Skully Reviews
The graphics are a lot more polished than in the demo and there is a really good variety in gameplay mechanics. The jumping and chase sequences can definitely be aggravating, but the charming aesthetic and hilarious banter between the siblings will have you coming back for more.
A beautiful, hilarious and all-around cute platformer/roller, Skully is deserving of the praise. The difficulty can ebb and flow at times, but don’t let that put you off.
Despite the frustration and anger which Skully built up within me, this challenging puzzle-platformer is very addictive and one of the most visually stunning indies I’ve played this year. Utilising three different clay-based Forms to solve the multitude of environment-based puzzles was fun and tricky at times, often requiring you to combine their various abilities to come up with a solution. The game is quite brutal and unforgiving, especially if you’re going for the platinum, but as long as you have enough patience and perseverance, you’ll make it through to the final cutscene. It has a few flaws and questionable choices, but the journey is worth it in the end.
Skully rolls at its own pace. Which can include some sharp difficulty spikes and lead to some rather frustrating levels. But there’s an undeniable sense of old-school mascot fun to be had here in an adventure that doesn’t overstay its welcome.
Skully offers a varied and entertaining alternative to platform and skill games, adding a touch of humour and a lot of difficulty. The summoning system provides new playable mechanics but ends up cutting the pace of the game a bit, even though we'll enjoy it just the same. For people with a lot of skill and infinite patience.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
For all of its frustration and foibles, Skully's traversal and puzzles make-up the most interesting parts of the game to keep you invested. With a story that manages to actually hit emotionally, it balances out the missteps of the platforming. The collectibles are rather unexciting and the color palette of earth tones lends itself to looking bland, but it'll surprise you. Much like the character, Skully is unassuming and meek, and will fill you with wonder throughout.
Simply put, if Skully featured a lot more fine-tuning and forgivable gameplay then it would have been a must-play 3D platformer.
Skully is a title with interesting ideas and a lot of implementation. You will have great moments during the game, but unfortunately sometimes you will also get angry.
Review in Persian | Read full review
Skully has its heart in the right place but can't quite execute things correctly. The movement is zippy when you're in ball form, but you're not going to find too many things to challenge you. The puzzle mechanics are good, but you won't have to think too hard about your next move. It's a fine experience that's not too enthralling due to its unevenness, so it's difficult to stick it out to the end.
If you are really, really into platformer genre and have enough patience, Skully may be a good choice for you. But even then, the 30$ asking price seems too much for the amount of content Skully is offering.
Review in Persian | Read full review
Instead, you are presented with jumps that require ultimate precision and obstacles with errors in collision detection which force you to adopt a slow and careful approach. With more attention to details and some more polishing Skully could have been an entertaining experience. Unfortunately, it just proves to be a modest attempt to make a cute platformer.
Skully is a platformer game that could be great, but unfortunately, due to some technical problems and infuriating issues, it is, at best, a mediocre game. Some problems, especially those related to the control system, can and should be fixed as soon as possible. The game may be a little boring at some parts, but some intelligent puzzles make parts of Skully enjoyable. I couldn’t recommend it at its current state, but I am sure that it can get much better after some updates and fixes.
Review in Persian | Read full review
Curious skull in a war between the deity's three siblings offers entertaining gameplay.
Review in Slovak | Read full review
Disappointing, but with a glimmer of hope down the line for a better iteration.
It’ll take a lot of patience to enjoy this one, even if you are a seasoned fan of 3D platformers.
A platforming game at its heart, Skully is brought to life with beautiful visuals and a unique character system. Its puzzles will, at times, have you scratching your head, and some platforming sections will really test your mettle. In fact, it perhaps verges on being overly frustrating on occasion, but overcoming an obstacle and making it to the next checkpoint is genuinely rewarding. Ultimately, there’s little else like Skully out there, so if you’re a fan of 3D platforming with a smattering of puzzle solving, it likely won’t disappoint.
The camera is frustrating, but the twitch rolling and platforming mixed with the increasingly devious puzzles makes for a good gameplay combo. Even though the Switch version's visuals are a little rough, which doesn't play nicely with the overall visual blandness of the levels, the style of the character designs is appealing. Underneath Skully is a lot of charm, but enough issues pile up that pull it back into the mud.
Despite the flaws it might have, Skully is still a very competent puzzler, and that should be enough to convince you to play it.
Personally, as mentioned, my interest in this game came to a screeching halt but I still appreciate what it is and I have no doubt that those who don't mind platform hopping will enjoy it. If that's your thing then certainly consider giving it a go. If like me the term parkour causes an instant eye roll and sigh then I'd suggest giving this a miss.
Couple this with some excellent vistas, cool level design ideas and a charming cast of characters, it's no wonder Skully has sucked me into its magical, muddy world.