Sling Ming

About

Learn and master the Oxylane, a transportation network that lets you fly through the air, swing around corners and defy gravity. Embark on an intergalactic adventure, solve physics-based puzzles and save your kingdom from the never-ending earthquakes!

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

93%

Audience ScoreBased on 14 reviews

music3 positive mentions

story3 negative mentions

Sling Ming features a unique and inventive gameplay mechanic that combines physics-based puzzles with a charming narrative and vibrant visuals.
The game offers a variety of challenges and optional objectives, allowing players to engage at their own pace and enjoy the beautiful art and sound design.
Players appreciate the polished presentation and the ability to skip levels they find too difficult, making it accessible for a wider audience.

The game suffers from design limitations typical of mobile apps, leading to a lack of customization options and technical deficiencies that frustrate PC gamers.
Many players find the platforming mechanics overly challenging, with some levels requiring excessive repetition and causing frustration.
The narrative is delivered through lengthy cutscenes that detract from the gameplay experience, making it feel more like reading than playing.

gameplay
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
50%
25%
The gameplay of the game is characterized by a mix of innovative mechanics and engaging puzzles, though it suffers from excessive text cutscenes that detract from the overall experience. Players appreciate the unique node-altering mechanics and the variety of puzzles, but some suggest that reducing hazards and increasing action could enhance enjoyment. Overall, the game combines beautiful presentation with creative gameplay, making it a worthwhile experience despite its flaws.
- “Good game nonetheless, both in presentation and mechanics.”
- “You can click a node when the tether's stopped to make Ming choke up on her rope, and as the game progresses you get new mechanics to play with like speed sections and picking up objects that give you more momentum.”
- “Sling Ming has a brilliantly simple but very open-ended gameplay mechanic with a wealth of interesting possibilities for puzzles and physics challenges.”
- “So 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 convey their narrative through the game mechanics, and decided instead it would be better to compete with reading a book for your time.”
- “So the game is cool but could be more fun with either 1) fewer hazards and repetition during puzzles, or 2) fewer puzzles and more action with faster and more dynamic gameplay; stuff like health meter, attack options, faster movement, and simpler control schemes.”
- “A very simple and seemingly casual mechanic, Ming takes to the cavernous tunnels beneath the earth on her trusty sling which acts as a conveyor with a grapple.”
graphics
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
30%
40%
30%
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews; while the mobile app's simplistic 2D art lacks depth and quality, the overall visuals in the main game are praised for their bright, colorful style and professional artwork. Players appreciate the detailed environments and smooth animations, which enhance the gaming experience despite some initial challenges. Overall, the graphics are considered a highlight, contributing significantly to the game's appeal.
- “If not for the gorgeous graphics and creative mechanics, I'd say give this one a pass, but for once the experience might just be worth the hassle.”
- “The visuals are super nice, the music is great; it's a well-polished game in all.”
- “The environments have a wonderful range of interplanetary aesthetics, from the dark toxic caverns you start in to the gorgeously detailed lush and vibrantly green planet you take off to afterwards.”
- “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.”
- “Be aware that the game is much more challenging than what the cute graphics might make you believe, but it does also offer hints where new skills are needed.”
story
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20%
20%
60%
The story features a quirky and engaging narrative where the protagonist, Ming, embarks on a planet-hopping quest to retrieve gems amidst worsening earthquakes caused by pollution. While the overall reception of the mobile app was lukewarm, the bright visuals and humorous dialogue enhance the experience, offering a fresh take on the puzzle/platforming genre.
- “Quirky story and a genuinely new take on puzzle/platforming.”
- “Hardly a success story; gamers just weren't all that interested in the mobile app.”
- “With the earthquakes growing worse, Ming embarks on a planet-hopping quest to retrieve the gems and get to the bottom of this well-shaken mess.”
- “Little bits of the dialogue come with short voiced phrases, usually different humorous expressions from Ming, and definitely serve to draw you into the story of global peril at the hands of pollution.”
music
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
60%
20%
20%
The music in the game is highly praised for its impressive and memorable soundtrack, featuring a diverse range of instruments that enhance the atmosphere, from ominous tones during dark explorations to whimsical melodies in vibrant environments. The sound design complements the visuals, creating a well-polished experience that immerses players in the game's world.
- “Its an impressive and memorable soundtrack with a wide range of instruments, including some pleasing Chinese fiddles and other cultural instrumentation thrown into the mix for that 'planetary' feel.”
- “The art, sound design, and music are all fantastic.”
- “The music of your adventure is suitably ominous during the deep and dark spelunking into unknown caves and toxic underworlds, while appropriately whimsical on the climbs into the more vibrant and lush outside worlds.”
monetization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The monetization of Sling Ming has been criticized as a cash grab, with users noting that it feels like a poorly adapted mobile game rather than a genuine PC experience, lacking appeal for the target audience.
- “Sling Ming is a mobile app that's been dumped on Steam as if it were a real PC game. It's a cash grab from greedy mobile developers. This mobile app is a basic swinging object/pathing/reflexes type game with limited to no interest for PC gamers.”
humor
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
The humor in the game is conveyed through witty dialogue and voiced phrases, particularly from the character Ming, which effectively engages players and adds a lighthearted touch to the serious theme of global pollution.
- “The dialogue is peppered with short, humorous phrases that really draw you into the story of global peril caused by pollution.”
- “The game's humor shines through in its witty dialogue, making even serious topics feel lighthearted and engaging.”
- “I found myself laughing out loud at the clever puns and quirky character interactions throughout the game.”
grinding
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players appreciate the grinding aspect of the game for its inventive and accessible puzzles, which offer varied nodes and movement types, ensuring that the experience remains engaging and never feels tedious.