Unravel

87%
Game Brain Score Based on 1,342 reviews
  • story
  • music
  • graphics
Unravel Game Cover
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"Unravel is a single-player kids' platformer game with an intriguing story, presented without words, about a small character made of yarn that unravels as you move. The game features stunning visuals and physics-based puzzle mechanics, taking inspiration from the beautiful and dangerous landscapes of Northern Scandinavia. Experience a heartfelt and emotional journey of love, hope, and the journey of life."

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Reviews

87%
Audience ScoreBased on 1,342 reviews
story167 positive mentions
grinding6 negative mentions
  • Unravel features stunning graphics and a beautiful soundtrack that enhance the overall experience.
  • The game tells a heartfelt story through its gameplay and visuals, evoking strong emotions without the use of dialogue.
  • The puzzles are engaging and creatively designed, providing a satisfying challenge without being overly difficult.
  • The game requires the EA Origin launcher, which can be frustrating and inconvenient for players.
  • Some puzzles can feel repetitive and may lead to frustration due to inconsistent mechanics and unclear objectives.
  • The checkpoint system can be annoying, as players may have to replay entire levels after dying or making mistakes.
  • story357 mentions

    The story of "Unravel" is widely praised for its emotional depth and beautiful presentation, conveyed through stunning visuals and a haunting soundtrack without any dialogue. Players appreciate the game's ability to evoke feelings of nostalgia and connection through its narrative about family memories, though some critique its simplicity and lack of coherence in storytelling. Overall, it is regarded as a touching and immersive experience that complements the gameplay, making it a standout in the puzzle platformer genre.

    • “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, visuals, music, and gameplay were very enjoyable.”
    • “The story was the biggest let down 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 story is close to non-existent; I can't say I had a chance to properly pay attention to those visions and the meaning behind them with how bad the level design is.”
  • music292 mentions

    The music in the game is widely praised for its beauty and emotional depth, enhancing the overall atmosphere and storytelling. Many reviewers highlight the soundtrack's ability to evoke feelings that align with the game's visuals and narrative, often describing it as soothing and captivating. However, some players noted that the music can become repetitive over time, which may detract from the experience for a few. Overall, the soundtrack is considered one of the standout features of the game, contributing significantly to its charm and immersive quality.

    • “Beautiful game, story is amazing, and the music is outstanding, 10/10”
    • “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 irradiates a certain sense of serenity whenever I play it, I count this as one of those sort of 'cozy' games to play when you’re looking to turn your brain off for a while, and allow the game to encapsulate you with its peaceful soundtrack, stunning environments, and fluid gameplay.”
    • “The music is so incredibly repetitive, monotonous, and sappy that I can't roll my eyes hard enough.”
    • “The music was boring and I turned it off halfway through the game because it made me sleepy, and without the music, I could cope with the game a lot better.”
    • “Some people might like this kind of music, but each track is a 30-second clip spammed for upwards of 20 minutes per level.”
  • graphics291 mentions

    The graphics in the game are widely praised for their stunning visuals, detailed environments, and charming art style, creating an immersive and emotionally resonant experience. Many players appreciate the beautiful lighting and atmospheric design, which enhance the storytelling and gameplay. However, some critiques mention issues with clarity in the graphics, leading to confusion in gameplay, and a few players note that while the visuals are impressive, they may not meet the standards of more recent AAA titles.

    • “The graphics are gorgeous and the unspoken story is heartfelt.”
    • “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 graphics and general visual design are the star of the show here: everything looks amazing and every single level is just full of detail and packed with visual glee.”
    • “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.”
  • gameplay265 mentions

    The gameplay of the game is generally praised for its captivating and original mechanics, combining simple platforming with engaging puzzles that are enjoyable yet not overly challenging. While many players appreciate the soothing and therapeutic nature of the gameplay, some express frustration with occasional glitches and repetitive mechanics that can detract from the overall experience. Overall, the game is recognized for its beautiful visuals and emotional storytelling, which enhance the gameplay experience despite some inconsistencies.

    • “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.”
    • “Beautiful game, amazing soundtrack, fun gameplay, and overall well done dev team.”
    • “Give up the headache of trying to turn on this game; anyway, even when you get to open its gameplay, it is nothing special.”
    • “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 controls are incredibly frustrating and counter-intuitive, which ruined the gameplay for me.”
  • emotional156 mentions

    The emotional aspect of "Unravel" is widely praised, with players highlighting its heartfelt storytelling, stunning visuals, and evocative music that together create a deeply moving experience. Many reviewers noted that the game effectively conveys powerful emotions without dialogue, often leading to moments of nostalgia and reflection on cherished memories. Overall, "Unravel" is described as a beautiful and touching journey that resonates with players, making it a standout in the puzzle platformer genre.

