Unravel Reviews

Unravel is ranked in the 67th percentile of games scored on OpenCritic.
Daniel Krupa
Top Critic
8.3 / 10.0
Feb 8, 2016

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.

Read full review

PC Gamer
Top Critic
70 / 100
Feb 13, 2016

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

Read full review

No Recommendation / Blank
Feb 8, 2016

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

Read full review

7 / 10
Feb 8, 2016

An astoundingly beautiful puzzle platformer, that's a little too frustrating in practice but far from the twee family game some may mistake it for.

Read full review

Feb 8, 2016

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.

Read full review

7.8 / 10.0
Feb 8, 2016

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

Read full review

7 / 10
Feb 8, 2016

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.

Read full review

Polygon
Top Critic
6 / 10.0
Feb 8, 2016

Frustration tangles up Unravel's better ideas

Read full review

Unscored
Feb 8, 2016

For all its various shortcomings it remains memorable. A loving, personal game.

Read full review

USgamer
Top Critic
Feb 8, 2016

Unravel is a solid (if flawed) puzzle platformer wrapped up in beautiful visuals and emotional moments. It's like a Christmas sweater. It's not perfect, but you're compelled to love it just the same.

Read full review

10 / 10.0
Feb 8, 2016

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.

Read full review

Feb 9, 2016

The iffy puzzles and tedious backtracking in Unravel sadly cannot be fixed by switching to an easy mode as the game doesn't offer any kind of "just play the story" mode. That's a shame since the world and likability of the lead hero make the kind of adventure I love to get lost in. The price of $19.99 is fair for a campaign that lasts just under seven hours and, if you want to get all the collectibles, can probably go up to ten. I'm not giving up on Unravel, though. I think with better controls, fairer puzzles, and more leniency with the string allotment, Unravel 2: Enter the House Cat could be a real winner.

Read full review

8 / 10
Feb 7, 2016

In many ways, Unravel comes as a surprise. For one, EA isn't exactly your go-to publisher when it comes to smaller, riskier projects such as this. Then there's the developer, ColdWood Interactive, itself. Based in Umeå, Sweden – which explains a lot about Unravel's artistic influences – the team has worked on titles such as PlayStation Move Fitness and The Fight which, although serviceable, haven't bag them many accolades.

Read full review

7 / 10
Feb 8, 2016

Unravel strengths lie more in its heart-warming story than offering compelling gameplay. Even though there are some thought-provoking puzzles, they're few and far between. There's no doubt Yarny is quite the adorable little mascot who has good intentions, but a video game can't succeed on good intentions alone.

Read full review

8 / 10.0
Jun 19, 2018

Unravel Two is still an experience worth playing. The introduction of cooperative does not hurt the solo experience and the challenge levels give an idea of how far the seemingly simple mechanics of the Yarnys can go.

Review in Spanish | Read full review

Unscored
Feb 8, 2016

Unravel wastes little time and offers a lot of satisfaction. Buy it.

Read full review

8 / 10.0
Feb 9, 2016

Unravel is a romantic and funny platform game in which emotions and beauty are tied tight with simplicity.

Review in Italian | Read full review

Feb 8, 2016

Unravel is an endlessly surprising game in so many ways that it's tough to pinpoint exactly what makes it all work so well. It feels like the game equivalent to your favorite art house movie, where it speaks a message that is both universal, and yet completely personal to you. Even beyond the artistic, the game functions well on a technical level, delivering both great graphics and fantastic music, while also hitting on some great gameplay. Trial and error deaths get in the way, and some puzzles might frustrate, but overall Unravel is a triumphant experience from start to finish.

Read full review

5.5 / 10.0
Feb 8, 2016

Unravel can deliver some picturesque desktop wallpaper, but when in motion, this 2D platformer becomes a frustrating puzzler that expects you to know more than you've been taught.

Read full review

VideoGamer
Top Critic
Unscored
Feb 4, 2016

You'll want to love Unravel even before you've made it beyond the level hub.

Read full review