Unravel

Unravel took me on a surprisingly thoughtful and reflective journey, which encouraged me to appreciate the small and the insignificant with every step. As a puzzler it has charm due to Yarny's engaging skills, but as a platforming experience it's less remarkable. But to judge it solely on these mechanical aspects would be to overlook its greater achievement: the way it provokes subtle and complex emotions through the use of nature and nostalgia. It all makes for a sincere, warm-hearted, and extremely likeable adventure.

Unravel's wonderful sights and sounds won't escape your own memory so soon. But assessed purely on gameplay, it's everything I tend to fear about indie projects; Beautiful, heartfelt, but like Yarny himself, not robust enough.

Coldwood Interactive's plushy puzzler may warm the heart, but it rings hollow once the novelty of the yarn mechanics has faded.

​Stunningly rendered close-ups of nature make Unravel's somber fable and irritating death traps just worth surviving.

Frustration tangles up Unravel's better ideas

Unravel's appeal goes far beyond pretty levels. Beautiful, poignant and with an iron grip on your heart, Yarny manages to effortlessly deliver a wonderful platformer and a bittersweet message.

While the puzzles get repetitive, the ever-changing environments and heartfelt narrative see you through to the end of the journey

Yarny's journey might have its ups and downs, but it's brief and beautiful. It is a mostly wordless message of love.

Coldwood did put their hearts into Unravel and I can definitely feel that when I play. But despite his woollen charm, Yarny stayed well away from my own heart strings.

Unravel cherishes the best moments in life while recognizing the hard battles we sometimes face as families, all wrapped up within delightful gameplay and stunning scenery. The atmosphere is so compelling that I couldn't help but feel like a piece of my own story was wrapped up in the game with the rest of the photo album. It's rare but a special thing when a game manages to impart a story that touches strings deep in the heart, and Unravel manages to meet and exceed this feat. Get ready to have all the feels.