Unravel (Series) Review

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Posted: 19 months ago, last updated 5 weeks ago.

Author: @GeekDadGamer, Jo Robertson, Rich Adams and Ben Kendall.

OverviewOverview

Unravel and the two-player Unravel Two are a pair of jumping and swinging platform games where you control a character made out of wool. As well as making him look super cute, the wool is used to swing around and interact with objects.

As you progress through the landscape with your handmade character, you learn about the house he came from. You visit places and moments that were significant in the homeowners' lives, and discover their memories about the places. The starts bright and happy but has sad and darker moments too like one memory that reveals that the old woman's husband died from a heart attack.

DetailsGame Details

Content Rating: PEGI 7+

Release Date: 09/02/2016, updated in 2018

Platforms: Mac, PC, PS4, Switch and Xbox One

Genres: Action, Adventure, Narrative, Platform and Puzzle

Accessibility: 21 features

Developer: @ColdwoodGame

ListsLists

View our choice of games like Unravel. This game is good if you want to:

CommitmentCommitment

Duration: This game will take between 6 hours and 9 hours to complete.
 
Players: This is a single player game. Unravel 2 is a little shorter than the first game, although being able to play with another person extends its value considerably for families.

CostsCosts

Unravel usually costs £14.99 to £24.99.
 

Unravel

Unravel Two

Unravel Yarny Bundle

Xbox One £24.99 – –
PS4 £24.99 – –
 
Does not offer in-game purchases, 'loot boxes' or 'battle/season passes'.

Age RatingsAge Ratings

Unravel was rated PEGI 7 with violence against fantasy or mythical beings and creatures. The examiner's report expands this rating with the following: Players need to navigate obstacles, solve puzzles and stay clear of environmental hazards. Environmental hazards will include anything from real life animals to pools of acid. When Yarny is caught by one of the animals, he is trashed around rather violently and the screen will fade to black.

There are slightly creepy settings in this game such as dark caves and thunderstorms. In one sequence Yarny almost gets hit by a car, this is a rather abrupt scene that can startle players.
 
This game has been rated ESRB EVERYONE.

AccessibilityAccessibility

While for a lot of the game you won't need to have quick reactions, there are some actions, such as using the yarn to swing across chasms, where you'll need to be able to react quickly. If you're struggling with this, you can use the Slow Motion function to help you. While each level can take quite a long time to beat, there are regular checkpoints where you will start once you resume the game should you need to stop halfway through a level.

With its strong emphasis on visual storytelling, the game has very little text in it, but what there is is high contrast, but fairly small and not adjustable. The 2D platforming style of the game makes it easy to understand where to go next, and interactive objects often have a shimmer to them to highlight them. Additionally, a glowing orb indicates the direction to go by going ahead of you or pointing out key items.

Some pats of the game can be quite dark and low in contrast, and your character's colour can make them blend in as well. To combat this partially, you can adjust the colour of your character, choosing from a range of preset colours that contrast to any background.
 
Our Unravel Accessibility Report details 21 accessibility features:

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Games Like Unravel

Our experts have hand-picked the following similar games for you. These offer a similar way to play to Unravel or are games with a similar theme or topic. These are good alternative games to Unravel.

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