The King's Bird

A beautiful game marred by repetition yet incredibly playable.

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"The King's Bird" is a precision-platformer with physics-based gliding, set in a vibrant world hidden by a tyrant. The game features dynamic music and a text-less narrative told through visuals. Explore five unique worlds inspired by ancient cultures and discover the truth about your freedom. The game is known for its momentum-based gameplay and seamless combination of platforming and gliding.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

Reviews

70%

Audience ScoreBased on 167 reviews

gameplay17 positive mentions

optimization3 negative mentions

The game features beautiful visuals and a wonderful soundtrack that enhance the overall experience.
The momentum-based platforming mechanics feel satisfying and rewarding once mastered, providing a sense of freedom while navigating levels.
The level design is creative and challenging, encouraging players to experiment with different movement techniques.

The controls can feel unintuitive and imprecise, leading to frustration during gameplay, especially for new players.
There are significant difficulty spikes, particularly in later levels, which may deter casual players and lead to a tedious experience.
The game suffers from technical issues such as stuttering and bugs that can disrupt gameplay, including problems with collectibles being hard to see against certain backgrounds.

gameplay
92 mentions
18 % positive mentions
78 % neutral mentions
3 % negative mentions
The gameplay in "The King's Bird" is characterized by a unique momentum-based platforming system that offers a satisfying challenge once players master its complex mechanics, though many find the controls unintuitive and poorly explained. While the game features beautifully designed levels and a vibrant aesthetic, it suffers from a steep learning curve and frustrating precision challenges that can detract from the overall experience. Despite these issues, players often report moments of joy and freedom when successfully navigating the game's intricate environments.
- “When the gameplay hits, it really hits, and you really feel free.”
- “Flying around is an absolute joy, and it's a lot of fun getting speedier and speedier as you progress through the level, with a lot of mechanics that build around that momentum.”
- “The king’s bird offers up a unique platforming experience through its gameplay and design, that leads to some pretty spectacular moments.”
- “First and foremost, it does not convey its controls and movement mechanics well.”
- “It is largely left up to the player to learn how the mechanics work, however, since the tutorial is quite vague.”
- “The gameplay isn't as fluid as it should be, but it is pretty fun; I just wish that the controls responded faster, and the respawn animation is irritating.”
music
74 mentions
47 % positive mentions
49 % neutral mentions
4 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised for its vibrant and uplifting qualities, effectively enhancing the atmosphere and gameplay experience. However, many reviewers noted its repetitiveness and lack of diversity, with some tracks becoming monotonous over extended play sessions. Overall, while the soundtrack is considered beautiful and fitting, it could benefit from more variety to maintain engagement throughout the game.
- “The vivid colors and stenciled silhouettes incorporated into parallax layers, accompanied by equally bright and spirited music that embodies youthful exploration, match wonderfully with the graceful gliding the player does throughout.”
- “The music is both serene and powerful, and fits very well with the gameplay.”
- “A very enjoyable platformer with wonderful music that reminds me of Transistor in the way it syncs up with your actions, and beautiful animation work that brings it all together.”
- “The only blemish in this department is the under-utilization of the king's bird storytelling devices and the lack of diversity in the soundtrack.”
- “Because of the confusion and the repetitive music tracks, I have taken my rating down from highly recommended to just recommended.”
- “The true biggest offense of this game is its soundtrack.”
story
51 mentions
14 % positive mentions
78 % neutral mentions
8 % negative mentions
The story in "The King's Bird" is often described as minimal and vague, primarily conveyed through non-verbal storytelling methods such as murals and character interactions, which some players found intriguing while others felt it lacked depth. Many reviewers noted that the gameplay overshadowed the narrative, leading to a sense of neglect regarding the story's development, which is perceived as simplistic and not central to the experience. Overall, while the visual and audio elements enhance the theme of discovery, the story itself is seen as underutilized and not particularly engaging for those seeking a strong narrative.
- “The visual and audio storytelling devices utilize the crafted world well and add to the theme of discovery, utilizing the interpretation of the player rather than relying on text to directly tell its story.”
- “First of all, I really like the storytelling: it's done non-verbally through a series of murals you find on the walls of locations you discover.”
- “Its story is simple, short, yet effective; obviously not a story-driven game, the lore's main purpose is to justify the in-game events.”
- “The story seems nice, but there is no story at all.”
- “The story is present only in the trailer and at the ending, and it's honestly impossible to understand what it means.”
- “I assumed this was a classic linear story-driven game, but to my surprise, it is actually a level-based game with very few story moments.”
graphics
47 mentions
60 % positive mentions
34 % neutral mentions
6 % negative mentions
