Stonefly Reviews
Out of all the indies I've played recently, Stonefly stands out as one of the most unique and immersive; I highly recommend playing it.
Over my time playing games on the Switch I’ve become a sort of connoisseur of weird games, enjoying the unexpected journeys they tend to take you on...
We kind of expected the vast exploration of nature through the perspective of insects, but there were more faults than there should have been. While the color and graphics including the combat system were unique, questionable narratives, repeated actions within a narrow space seems to be more stressful than fun. Perhaps a little more thought process could have polished the motivations, which would allow players to sit through the gameplay more thoroughly.
Review in Korean | Read full review
I want to love Stonefly. It has all of the right pieces to make something great. When those pieces come together, though, the fit isn’t quite right, and the resulting whole has its share of holes. This is a game that’s big on concept and playfulness, but translating those qualities into something that you interact with as a player fails to cleanly make the jump. Most specifically, the game play isn’t quite there; the mechanics are all fine, but the balance is off in some crucial ways that disrupt the experience and cause the game to get in the way of itself. Stonefly is at its best when its showing off its beautiful artwork and telling its story, and the parts in between where you fight lots of bugs and gather too many resources feel in opposition to that side of the experience rather than in service of it. I still enjoyed a lot of my time with Stonefly, but this feels like an experience that would have benefited from being shorter, and more focused on exploration and its narrative.
Overall, Stonefly is an interesting experiment for Flight School Studio. There are some moments to genuinely love in its presentation and action. Unfortunately, the plot pacing and inconsistent combat can create some real frustration. It doesn’t seem sequels are Flight School’s style, but I definitely look forward to the ways they take the lessons from Stonefly and apply it to their next project, whatever it may be.
Stonefly presents an intriguing mix of gameplay elements - but it turns out to not always be harmonic. A focus on the strongest parts of the game would have made it even better better.
Review in German | Read full review
Stonefly provides an intriguing premise that lends itself to strange and fantastical gameplay. With an emphasis on aerial piloting, the combat and exploration give ample control while not feeling too fast for the laid-back spirit. While it can be confusing to shuffle through the various materials, power-up formulas can be brute-forced when necessary. Stonefly smartly lets the player control its tempo without lingering for too long, which appeals to all kinds of gamers.
[Despite the repetition & lack of level variety], I’d still recommend Stonefly if you’re looking for a fun and “chillaxing” game; it’s beautiful to look at and listen to, and it’s fun to play a nimble and agile flight-capable mecha that isn’t from an anime for once.
Stonefly is a strong indie featuring tiny humans in tiny mechs vying with the bugs of the forest canopy for resources. Its tale is enough to drive you through a 10-hour campaign with little embellishment, and its mech-customisation and mineral-gathering systems are satisfying, intuitive, and purposeful. Pacifist bug combat is fast and frenetic, but also plagued with fiddly controls and a few too many abilities to be comfortable.
Stonefly is a game with big insects and a bigger heart. Despite some clunky aspects in its combat and some repetitive sections, the game's visual style, relaxing exploration, and rewarding customization system make it a game worth crawling around in.