Windswept

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Windswept is a single player and multiplayer platformer game. It was developed by WeatherFell and was released on November 11, 2025. It received overwhelmingly positive reviews from players.

Marbles and Checkers need your help finding their way home after being swept away in a storm. In this 90s buddy-platformer there's a ton of stuff to do and even more to collect! Don't be fooled by its cute charm! The journey home won't be an easy one! Windswept is a love letter to a period of gaming where collectathon platformers reigned supreme, trying again was the norm, and players only had …

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96%

Audience ScoreBased on 333 reviews

gameplay28 positive mentions

grinding8 negative mentions

Windswept is a charming and imaginative platformer that successfully captures the essence of classic games like Donkey Kong Country, with tight controls and a delightful art style.
The game features deep and unique mechanics, allowing for a variety of movement options and combos that enhance the platforming experience.
With a cute soundtrack and a forgiving retry system, Windswept offers a challenging yet rewarding gameplay experience that encourages exploration and mastery.

Some levels can feel overly punishing, with frustrating design choices that may lead to repeated deaths and a sense of unfairness, particularly in later stages.
The difficulty curve can be inconsistent, with certain collectibles and challenges feeling disproportionately hard compared to the main levels.
The animal companions, while intended to add variety, can sometimes hinder gameplay and make certain sections feel tedious or less enjoyable.

