Ugly

About

"Ugly" is a single-player puzzle platformer with stunning graphics and emotional depth. Control a nobleman's shadow to solve puzzles and defeat bosses in this reflective journey through a tragic past. Discover secrets, unlock a gripping narrative, and confront enormous bosses in tricky puzzle rooms, offering a satisfying challenge for all players.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

97%

Audience ScoreBased on 208 reviews

story69 positive mentions

grinding4 negative mentions

The game features a unique and clever mirror mechanic that enhances puzzle-solving and keeps gameplay fresh and engaging.
Visually stunning with beautiful art, animations, and a hauntingly fitting soundtrack that complements the dark and intriguing story.
The puzzles are well-designed, offering a satisfying challenge that rewards players for their ingenuity and problem-solving skills.

The second half of the game suffers from frustrating precision platforming and excessive backtracking, which can detract from the overall experience.
Some puzzles can lead to unwinnable states, requiring players to restart levels, which can feel tedious and poorly designed.
The game is relatively short, and while the base game is strong, the post-game content is considered lackluster by some players.

story
111 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
62%
35%
3%
The game's story is widely praised for its emotional depth, dark themes, and innovative storytelling through environmental details and visual art. Players appreciate the way the narrative unfolds, often likening it to piecing together a puzzle, with significant plot twists and immersive mechanics that enhance the overall experience. While the story is impactful and beautifully crafted, some reviewers note its brevity and heavy tone, suggesting it may be best enjoyed on sale.
- “The story has a really good development, with you discovering memories through children's drawings and piecing together the story like one big puzzle.”
- “A masterpiece in the marriage of storytelling and gameplay, just the right length.”
- “The story is dark and heavy, and so is the overall mood of the experience, told mainly by the environment, with some surprising scenes and twists.”
- “Warning, though: this is a very dark story.”
- “Story is a dark and tragic tale that can get quite depressing at moments, but I found myself always looking forward to finding more of the tidbits to try to piece together what happened.”
- “The story is somehow dark and it surprised me how involving it is, especially because it is told without almost using any words.”
gameplay
92 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
64%
3%
The gameplay is centered around a unique and well-executed mirror mechanic that evolves throughout the game, providing a variety of engaging puzzles that keep players challenged and entertained. Each new zone introduces fresh mechanics that enhance the core gameplay without feeling repetitive, while the atmospheric art and music complement the experience. Overall, players find the gameplay to be intuitive, addictive, and a masterful blend of storytelling and puzzle design.
- “The game revolves around a simple mirror mechanic, and it uses it to the fullest extent!”
- “Just when you think you've seen it all, the game throws a curveball your way, introducing new mechanics, challenges, and surprises that keep you engaged and excited throughout your entire journey.”
- “The mirror mechanic makes the puzzles very creative.”
- “Personally, there were some mechanics that took me time to understand, and in the second part, I struggled with the timing.”
- “Some of the mechanics could do with examples of how they worked instead of just being dumped on you and having you figure it out.”
- “Especially the eternally falling mechanic was frustrating to me initially because I just had no idea what you were supposed to do.”
music
39 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
69%
23%
8%
The music in the game is widely praised for its beauty and emotional depth, perfectly complementing the stunning visuals and engaging narrative. Reviewers highlight the soundtrack as a standout feature, enhancing the atmosphere and storytelling while being immersive and memorable. Overall, the combination of exceptional music and art creates a captivating experience that resonates with players.
- “The graphics and animations are gorgeous, the music is beautiful and thoroughly fitting, the narrative is intriguing and moving.”
- “Music and sound design is stupendous (best part of the game) and cannot recommend this game enough for people who love challenging puzzles and unique ways to use the core mechanic of the game.”
- “The music does its job but the art direction truly shines: each stage is beautiful and full of detail without sacrificing visual clarity for the gameplay; cool animations and stylistic choices enhance the biggest moments of the journey.”
- “The music fits the atmosphere the game is going for very well, and really sells the themes of the story.”
- “Everything creaks in just the right way, the stumbling and falling has the right amount of crunch and the soundtrack and backing of the various rooms and scenes is very good.”
graphics
38 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
84%
13%
3%
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their beautiful hand-drawn art style, intricate details, and captivating animations, creating a memorable visual experience. Reviewers highlight the harmonious blend of aesthetics with a moody soundtrack and an engaging narrative, enhancing the overall atmosphere without resorting to overly gritty themes. The game's visuals are described as charming and innovative, making it a standout in the puzzle platformer genre.
- “The graphics and animations are gorgeous, the music is beautiful and thoroughly fitting, the narrative is intriguing and moving.”
- “The artwork is amazing - there are so many fine details.”
- “The game also has a fantastic art style where I would frequently stop in each room just to soak in all the details.”
- “But a game can't rely solely on aesthetics; it needs to deliver in terms of gameplay as well, and 'ugly' certainly does not disappoint.”
emotional
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game evokes a strong emotional response, with players noting its cruel themes and touching narrative that can be overwhelming at times. Its storytelling through art, atmospheric details, and engaging puzzles create a hypnotic yet devastating experience, reminiscent of titles like Little Nightmares. While the emotional depth and twists are praised, some players caution about the potential impact on one's emotional health due to the game's intensity.
- “Great and emotional story, cool twists, storytelling through art, a sweet little song, and even (small) boss fights in a puzzle game!”
- “A puzzle game that's both hypnotic and devastating, with super fun boss fights (on the easy side of Cuphead), a touching and sad story, and tons of atmosphere and little details.”
- “Be wary of your own emotional health as this game was a bit much for me.”
atmosphere
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
57%
29%
14%
The game's atmosphere is described as a unique and surreal artistic masterpiece, enhanced by outstanding puzzle design and clever mechanics. Players find it both hypnotic and emotionally impactful, with a touching story and fitting music that deepen the immersive experience. Overall, the atmosphere is rich with detail, contributing significantly to the game's appeal.
- “The developers have managed to create a unique, almost surreal atmosphere that is nothing short of an artistic masterpiece.”
- “A puzzle game that's both hypnotic and devastating, with super fun boss fights, a touching and sad story, and tons of atmosphere and little details.”
- “The music fits the atmosphere the game is going for very well, and really sells the themes of the story.”
grinding
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and frustrating, particularly in the latter half, which detracts from the overall experience of an otherwise beautifully crafted puzzle game with impressive art and an engaging story.
- “It's just really tedious that way, and it didn't have to be.”
- “A beautifully crafted puzzle game with incredible art and intriguing story unfortunately let down by frustrating and tedious puzzles in the later half of the game.”
stability
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Overall, user feedback on stability is mixed; while some players report a smooth experience without glitches, others note that the game can be buggy at times.
- “First of all, this game is kind of buggy sometimes.”
character development
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
Reviewers praise the game's character development for its exceptional attention to detail in both character design and environmental storytelling, highlighting the significant care and creativity invested in creating a captivating and immersive world.
- “The attention to detail in every environment and character design is simply mind-blowing, and it's evident that a tremendous amount of care went into crafting this beautiful, bizarre world.”