Skip to main content

William and Sly

98%Game Brain Score
graphics, music
gameplay, optimization
98% User Score Based on 112 reviews

Platforms

PCPCWindowsWindows
Buy Nowfrom $8.22
Buy NowGet on Steam$14.99

About

"William and Sly" is a 3D platformer game that brings the classic Flash series to a new open world. Explore diverse landscapes as a fox searching for mushrooms, untangle the dark enchantress's plots, and enjoy over ten hours of gameplay with fifteen new songs. The game is a nostalgic reimagining of the beloved Flash games, now available in a whole new style.

Genres & Tags
Play Modes
William and Sly screenshot
William and Sly screenshot
William and Sly screenshot
William and Sly screenshot
William and Sly screenshot
William and Sly screenshot
William and Sly screenshot

98%
Audience ScoreBased on 112 reviews
graphics14 positive mentions
optimization2 negative mentions
  • The game beautifully captures the nostalgic charm of the original flash games while transitioning to a 3D open-world experience, offering a relaxing and immersive atmosphere.
  • Traversal as a fox is fluid and enjoyable, with a sense of freedom that encourages exploration across a vast and visually stunning landscape.
  • The soundtrack and ambiance are exceptional, enhancing the overall experience and making it a cozy adventure that players can easily get lost in.
  • The controls can feel clunky, particularly with tank controls that limit movement options and make precise platforming frustrating.
  • Some game mechanics, such as the unlocking of blue essences and the lack of clear instructions, can lead to confusion and wasted time for players unfamiliar with the series.
  • Performance issues have been reported, with some players experiencing overheating and frame rate drops, indicating a need for better optimization.
  • graphics
    30 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's graphics have been praised for their immersive and beautiful 3D visuals, which significantly enhance the atmosphere and nostalgia from the original 2D games. However, performance issues have been reported, with players experiencing low frame rates and overheating problems, particularly on high-end graphics cards, and a lack of adjustable settings further complicates the experience. Overall, while the visuals are considered lovely and engaging, technical performance detracts from the enjoyment.

    • “Amazing atmosphere and immersion, beautiful visuals, great soundtrack and nostalgia from my childhood days of playing the flash games (especially when I heard the bird sound sample used in the old games).”
    • “The 3D visuals are a huge upgrade from the original 2D games and make the world feel much grander and wilder.”
    • “The graphics are not overly complex but lovely and immersive.”
    • “Also, performance is pretty bad; 70-130 fps on a 3080 with no graphics options besides a non-functional vsync switch. I can't imagine it managing a stable 60 on the recommended 1070.”
    • “With no way to further adjust graphics settings, I'm going to have to let this sit in my library until I upgrade.”
    • “Mine runs too hot, even with 'low graphics mode', in at least one location.”
  • music
    30 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music in the game is consistently praised for its beautiful soundtrack and atmospheric qualities, enhancing the immersive experience of exploring the open world. Reviewers highlight the nostalgic elements and the effective combination of music with visuals, creating a laid-back ambiance that complements the gameplay. Overall, the soundtrack is regarded as a standout feature, contributing significantly to the game's charm and emotional impact.

    • “The central hook of this game is the flow state you find yourself in, running around these truly gorgeous natural landscapes, with great atmosphere and music.”
    • “The music really evokes this laid back atmosphere, and just running around as a fox, collecting the mushrooms and restoring the area, really brings me joy.”
    • “The soundtrack and bird calls are the perfect mix to create a great ambiance.”
  • atmosphere
    18 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its stunning natural landscapes, immersive visuals, and evocative soundtrack, which together create a peaceful and nostalgic experience reminiscent of classic flash games. Players appreciate the emphasis on exploration and the flow state achieved while navigating the environment, highlighting the game's ability to evoke joy and artistic appreciation. Overall, the atmosphere is described as calming, beautiful, and deeply engaging, enhancing the overall gameplay experience.

    • “Amazing atmosphere and immersion, beautiful visuals, great soundtrack and nostalgia from my childhood days of playing the flash games (especially when I heard the bird sound sample used in the old games).”
    • “Lovely atmospheric exploration game with great music and interesting lore.”
    • “Using the power also separates you from the sublime atmosphere of running across the landscape, which I found to be the game's biggest strength.”
    • “It still retains the very peaceful and calm atmosphere, and this strangely artistic touch to the whole experience.”
    • “The music really evokes this laid-back atmosphere, and just running around as a fox, collecting the mushrooms and restoring the area, really brings me joy.”
  • story
    12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The story is highly praised for its engaging narrative and seamless integration with gameplay, enhancing the overall experience. Players recommend starting with the classic collection to better appreciate the backstory, particularly in the well-executed third game of the series. The tutorial is noted for its intuitive design, which complements the storytelling, making it difficult for players to disengage from the game.

