The Cub

About

"The Cub" is a platform parkour game inspired by classic SEGA titles, set in a post-apocalyptic world where a small child with immunity to the hostile planet must escape from humans who want to capture them. The game features challenging environmental puzzles and dangerous wildlife, offering a unique blend of exploration and survival. With modern twists on retro gameplay, players must outwit their pursuers and uncover the mysteries of Earth's ruins.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

83%

Audience ScoreBased on 335 reviews

story96 positive mentions

replayability2 negative mentions

The art and sound design are exceptional, creating a visually stunning and immersive experience.
The game features a unique narrative that explores post-apocalyptic themes with a satirical edge, enhanced by the engaging Radio Nostalgia.
The platforming mechanics, while sometimes clunky, offer a variety of gameplay experiences that keep the game interesting and enjoyable.

The game is quite short, typically taking only 2-3 hours to complete, which may leave some players wanting more content.
Platforming controls can feel imprecise and inconsistent, leading to frustrating trial-and-error gameplay in certain sections.
The narrative, while interesting, lacks depth and can feel repetitive, with some story elements being overly simplistic or on-the-nose.

story
231 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
42%
57%
1%
The game's story is generally perceived as short and lacking depth, with many reviewers noting its straightforward narrative and minimalistic approach to storytelling. While some players appreciated the atmospheric and engaging elements, such as the integration of music and environmental storytelling, others found the plot to be surface-level and unoriginal, often critiquing its pacing and execution. Overall, the narrative offers a mix of intriguing themes related to survival in a post-apocalyptic world, but it may leave players wanting more in terms of complexity and length.
- “The story is interesting for a post-apocalyptic game: it's full of real-world references and surprisingly very political.”
- “The story was well told and it was good to find out what happens to our pilot friend and the little boy from Golf Club Nostalgia.”
- “The theme and story are written on a phenomenal level and it only leaves you hungry to learn more about this world and its characters.”
- “The story is a huge condemnation of our current trajectory in every way and it doesn't pull its punches.”
- “There’s nothing wrong with this being the story, but it very much lacked any depth and was extremely surface level.”
- “Yeah, I'm afraid that's not even close to accurate, because there's barely any story to speak of.”
music
211 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
65%
33%
2%
The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with many praising the soundtrack as vibrant and memorable, effectively enhancing the game's atmosphere and storytelling. However, some players found the radio implementation intrusive and distracting, detracting from their overall experience. Overall, while the soundtrack is often highlighted as a standout feature, opinions vary on how well it integrates with gameplay.
- “The music is fantastic and especially memorable in some areas.”
- “The cub is a beautifully illustrated platformer game with an amazing soundtrack with musical scores that are bound to get stuck in your head for a while.”
- “As many others have noted, the soundtrack alone is worth the price of admission, but the integration of the music with a good story and some fantastic art is where this one shines.”
- “Another mediocre limbo-like game where the only innovative mechanic (the radio and its music) I found annoying.”
- “Sound - I get what they were going for with the music and the radio and it is like, close to getting it, but it's all just... off.”
- “And the story/music didn't captivate me either, luckily the game is well optimized with no lag or bugs/crashes.”
graphics
116 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
78%
19%
3%
The graphics of the game have received widespread acclaim for their stunning visuals, vibrant art style, and atmospheric design, effectively creating an immersive experience. Many reviewers highlighted the beautiful hand-drawn aesthetics and varied environments, which contribute significantly to the game's charm and appeal. However, some noted that while the graphics are impressive, they feel that the overall gameplay experience may not fully match the visual quality.
- “The visuals are stunning, creating a vibrant and immersive, post-apocalyptic world that I couldn't get enough of.”
- “It impresses with its visuals, thanks to cool backgrounds, consistent use of colors, and crisp character designs.”
- “The artwork is brilliant and colorful.”
- “The ambience, radio, and graphical style elevate this game somewhat, but gameplay-wise, it is not worth paying much for.”
- “Not sure what is in for this game other than the graphics and music.”
- “The post-soviet aesthetic and disdain for American tech companies is consistent throughout, but the sound design feels out of place.”
gameplay
116 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
34%
63%
3%
The gameplay has received mixed reviews, with many players noting its simplicity and basic mechanics, which can lead to a short and sometimes underwhelming experience. While some appreciate the aesthetic visuals and engaging soundtrack, others criticize the level design and clunky controls, resulting in frustrating moments. Overall, the gameplay is seen as a weak point, lacking the depth and innovation found in more successful platformers.