    • “There was no dialogue yet you can understand the story and it's quite an emotional rollercoaster.”
    • “Unravel is a truly unique and one of the most enchanting and heartfelt games in existence.”
    • “The story is touching, making this game feel more like an experience rather than something you just play.”
  • atmosphere80 mentions

    The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its stunning visuals, enchanting music, and emotional depth, creating a captivating and immersive experience. Players appreciate the blend of nostalgic and melancholic elements, which evoke personal memories and enhance the storytelling. While some find the music repetitive, the overall ambiance is described as soothing, charming, and beautifully crafted, making it a standout feature of the game.

    • “Visually beautiful, charming atmosphere and splendid music.”
    • “The game really nails the atmosphere and the environments are really evoking memories of my own childhood, which in a way is a bit spooky.. the pure coziness of the Scandinavian cottage core hub mixed with the various landscapes makes for a varied journey while never getting over the edge on nostalgia.”
    • “The loving 'puzzle platformer' not only ensnares with wonderful graphics, but also enchants with its familiar, sometimes melancholy atmosphere and a touching story.”
    • “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.”
  • grinding12 mentions

    Overall, players find the grinding aspect of the game to be quite tedious and time-consuming, often requiring significant effort to collect items or progress through levels. While the initial gameplay can be enjoyable, it tends to become repetitive and less engaging as players advance, leading to a mixed reception regarding the overall experience.

    • “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
    • “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.”
    • “My only complaint, as a completionist, is that the collectibles are sometimes tedious.”
    • “Game was good for the first couple of hours but slowly became more tedious as the levels progressed.”
  • 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.”
    • “Well - that was pathetic. The controls are so unintuitive - like the opposite of good - that it makes this all but impossible to enjoy... but the worst part is the game freezes up the computer and deactivates the keyboard and mouse - so the only way out is to hard reset the computer... I want that last 20 minutes of my life back.”
    • “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.”
  • optimization6 mentions

    The game's optimization is generally praised, with many players reporting smooth performance on high-end systems. However, some users experience significant performance issues, particularly related to the Origin integration, which can be mitigated by disabling the overlay. Overall, while the game performs well for some, others face challenges that impact their experience.

    • “A well-made and well-optimized game.”
    • “I have no problems with performance; the game runs very smoothly on 3700x, 32GB, 2070S at 3440x1440.”
    • “Make sure to disable the Origin overlay to get the best performance out of it.”
    • “My only problem with it is that the Origin integration kills quite a bit of the performance.”
    • “Terrible performance.”
  • humor5 mentions

    The game's humor is characterized by lighthearted moments that reflect the ups and downs of life, complemented by a likable main character with cute and amusing emotes. Players find the character's antics, especially their exaggerated thinness at the end of a thread, to be particularly funny, making the game a delightful experience for both the heart and the sense of humor.

    • “Nothing overly sad, just an illustration of the ups and downs of life, including funny moments.”
    • “The main character is super cute, and I find it funny when you reach the end of the thread and the character is so thin.”
    • “If you want a treat for both the heart and the sense of humor, this is the game for you.”
  • replayability3 mentions

    Users generally find the replayability of the game to be low, with some noting that it offers minimal incentive to play again after the initial experience, despite a lengthy playtime of around 30 hours.

    • “Replayability - 8 (30 hours!?)”
    • “Playability & replayability”
    • “Replayability - 8 (30 hours!? This seems misleading.)”
    • “Hardly any replay value.”
  • monetization2 mentions

    The monetization of games like Unravel is appreciated for its authenticity and the evident passion behind their creation, contrasting sharply with the perception of EA as a cash grab entity. Players value the quality and care in such games, which justifies their success and potential for sequels.

    • “This clearly allows us to understand why EA is such a cash grab entity.”
  • character development2 mentions

    Character development in the game is noted to be minimal, with some users highlighting the charm of the character design, particularly praising Yarny's cuteness, while others appreciate the contrast between the character and the realistic world. Overall, the focus seems to be more on aesthetic appeal than deep character progression.

    • “The character development in this game is incredibly deep, allowing players to form genuine connections with each character.”
    • “I love how the characters evolve throughout the story, making their journeys feel authentic and engaging.”
    • “The game offers a rich backstory for each character, which enhances the overall narrative and player experience.”
    • “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.”
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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