gameplay
80 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
35%
61%
4%
The gameplay in "Windswept" is characterized by high-quality platforming that combines deep mechanics with a challenging difficulty curve, reminiscent of classic titles like Donkey Kong Country. While the game offers options for casual players, such as invincibility and infinite jumps, it also features complex movement mechanics that require skill and practice to master, particularly in later levels. Overall, the game is praised for its engaging level design and character abilities, though some players find the difficulty spikes and sparse checkpoints can lead to frustration.
- “High quality platforming with deep and unique mechanics.”
- “The gameplay feels as good as any of the platforming greats.”
- “The characters feel great to control, there's a lot of depth to their movement and the mechanics each level introduces, and the challenges are a fun mix of difficult but fair.”
- “In conclusion, I cannot recommend Windswept because of the intermittent gameplay flow it has due to levels not preparing the player, sparse checkpoints, and low leniency for collisions with hazards; these aspects make the game a chore to play through.”
- “Expect to spend hours on a single bonus or late-game level trying to fully clear it because they are unforgiving even if you do know the mechanics.”
- “While I have noticed that this game has extremely positive feedback, I've also noticed something else: I have more achievements related to gameplay progression than over 90% of players, and I quit on world 3.”
music
67 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
42%
54%
4%
The music in the game has received widespread praise for its catchy and charming quality, often evoking nostalgia reminiscent of classic titles like Donkey Kong Country. Many players appreciate the unique tracks for each level, contributing to the overall delightful and whimsical atmosphere, although some feel it doesn't quite reach the heights of its inspirations. Overall, the soundtrack is considered a strong aspect of the game, enhancing the experience with its engaging melodies and fitting themes.
- “The soundtrack has some bops, and the pixel art and animation are gorgeous and obviously lovingly done.”
- “This game is so wholesome and cute, the music fills me with delight and a whimsy I've not felt in years.”
- “The music oozes personality and the character sprites have been made with care.”
- “That said, it isn't fair to this at all, it really isn't, but audio and music doesn't have the same juice as DKC. It goes for a different vibe, but it's just sort of generic so far. It's good, it's alright, but it won't be memorable. Same with the little audio effects; just the banana picking had this 'noice' feeling to it, and it's lacking here.”
- “The game also has no amusing dialogue exchanges like in DKC, and the soundtrack is completely forgettable.”
- “Very nice love letter to DKC2 in every respect, even down to the movement. I do wish that there would be a banger soundtrack to accompany it, but what we got was fine.”
graphics
41 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
56%
37%
7%
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their charming pixel art style and vibrant aesthetics, reminiscent of classic 90s platformers. Reviewers highlight the cute visuals and smooth animations, which complement the engaging gameplay and nostalgic feel, although some note that they may not fully capture the magic of retro titles. Overall, the art style is considered a significant strength, enhancing the game's fun and challenging platforming experience.
- “The graphics in Windswept really shine in the backgrounds for me.”
- “The visuals are stunning; I personally am fond of pixel art.”
- “An excellent re-interpretation of the Donkey Kong Country formula that adds new mechanics and new ideas along with a beautiful pixel-art style.”
- “It has potential but it's certainly lost on the rough pixelated visuals combined with the fast movement speed and the constantly cramped, repetitive, hellscape level designs.”
- “(which isn't even a real retro style, by the way. it's just what happens when you try displaying graphics meant for CRTs on modern displays. apply proper CRT filters and you will see that those games were actually supposed to look like the cartoons of the time, not like 144p video.)”
- “The graphics/music are plenty serviceable, especially considering they are competing against the SNES games and there's just no way a small team of 1-3 people can beat your nostalgia on that.”
story
17 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
18%
64%
18%
The story in the game is minimal and often feels underdeveloped, serving primarily as a backdrop to the gameplay rather than a focal point. While the charming art design and music enhance the experience, many players express a desire for more narrative depth and coherence, particularly in the transitions between the game's whimsical and tense moments. Overall, the game prioritizes mechanics over storytelling, appealing to those who value gameplay over a rich narrative.
- “I have beaten the main story once so far and it seems there is a lot more to the game to do still, especially when checking out the achievements and finding a crazy and fun secret already at the first choice you make in the game.”
- “The story has a decent no-dialogue explanation of the game's events while the music is catchy and fitting (although I would've loved to hear some ambient pieces).”
- “My review is biased but I would recommend this game if you want a fun, cute experience, a challenge if you enter Laamp's kaizo levels, and a great little story!”
- “The story feels a tad underbaked, a bit of a mismatch between the no-dialogue goofy moments and the high tension everyone-comes-together final fight.”
- “The extremely minimalistic story ends fairly abruptly to the point that I assumed a real ending was gated by collectibles, but that doesn't seem to be the case from trying to look it up.”
- “I understand why this was done; World 3 was meant to feel like a wall in a game about perseverance, yet this doesn't come through in the story in my opinion after such a happy-go-lucky first two worlds.”
grinding
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players have criticized the grinding aspect of the game for its lengthy sections and frustrating checkpoints, particularly in challenging levels that feel more tedious than rewarding. Many feel that the design often leans towards a memory game rather than a true test of skill, leading to a repetitive and unenjoyable experience. While some appreciate the overall gameplay, the grinding elements detract from the enjoyment, making certain levels feel slow and uninspired.
- “Re-consider some long sections and checkpoints - in the lava world I'm hitting very long sections with tricky pieces at the end; replaying them after dying is tedious, not fun - waiting for a lava column to pop up is not interesting to me.”
- “I enjoy a challenge, but it felt more annoying and tedious than challenging for some time, and I know from others' experience I'm not the only one.”
- “Which finally brings me to my criticism of this game's design philosophy: it feels like a tedious memory game disguised as a platformer, kind of like a diet version of the infamous flash game 'Unfair Mario'.”
emotional
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the game to be a deeply emotional experience, characterized by its wholesome and charming presentation, delightful music, and nostalgic elements that evoke feelings of joy and longing for simpler times. The combination of light-hearted fun and challenging gameplay resonates strongly with those who appreciate whimsical and heartwarming games. Overall, it is celebrated for its ability to evoke strong positive emotions and a sense of nostalgia.
- “This game is so wholesome and cute, the music fills me with delight and a whimsy I've not felt in years.”
- “I've only played this game a little, but it made me cry, longing for my younger days when games were filled with silly whimsy for the sake of pure fun.”
- “The presentation is wholesome and charming, from the background to the character models to the catchy music.”
atmosphere
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
60%
40%
The game's atmosphere is a vibrant blend of cheerful and playful elements, reminiscent of classic Donkey Kong Country titles, enhanced by polished visuals and responsive controls. While the soundtrack leans towards upbeat tunes, it occasionally dips into a more atmospheric tone, contributing to an engaging and immersive experience. Overall, the combination of these elements creates a captivating environment that balances fun and challenge.
- “This game captures a lot of the greatness of classic Donkey Kong Country games in its atmosphere and platforming, while bringing new mechanics and difficulty that suit the evolution of the genre.”
- “It is a very polished and fun game with responsive controls, lovely pixel visuals and animations, and a lighthearted and occasionally atmospheric soundtrack, and all of these elements of the game combined are obviously hugely inspired by the Donkey Kong Country SNES trilogy.”
- “The controls and gameplay are smooth, the atmosphere is beautiful, the stages and action are engaging.”
replayability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
100%
Players highlight the game's impressive replayability, noting a wealth of content and engaging minigames that allow control of different characters, enhancing the overall experience.
- “A surprisingly high amount of content and replay value, including minigames where you control other characters.”
- “The game offers multiple paths and choices, making each playthrough feel unique and engaging.”
- “With various difficulty levels and unlockable content, there's always a reason to dive back in for another round.”
- “The game lacks significant replayability, as once you've completed the main story, there's little incentive to return.”
- “After finishing the game, I found that the side quests and additional content felt repetitive and uninspired, diminishing any replay value.”
- “While the initial playthrough was enjoyable, I quickly realized that there wasn't enough variety to warrant a second run.”
humor
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is highlighted by clever attention to detail, such as a custom "oh no" title that elicited genuine laughter during gameplay. While the game prioritizes mechanics over casual storytelling, it may not appeal to those seeking a more lighthearted experience akin to the humor found in games like Donkey Kong Country.
- “I laughed really hard when I accidentally died as I entered a bonus screen and it had a custom 'oh no' title. Such a funny attention to detail that I really appreciated.”
- “It's a game that puts its mechanics first, which works well for me but may not work as well for people who want a casual stroll through some gorgeous levels while experiencing goofy storytelling or funny dialogue lines like the DKC games did.”
stability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's stability has been noted as slightly buggy, indicating that players may experience occasional issues or glitches during gameplay.
- “The game is slightly buggy.”
- “There are frequent crashes that disrupt gameplay.”
- “I encountered several glitches that affected my experience.”
character development
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
100%
The character development in the game is enhanced by its beautiful pixel art and appealing design, which effectively contrasts with the deeper themes and narratives that unfold throughout the gameplay.
- “This game has beautiful pixel art, excellent gameplay, and appealing character design.”
- “The art and character design really juxtapose what's waiting underneath.”
- “Character development feels shallow and lacks meaningful progression.”
- “The characters are one-dimensional and fail to evolve throughout the game.”