Unravel

87%
Game Brain Score Based on 1,759 reviews
  • story
  • music
  • graphics
Unravel Game Cover
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Unravel is a physics-based puzzle platformer featuring Yarny, a character made of yarn who unravels as you move. With yarn, swing, swing, and swing from tree branches, or hitch rides on kites, as you explore and solve puzzles in the stunning landscapes of Northern Scandinavia. Through an adventure about love, hope, and journey, Yarny reconnects lost memories of a family in a story told completely without words. Remote Play requires additional hardware.

  • PC
  • Play​station 4
  • Play​station 5
  • Windows
  • Xbox One
  • Xbox Series X|S
  • Ea Origin
  • Play​Station
  • Xbox
  • Xbox Game Pass
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

87%
Audience ScoreBased on 1,759 reviews
story218 positive mentions
grinding9 negative mentions
  • Beautiful graphics and art style that create an immersive experience.
  • Heartwarming story told through visuals and music, evoking strong emotions.
  • Engaging puzzles that are challenging yet enjoyable, with a unique yarn mechanic.
  • Controls can be clunky and inconsistent, leading to frustrating gameplay moments.
  • Some puzzles lack clear direction, making it difficult to know how to progress.
  • Requires the EA Origin launcher, which can be a hassle and detracts from the experience.
  • story457 mentions

    The story of "Unravel" is often described as emotional and heartwarming, focusing on themes of family, memories, and connections, conveyed through beautiful visuals and music without the use of dialogue. While many players found the narrative touching and immersive, some criticized it for being vague or underwhelming, feeling that it lacked depth or coherence. Overall, the storytelling is appreciated for its subtlety and ability to evoke feelings, though opinions vary on its effectiveness and engagement.

    • “The story is touching and emotional, yet simple.”
    • “Unravel is a beautiful game that tells a nice story about a family's memories from the perspective of a yarn character sewn by the grandma.”
    • “The story hits you right in the feels.”
    • “The story was the biggest letdown of the game because there was none, at least not a coherent one.”
    • “The game would have been much better if there was one overarching story, instead of smaller ones, which you could not care less about.”
    • “The family photo album you slowly unlock is sort of a cool gimmick, but it really doesn't strike me in any way as a coherent story.”
  • music372 mentions

    The music in "Unravel" is widely praised for its beautiful, soothing, and emotionally resonant qualities, effectively enhancing the game's atmosphere and storytelling. Many players appreciate the orchestral and folk-inspired soundtrack, which complements the stunning visuals and creates a captivating experience, although some note that the music can become repetitive over time. Overall, the soundtrack is considered one of the standout features of the game, contributing significantly to its charm and emotional depth.

    • “Unravel's sad atmosphere, scenery, and soundtrack makes this game special.”
    • “The music is beautiful and helps tell the story by giving each level a distinct emotional tone.”
    • “Unravel is a very heartwarming, visually beautiful platformer that radiates a certain sense of serenity whenever I play it, encapsulated by its peaceful soundtrack, stunning environments, and fluid gameplay.”
    • “The annoying shopping mall elevator plimplim music doesn't help.”
    • “The music is so incredibly repetitive, monotonous, and sappy that I can't roll my eyes hard enough.”
    • “Some people might like this kind of music, but each track is a 30-second clip spammed for upwards of 20 minutes per level.”
  • graphics368 mentions

    The graphics in the game are widely praised for their stunning beauty and artistic design, creating a captivating atmosphere that enhances the overall experience. Many players highlight the vibrant colors, detailed environments, and charming character animations, which contribute to the game's emotional storytelling. While some critiques mention minor issues with clarity and gameplay mechanics, the visuals remain a standout feature that consistently impresses players.

    • “The graphics are incredible and the soundtrack makes it all the more immersive.”
    • “The game's visuals are stunning, with a vibrant color palette and picturesque environments that make the game feel like a work of art.”
    • “Unravel is a beautiful game – from the outright gorgeous graphics, to the fantastically animated and impossibly cute main character, and the brilliantly subtle story it tells via small clues and metaphorical imagery that tugs at the heartstrings.”
    • “The art style is too grainy/blurry/dark, and you can't change any of that.”
    • “One big flaw with the visuals is that I, as well as others, had problems figuring out if something was supposed to be part of the foreground or in the background.”
    • “Under the cute graphics and sentimental story, it's a really poorly designed and frustrating platforming game with poor controls and inconsistent physics, full of sudden failure states that make you retry simple puzzles instead of simply enjoying them.”
  • gameplay327 mentions

    The gameplay in "Unravel" is characterized by its unique yarn mechanics, which allow for creative puzzle-solving and platforming challenges. While many players appreciate the beautiful visuals and emotional storytelling, some find the gameplay repetitive and occasionally frustrating due to inconsistent mechanics and controls. Overall, it offers a relaxing experience with simple yet engaging gameplay, though it may not evolve significantly throughout the game.

    • “The gameplay is very fun and enjoyable in my opinion; it's not too challenging but not too easy either, it's very therapeutic.”
    • “The gameplay is unique and fun, and never too challenging.”
    • “The gameplay mechanics make puzzle solving very satisfying.”
    • “The gameplay is overall underwhelming, though the saccharine story elements did not land at all with me and were rather grating.”
    • “The gameplay itself can also become tedious and repetitive, and is saved only by the heart-warming story that comes with playing through the game.”
    • “The mechanics are not polished enough for the game to not be frustrating in these levels - like the one in the snowstorm and the knots not working properly or not even tying the one you are looking at.”
  • emotional208 mentions

    The emotional aspect of "Unravel" is widely praised, with players highlighting its touching storyline that explores themes of family, memories, and connection. Many reviewers noted that the game evokes strong feelings, often leading to tears, thanks to its beautiful visuals, heartfelt music, and the ability to convey deep emotions without dialogue. Overall, "Unravel" is described as a heartwarming and memorable experience that resonates with players on a personal level.