The graphics in the game are widely praised for their beauty and artistic style, with many reviewers highlighting the stunning visuals and cohesive aesthetic that enhance the overall experience. While the minimalist design and monochromatic palette create breathtaking environments, some players noted that repetitive level visuals can detract from the sense of progress. Overall, the graphics are considered a standout feature, contributing significantly to the game's appeal, despite some concerns about performance on lower-end systems.
- “For the size of the development team, an achievable design has been adopted, utilizing simple techniques for the audio and visuals to great effect, resulting in a clean, cohesive, and aesthetically pleasing product.”
- “Unbelievably gorgeous graphics are complemented by an equally colorful soundtrack and an elegant, nuanced movement system that's a joy to master.”
- “Beautiful visuals, incredible movement system, and challenging platforming come together to form this masterpiece.”
- “Slightly held back by repetitive level visuals (even if they are beautiful), making it harder to feel a sense of progress.”
- “It's yet another beautifully designed non-game where the play control mechanics and the artwork are the entirety of what it has to offer.”
- “While the highly stylized graphics and momentum-based gameplay make for a unique experience, the emphasis on speedrunning and collection detracts from any emotional investment created early on.”
optimization
8 mentions
25 % positive mentions
38 % neutral mentions
38 % negative mentions
The game's optimization has been widely criticized, with users reporting significant stuttering and inconsistent framerate issues that detract from the overall gameplay experience. While performance is generally acceptable for lower settings, players have noted rare lag spikes and a decline in performance at higher resolutions, leading many to suggest waiting for updates to address these concerns.
- “In the end, my plan is to wait a week or two before playing through this to see what the update schedule is like and if there are going to be any performance improvements.”
- “- Performance: generally good all around for FPS, but there are rare lag spikes which seem to happen regardless of your specs.”
- “Major optimization issues in this game kill the framerate, and the gameplay seems like it'd remain clunky even if one were to resolve the framerate issue.”
- “Oh yeah, the game's optimization is also not very consistent.”
- “Performance suffers a bit at higher resolutions (2560x1440) with all effects enabled.”
grinding
7 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
Players generally find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and frustrating, particularly in the later stages, which detracts from the initial enjoyment. While the early levels are engaging, the repetitive nature of the gameplay leads to a sense of annoyance and fatigue as players progress. Overall, the grinding experience is seen as a significant drawback, impacting the game's value and enjoyment.
- “This results in the game becoming tedious and frustrating, especially leading up to the end of the game and definitely during the final section.”
- “I don't believe it's worth the full price for the level of frustration and tediousness that you'll experience.”
- “Fun at the beginning, but after some levels, it just gets tiring, annoying, and tedious.”
atmosphere
5 mentions
60 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
40 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is praised for its gorgeous art style and wonderful soundtrack, creating a pleasant vibe that enhances the experience. However, some players find the atmosphere can be undermined by frustrating gameplay mechanics and a lack of musical variety in certain sections, leading to mixed feelings about the overall enjoyment.
- “The game's atmosphere is gorgeous: a pleasant, aesthetic art style and a wonderful score.”
- “Great vibes, great atmosphere, wonderful soundtrack, easy to learn controls.”
- “The twitchy controls, the unreliable boost, and the increasingly cramped atmosphere lead to an overall frustrating and unrewarding experience.”
- “The music and the atmosphere make me want to love the game, but when it comes to the gameplay itself, I would never recommend it.”
emotional
5 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is mixed; while some players appreciate the unique experience and visual appeal, others find it lacking depth and emotional resonance. The gameplay's focus on speedrunning and collection often overshadows any initial emotional engagement, leading to frustration rather than connection. Overall, the game evokes a sense of wonder for some, but leaves others feeling emotionally unfulfilled.
- “This game made me feel like a baby bird learning to fly surrounded by spikes and lava.”
- “While the highly stylized graphics and momentum-based gameplay make for a unique experience, the emphasis on speedrunning and collection detracts from any emotional investment created early on.”
humor
1 mentions
300 % positive mentions
-200 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is derived from its unconventional gameplay, where players must navigate challenges through trial and error, leading to moments that can be amusing or frustrating depending on individual preferences. Overall, this aspect adds a layer of enjoyment for those who appreciate a more unpredictable gaming experience.
- “The humor in this game is top-notch, with clever writing and hilarious character interactions that kept me laughing throughout my playthrough.”
- “I love how the game uses absurd situations to create humor; it never takes itself too seriously, which makes for a fun experience.”
- “The witty dialogue and unexpected comedic moments really add to the charm of the game, making it a delightful adventure.”
replayability
1 mentions
300 % positive mentions
-200 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The game offers numerous levels that enhance its replayability, providing players with compelling reasons to revisit and experience the content multiple times.
- “It has a lot of levels that have great replay value.”
- “The game offers multiple paths and choices, making each playthrough feel unique.”
- “With various character builds and strategies, I find myself coming back for more.”