- “Featuring varied levels, environments, and gameplay with a fantastic soundtrack and aesthetically pleasing visuals to boot.”
- “An absolutely beautiful game with a well-crafted story, action-packed platforming gameplay, plenty of secrets, and a killer soundtrack.”
- “The cub is a very exciting platforming romp that never slows down thanks to its rich variety of gameplay and manic set pieces.”
- “The story looked interesting enough and the graphics are pretty, but I just can't push forward when the gameplay and level design are so bland.”
- “The gameplay is clunky and frustrating.”
- “Gameplay is the weakest point; it mostly consists of generic performing with several difficulty spikes in chase sequences.”
atmosphere
28 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
57%
32%
11%
The game's atmosphere is widely praised, with many reviewers highlighting its haunting and beautiful depiction of a post-apocalyptic world, complemented by strong visuals and storytelling. While the sound design received criticism, the overall ambiance and emotional depth create a compelling experience that resonates with players. Despite some control issues, the atmospheric elements remain the standout feature, making it a memorable platformer.
- “The post-apocalyptic atmosphere is emphasized by every single step you take, that can mean death.”
- “The atmosphere and animation is a haunting and beautiful look in a post-apocalyptic world.”
- “A beautiful platformer with a bittersweet story, awesome atmosphere, great art style, and really good controls.”
- “For a game centered around atmosphere, the sound design sure is atrocious.”
- “The atmosphere and animation is a haunting and beautiful look in a post-apocalypse world.”
- “The game focuses on variety, atmosphere, and telling a story through various means instead.”
humor
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is consistently praised for being both hilarious and sharply relevant to contemporary issues, often balancing dark themes with lighthearted moments. The main character's voice acting enhances the comedic experience, delivering jokes that toe the line of acceptability, while the radio broadcasts provide a mix of humor and melancholy that complements the game's atmosphere. Overall, the humor serves as a welcome respite from the game's intense and unforgiving environments.
- “It's as awesome as it should be and often hilarious while also being very on point to the way in which the world is today in real life.”
- “The artwork is superb and the story is actually pretty dark as you progress but in a humorous way.”
- “The unforgiving and deadly environments keep you on the edge of your seat, but the main character always gives you a moment to relax or laugh after he makes a joke or does something funny.”
replayability
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
33%
The game's replayability is rated very low, with users indicating that it only holds value for those seeking to complete achievements. Overall, there is little incentive to replay the game beyond this goal.
- “Replayability value: for achievements only.”
- “Replayability (1/5): I don't think there is any value in replayability unless you want to get the missing achievements.”
optimization
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is praised for its strong optimization, running smoothly without any lag, bugs, or crashes, contributing positively to the overall user experience.
- “The game is well optimized with no lag or bugs/crashes.”
- “It runs smoothly and I love the storyline so far.”
- “Performance, bugs, and user experience: 5/5.”
stability
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The game generally runs well on the Steam Deck, providing an enjoyable experience with its fun music and platforming elements. However, players have reported issues with unresponsive and buggy controls, which detracts from overall stability.
- “Runs great on the deck, with cool funky music that adds to a fun platforming game that's not too difficult.”
- “Unresponsive buggy controls.”
- “Unresponsive buggy controls.”
grinding
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game tedious, particularly during lengthy chase sequences that lack sound, which contributes to a sense of repetitiveness and sluggishness. Overall, these elements detract from the enjoyment and pacing of the gameplay.
- “Having a chase sequence with 3-5 minutes of no sound at all made it tedious, not to mention that these sequences already felt long, repetitive, and slow to me.”
emotional
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players express a strong emotional connection to the game, feeling a sense of reluctance to leave once the credits rolled and wishing for a longer experience. The game leaves a lasting emotional impact, highlighting its ability to engage players deeply.
- “I was not ready to leave when the credits rolled; I wanted to stay. This game left an emotional impact on me, and I wished it was just a little – I'm lying, I wished it was a lot – longer.”
character development
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The reviews highlight that while the game excels in visuals with striking backgrounds and character designs, there is little mention of character development, suggesting it may not be a strong focus in the overall experience.