Verlet Swing

About

Verlet Swing is a single player platformer game. It was developed by Flamebait Games and was released on September 18, 2018. It received mostly positive reviews from critics and positive reviews from players.

Verlet Swing brings you energetic swinging in a world that would be best described as a fever dream. Swing fast, don't crash and reach the goal as fast as possible!

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

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87%Audience ScoreBased on 615 reviews

graphics58 positive mentions

grinding5 negative mentions

Enjoyable and satisfying swinging mechanics that provide a unique momentum-based platforming experience, comparable to Spider-Man games.
Distinct vaporwave aesthetic combined with creative, diverse level designs and good soundtrack, enhancing the game atmosphere.
Short levels with fast restarts and community level editor add replayability and support a speedrunning-friendly environment.

Significant and abrupt difficulty spike in the last 10-20 levels creates frustration and reduces fun, alienating many players.
Occasional inconsistent grappling hook targeting and floaty controls make precision swinging challenging and sometimes unfair.
Limited content with average length; some levels suffer from repetitive design, and late-game levels become narrow and unforgiving, deterring casual players.

graphics
110 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
53%
43%
4%
The game features a distinctive vaporwave and retro 80s synthwave aesthetic praised for its cool, trippy visuals and stylish minimalist design that enhances the fast-paced grappling gameplay. While the graphics are visually striking and complement the overall vibe with vibrant colors and unique art elements, some find them taxing on the eyes or simplistic, especially in the final, darker levels which contrast with the earlier bright, aesthetic worlds. Overall, the visuals are highly appreciated for their atmosphere and polish, greatly contributing to the game's identity and player immersion.
- “The game uses 90s imagery and the vaporwave aesthetic in its audio and visuals; but does so with a restraint so that all of the important game elements are readable and the scene is rarely overwhelming to look at.”
- “Verlet swing is pure bliss, gorgeous graphics, top notch gameplay, simple easy to pick up but hard to master.”
- “The graphics are striking and odd, but give that retro 80s synthwave vibe.”
- “The lack of textures is a method that lazy devs often use to disguise their lack of talent or interest in doing the graphics properly, trying to pass it off as "art" or "we made it look bad on purpose," which gamers shouldn't have to tolerate.”
- “The visuals are lackluster and simplistic, representing the bare minimum effort to showcase the theme.”
- “The game’s visuals are abandoned towards the final part, turning what was once random interesting visuals into a miserable experience for the player.”
gameplay
105 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
49%
47%
4%
The gameplay is centered around smooth, fast-paced swinging mechanics that are simple to learn but challenging to master, offering a satisfying "game feel" comparable to high-profile titles. Players appreciate the versatility, level variety, and vaporwave aesthetic, though some criticize late-game difficulty spikes, occasional mechanical inconsistencies, and punishing level design that hinder enjoyment. Overall, it is praised as a fun, addictive experience especially for fans of grapple-hook or speedrunning games, though its shorter length and certain frustrating elements may limit broader appeal.
- “A fun hardcore arcade game with vapor/synth wave aesthetics focused around grappling hook action and obstacle-avoiding, with very short levels (all just a few seconds long) and mechanics that are easy to understand but hard to master.”
- “While the swinging mechanics are quite simple on paper, they offer almost infinite versatility in how any given level can be completed.”
- “It's not very ambitious, and as a result, it accomplishes everything it sets out to do perfectly: the swinging mechanics have excellent game feel (soaring around on a rope feels just as good here as in the recent, much more expensively-produced Marvel's Spider-Man on PS4) and support for community-created levels ensures an effectively infinite supply of levels to Tarzan your way through.”
- “The last set of levels do this game a disservice by making you realize how inconsistent it is in its movement mechanics.”
- “Now sadly this game has a 30 stage marathon where you have to beat them all deathless. Why in God's name does any game still do this? It's not fun; it's cheap difficulty and has nothing to do with mechanical skill. It entirely tests your nerve and consistency. The only way those things get better is by sinking a bunch of time into a game. Verlet is relatively short, so I spent a good day's worth of time trying to get my consistency up and couldn't even make a mark in this marathon. It came dangerously close to ruining the entire game's experience. I am absolutely sick of these abhorrently awful forms of difficulty and am just refusing to do them anymore. Everything else in the game is fine, even the 15-minute speedrun has some leeway, so I don't mind it. In the end, my idiotic bullheaded brain decided to grind this out and it took 10 hours to get done, honestly quite a slog but mildly enjoyed it at times. Still a high no recommend for this marathon.”
- “Additionally, the swing mechanics leave what feels like very little control in the hands of the player; this game really needed some additional level of control beyond the physics and WASD air strafing.”
music
63 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
48%
47%
5%
The game's music is widely praised for its atmospheric vaporwave and synthwave-inspired soundtrack that complements the visuals and swinging mechanics, enhancing immersion and mood. However, some players find the soundtrack limited in variety and repetitive over extended play, with a few wishing for a broader selection of tracks. Overall, the music is considered a strong and integral aspect that significantly contributes to the game's unique aesthetic and experience.
- “The music and visuals are amazing, the controls are right and responsive, and the campaign teaches you new tricks every couple of levels to help you improve.”
- “Excellent vaporwave aesthetic, excellent synthwave soundtrack, fun swinging mechanic.”
- “The movement was extremely satisfying, the levels were fun and stood out from each other, the sound design and OST complemented the visuals and gameplay perfectly, and the game also had a competitive nature to it.”
- “Out of the whole soundtrack (which I think just plays on loop regardless of your progress), there's only one or two tracks that sound remotely like vaporwave.”
- “That being said, the tracks only last so long, and the music gets old real fast.”
- “My only regret is the music; I understand it's early access, and I'm not gonna be hard on this, but it can be kind of grating without being memorable.”
story
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
21%
58%
21%