    • “Amazing 3rd game in the series, and extremely well executed in the music, gameplay, visuals, story... everything is amazingly done.”
    • “I'm already engrossed in the story and can hardly pull myself away.”
    • “Eventually it disappears entirely, so it mostly makes for a nice story moment.”
  • gameplay
    12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay of this third installment in the series is a mixed bag; while it retains the charm and atmosphere of its predecessors, it suffers from clunky tank controls, a repetitive structure focused on backtracking, and poorly designed minigames. Players noted that the large map can feel overwhelming, and the mechanics often lack clarity, leading to confusion. Despite these issues, many still find the game enjoyable and a worthy successor to the classics, enhanced by its 3D visuals and engaging music.

    • “Amazing 3rd game in the series, and extremely well executed in the music, gameplay, visuals, story... everything is amazingly done.”
    • “It is faithful to the atmosphere and overall feeling of the originals while being refreshed with 3D visuals and gameplay.”
    • “A fun game and definitely a worthy successor to the classics, but there were some confusing changes to game mechanics that needed explanation and familiarity with the other games actually made it worse.”
    • “Unfortunately low effort: tank controls, a handful of minigames that really don't work well with said tank controls, backwards running speed so high you outrun the camera, terrain textures that get more stretched out the steeper the terrain is, enemies that pose no threat and you'll probably defeat by accident by jumping around, a core mechanic that's 90% backtracking across a far too large map/5% prop hunting/5% repeating simple minigames.”
    • “Controls are a bit wonky, gameplay a little repetitive, and the map is a bit too big, but it's still fun.”
    • “The gameplay consists of turning towards the nearest thing that sparkles and holding W + space until you reach it.”
  • optimization
    4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's optimization has been criticized, with users reporting poor performance, achieving only 70-130 fps on high-end hardware like the RTX 3080, and lacking meaningful graphics options, including a non-functional vsync switch. Many doubt it can maintain stable performance even on the recommended GTX 1070.

    • “The game doesn't seem to be well-optimized.”
    • “Also, performance is pretty bad; 70-130 fps on a 3080 with no graphics options besides a non-functional vsync switch. I can't imagine it managing a stable 60 on the recommended 1070.”
  • emotional
    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The emotional aspect of the game is negatively impacted by the lack of coyote frames, which frustrates players as it hinders their ability to execute jumps accurately during dynamic movements, leading to a sense of helplessness and dissatisfaction.

Buy William and Sly

10h Median play time
10h Average play time
10-10h Spent by most gamers
*Based on 2 analyzed playthroughs

Videos

Games Like William and Sly

Cavern of Dreams Image
84%896reviews

Cavern of Dreams

2023Casual Platformer
Nintendo SwitchNintendo SwitchPCPCWindowsWindows
Valley Image
81%4.5kreviews

Valley

2016Arcade Platformer
Mac OSMac OSNintendo SwitchNintendo SwitchPCPC+8
AER Memories of Old Image
77%4kreviews

AER Memories of Old

2017Open World Action Adventure
Mac OSMac OSNintendo SwitchNintendo SwitchPCPC+9
Omno Image
84%2.4kreviews

Omno

2021Casual Platformer
Mac OSMac OSNintendo SwitchNintendo SwitchPCPC+8
Spirit of the North ImageSpirit of the North ImageSpirit of the North Image
76%1.2kreviews

Spirit of the North

2023Role Playing
Nintendo SwitchNintendo SwitchPCPCPlaystation 4Playstation 4+5
Wildmender Image
90%1.5kreviews

Wildmender

2023Open World Simulation
PCPCPlaystation 5Playstation 5Steam DeckSteam Deck+4
Exo One Image
84%2.9kreviews

Exo One

2021Casual Racing
PCPCPlaystation 4Playstation 4Playstation 5Playstation 5+6
GROW UP Image
80%2.4kreviews

GROW UP

2016Open World Platformer
PCPCPlaystation 4Playstation 4Playstation 5Playstation 5+6
Europa Image
80%695reviews

Europa

2024Action Adventure
Nintendo SwitchNintendo SwitchPCPCSteam DeckSteam Deck+1
Seasons after Fall Image
79%2.3kreviews

Seasons after Fall

2016Role Playing
Mac OSMac OSPCPCPlaystation 4Playstation 4+8