Steam Deck, with responsive controls and no reported issues.

    • “Runs great on my PC and on my Steam Deck and controls like a dream.”
    • “Runs great!”

  • optimization

    1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    0% positive mentions, 100% neutral mentions, 0% negative mentions

    The optimization performance is inconsistent and feels unstable, with moments that seem glitchy or unintentional but are then quickly corrected, giving an impression of unpredictable behavior.

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Critic Reviews

89%Critics’ scoreBased on 12 critic reviews
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Play Times

20h Median play time
18h Average play time
14-22h Spent by most gamers
*Based on 2 analyzed playthroughs
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Pipistrello and the Cursed Yoyo walks the dog onto the Nintendo Switch 2

August 21 on gaming-age.com
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Frequently Asked Questions

Pipistrello and the Cursed Yoyo is a platformer game with kids theme. Common tags for Pipistrello and the Cursed Yoyo include indie, trading, exploration, family friendly, pixel graphics and others.

Pipistrello and the Cursed Yoyo is available on Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series X|S, PC, PlayStation 5 and others.

On average players spend around 18 hours playing Pipistrello and the Cursed Yoyo.

Pipistrello and the Cursed Yoyo was released on May 28, 2025.

Pipistrello and the Cursed Yoyo was developed by Pocket Trap.

Pipistrello and the Cursed Yoyo has received positive reviews from players and positive reviews from critics. Most players liked Pipistrello and the Cursed Yoyo for its gameplay but disliked it for its grinding.

Pipistrello and the Cursed Yoyo is a single player game.

Similar games include Mina the Hollower, CrossCode, Islets, Minishoot' Adventures, Garbanzo Quest and others.