    • “The story and the quotes given by the book are touching, and I cried multiple times during my gameplay.”
    • “Unravel is a beautiful, moving game that combines addictive platform mechanics with an emotional storyline.”
    • “The story is touching, making this game feel more like an experience rather than something you just play.”
  • atmosphere92 mentions

    The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its stunning visuals, evocative music, and emotional storytelling, creating a captivating and immersive experience. Players appreciate the blend of nostalgic and melancholic tones, with environments that evoke personal memories and a sense of longing. Overall, the game's atmosphere is described as beautiful, charming, and integral to the gameplay, enhancing both the puzzles and the narrative.

    • “Unravel's sad atmosphere, scenery, and soundtrack makes this game special.”
    • “Not only were the visuals and atmosphere in this game stunning, but the story had a way of tugging on my heartstrings.”
    • “The atmosphere of the game is particularly well-done.”
    • “The music is also really repetitious and just adds to my frustration rather than creating an atmosphere.”
    • “Having to go through each level over and over to get the no-death achievement kinda took away from the story and atmosphere of the game.”
    • “You don't need to do everything in a single run, but really, redoing levels kills the main selling point of the game, the atmosphere.”
  • grinding16 mentions

    Overall, players find the grinding aspect of the game to be quite tedious, often requiring significant time investment to collect items or complete achievements. While some appreciate the immersive story and gameplay, many feel that the repetitive nature of grinding detracts from the overall experience, especially as the game progresses. The pacing and music also contribute to a sense of monotony, making the grinding feel more burdensome.

    • “Getting the achievements could be slightly difficult but not that grindy.”
    • “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
    • “Medium level of grinding.”
    • “The gameplay itself can also become tedious and repetitive, and is saved only by the heart-warming story that comes with playing through the game.”
    • “Game was good for the first couple of hours but slowly became more tedious as the levels progressed.”
    • “My only complaint, as a completionist, is that the collectibles are sometimes tedious.”
  • optimization10 mentions

    Overall, optimization feedback is mixed; while some users report smooth performance on high-end systems, others experience significant bugs and performance issues, particularly with EA games. Additionally, the Origin integration can hinder performance, suggesting that disabling the overlay may improve gameplay.

    • “A well-made and well-optimized game.”
    • “I have no problems with performance; the game runs very smoothly on my 3700x, 32GB, 2070S at 3440x1440.”
    • “The performance is good and without problems.”
    • “Pretty much all EA games have major bugs or terrible performance issues, and have just been left abandoned.”
    • “My only problem with it is that the Origin integration kills quite a bit of the performance.”
    • “Terrible performance.”
  • stability9 mentions

    The stability of the game has been widely criticized, with users reporting frequent crashes, complete freezes requiring hard resets, and game-breaking glitches that significantly detract from the overall experience. While some minor glitches are noted, the overwhelming consensus is that these issues overshadow the game's positive aspects, making it frustrating and difficult to enjoy.

    • “It completely freezes the game, and I have to close it from Steam.”
    • “The game constantly crashes on launch to the point where everything I've tried doesn't resolve the issue and I'm not spending hours trying to resolve a buggy game.”
    • “The game itself is good, not extraordinary, but those glitches ruin it.”
  • humor7 mentions

    The humor in the game is characterized by lighthearted moments and relatable ups and downs of life, complemented by a charming main character with cute and amusing emotes. Players find the character's antics, especially in whimsical mini-worlds, to be genuinely funny, making the game a delightful experience for those seeking both heartwarming and humorous content.

    • “Nothing overly sad, just an illustration of the ups and downs of life, including funny moments.”
    • “Ostensibly, the plot is no more complicated than a funny little character exploring a series of mini-worlds to try to find prizes - a fairly familiar mechanic.”
    • “If you want a treat for both the heart and the sense of humor, this is the game for you.”
  • replayability6 mentions

    Overall, "Unravel" is criticized for its lack of replayability, with some players finding the requirement to complete levels without dying tedious. While a few users mention a high playtime, the consensus leans towards minimal replay value, indicating that the game does not encourage repeated playthroughs.

    • “Replayability - 8 (30 hours!?)”
    • “Infinitely replayable”
    • “Unravel doesn't really have any replayability, so having to beat every level without dying is simply boring.”
    • “Hardly any replay value.”
    • “Replayability - 8 (30hrs!?)”
  • character development3 mentions

    Character development in the game is characterized by a charming and cute design, particularly for the protagonist, Yarny. While some reviews note a lack of depth in character design, others appreciate the emotional resonance and integration of the character within a realistic world, enhancing the overall enjoyment of the game.

    • “The game features a cute character design that enhances the overall experience.”
    • “The character development is complemented by a realistic world that makes the journey more immersive.”
    • “I love how the character design adds emotional depth to the gameplay, making it even more enjoyable.”
    • “Not much in the way of character design, but Yarny is cute enough.”
    • “This game came with a cute character design along with a realistic world.”
  • monetization2 mentions

    The monetization of games like Unravel is viewed positively, as players appreciate the genuine effort and creativity behind them, contrasting sharply with the perception of EA as a cash grab entity. This highlights a divide between games that prioritize artistic integrity and those that focus primarily on profit.

    • “This clearly allows us to understand why EA is such a cash grab entity.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Buy Unravel

Play time

7hMedian play time
6hAverage play time
6hMain story
14hCompletionist
5-8hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 7 analyzed playthroughs

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