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Play OverviewPlay Overview

The Unfinished Swan (2012) invites you to explore a world by splashing paint on it. The tactile experience leads you into a fairy tale about an unfinished painting that leads a child back to his parent. It stands out for the unusual revealing of a world you can't see, by what the paint hits.

The character we play is the boy, Monroe. His exploration is driven by a desire to recover his deceased mother. She was a painter who is known to have never finished a painting, having created over 300 incomplete works. Monroe is told by his orphanage that he is only allowed to keep one of her paintings, so he chooses her favourite, a painting of a swan missing its neck.

One night, Monroe wakes up to find the swan has escaped its painting, and he chases it until he finds himself in the mysterious painted world. With the help of his mother's magical silver paintbrush, Monroe begins to explore the painted world as he chases the swan. There he finds a king and a kingdom that becomes an allegory about dealing with loss and what comes next.

Along with the unusual interaction, the black, white and primary colours of the game give it an otherworldly feel. Throwing paint to see what is in front of you has been compared to the experience of being partially sighted and feeling your way through the world. You can control the game with a normal PlayStation controller, or the motion-sensitive PlayStation Move controllers

Our examiner, Andy Robertson, first checked The Unfinished Swan 4 years ago. It was re-examined by Jo Robertson and updated 4 months ago.
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Play StylePlay Style

This is an Adventure and Narrative game with Puzzle, Shooting and Traversal elements. This is a single-player game.

DurationDuration

Play Time: This game will take between 3 hours and 5 hours to complete.

Age RatingsAge Ratings

Content Rating

Rated PEGI 7 for fear.

Rated for younger players in Australia. Rated General (G).

Skill Level

8+ year-olds usually have the required skill to enjoy this game. Younger players need to be able to navigate the space and be prepared to experiment with throwing the paint around when they are not sure what to do. There are also some puzzle elements to deal with.

CostsCosts

The Unfinished Swan usually costs £4.99 to £11.99. 

The Unfinished Swan

PlayStation Store PS4 £9.99
Steam StoreSALE PC £11.99 £3.59 until 21/03/2024
App Store iOS £4.99
There are no additional in-game purchases, loot boxes, adverts or subscription costs.

DetailsGame Details

Release Date: 16/10/2012

Price: 70% off

Out Now: PC, PS Vita, PS3, PS4 and iOS

Skill Rating: 8+ year-olds

Players: 1

Genres: Adventure, Narrative (Puzzle, Shooting and Traversal)

Accessibility: 22 features

Components: 3D First-Person

Developer: Giant Sparrow (@GiantSparrow)


Taming Gaming Book Written by parents for parents, the database complements the in-depth discussion about video game addiction, violence, spending and online safety in the Taming Gaming book. We are an editorially independent, free resource without adverts that is supported by partnerships.

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