The game "Verlet Swing" lacks any meaningful story or narrative, with levels feeling random and disconnected. While it features engaging grappling mechanics, it offers no plot or message, making it more of a gameplay experience than a story-driven one. Fans looking for a strong narrative in first-person platformers are advised to consider alternatives like Cyberhook or A Story About My Uncle.
- “It's like "a story about my uncle" but good.”
- “☯ story ☯”
- “☐ few hours (10 - 20 hours) [if you focus on the main story]”
- “Verlet Swing has no story whatsoever.”
- “There is no bigger story or message; the levels are random, just like everything in them.”
- “There’s no plot, story, or hook to the game—well, there is a literal hook with the grappling—but that works fine.”
emotional
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional experience of the game is marked by a sense of challenge and frustration, as players grapple with precise swinging mechanics and instant failure upon contact. While some find it emotionally intense or even moving, the strict rules can evoke feelings of tension and difficulty, making it both engaging and occasionally aggravating.
- “This game makes me want to cry.”
- “Simply grappling obstacles (without actually touching any) and swinging from point A to point B, this game is easy to learn but difficult to master.”
- “I also felt that instantly failing when touching things was a little extreme, and in fact I would have loved to see a bounce mechanic, but once again that is a minor thing that was annoying, and less of an outright flaw; after all, those are just the rules of the game.”
atmosphere
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
33%
17%
The atmosphere is praised for its unique vaporwave and surreal glitch art visuals, creating a relaxing and immersive experience. While some find the timed grading shifts focus away from simply enjoying the ambiance, many appreciate the blend of engaging gameplay and captivating, bizarre aesthetics. Overall, it offers a distinctive and enjoyable atmospheric journey, especially for fans of rope mechanics and speedrunning.
- “Amazing gameplay along with amazing atmosphere, 10/10.”
- “Really enjoyable - relaxing and atmospheric with some intuitive and engaging movement controls.”
- “Would whole-heartedly recommend it to anyone who likes playing around with rope mechanics or speedrunning, or who just want a nice atmospheric experience with some vaporwave music and surreal glitch art.”
- “Being timed and given a grade made me treat the levels not really as much of a fun experience of taking in the weird vaporwave atmosphere, but instead resulted in me critically looking at each level to find the fastest path.”
grinding
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Grinding in the game becomes tedious in later levels, requiring repetitive practice and memorization of hidden spots, which slows down gameplay and contrasts with the fun earlier stages. However, the final level, despite its difficulty, feels less grindy due to the clear sense of progress and skill improvement. Overall, the mid-game peaks in enjoyment, while the endgame can feel like a frustrating grind.
- “The first 4.5 worlds were really fun, but around 5 of the last levels require a ton of repetition and practice, which was very tedious and contrasted with the rest of the game.”
- “This isn’t the only level design problem; the game really expects you to repeat the level several times since you need to know where every hang-spot is, which are really stretched out and sometimes almost hidden, slowing down the gameplay and making it really tedious.”
- “I found some of the later levels tedious to try for; the game really peaks in the middle levels.”
optimization
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
60%
60%
The game's overall performance is decent, though certain levels cause noticeable issues on the Steam Deck and potentially low-end PCs. While some optimization challenges exist, the performance is generally good enough to support enjoyable and creative gameplay experiences.
- “Overall, the performance isn't bad.”
- “Some levels cause performance issues on the Steam Deck and may also do so on low-end desktops.”
- “I mixed in some casual speedrunning and it was very fun to try and be creative about my approach and optimizations; if you're into that kind of thing or want to experiment with it, I'd highly recommend this game as a gateway.”
- “That being said, some levels cause performance issues on the Steam Deck and therefore may also do so on low-end desktops.”
- “As mentioned, I faced performance issues.”
- “Performance”
humor
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor is quirky and playful, featuring lighthearted, whimsical moments that some players find amusing, though it may not appeal to everyone.
- “Who's laughing now, now that I'm explosive like Alfred Nobel?”
- “Other people might find it funny.”
- “Funny swing swing weeeee”
replayability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game offers strong replayability, especially for speedrunning enthusiasts who enjoy competing for better times. While casual play can be fun, the challenging ending may be frustrating, but overall, the competitive aspect between friends significantly enhances its replay value.
- “Obviously, all the speedrunning replayability is there if you get really into it, but for casual play, it's fun with a frustrating ending.”
- “That gives the game some replay value.”
- “Between my friend and I, we're constantly trying to top each other's speed game and it's generally the most entertaining thing since it adds so much replay value.”
stability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game demonstrates excellent stability, running smoothly without crashes or performance issues.
- “Runs great.”

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65%Critics’ scoreBased on 1 critic reviews

Verlet Swing (Switch)
This is one bizarre but frustrating trip.
Nintendoworldreport.com
65%

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Verlet Swing
€12.49
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3h Median play time

178h Average play time

2-529h Spent by most gamers

*Based on 3 analyzed playthroughs

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Frequently Asked Questions

Verlet Swing is a platformer game.

Verlet Swing is available on Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series X|S, PC, PlayStation 5 and others.

On average players spend around 178 hours playing Verlet Swing.

Verlet Swing was released on September 18, 2018.

Verlet Swing was developed by Flamebait Games.

Verlet Swing has received mostly positive reviews from players and mostly positive reviews from critics. Most players liked Verlet Swing for its graphics but disliked it for its story.

Verlet Swing is a single player game.

Similar games include Cyber Hook, Project Earth, Clustertruck, DeadCore, Cloudbuilt and others.

Verlet Swing

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About

graphics

gameplay

music

story

emotional

atmosphere

grinding

optimization

humor

replayability

stability

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Verlet Swing

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Project Earth

Clustertruck

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