Kalimba

Kalimba is relatively short if you're looking to just rattle through the story mode – I got through the it in a couple of hours – but the longevity comes from the repetition and the desire for that perfect run. I am now going back through the levels trying to get gold on all of them and make my totem pole glorious.

Kalimba - in a lot of ways - is a throwback of sorts. It can be completed in a few short sittings, has an unrelenting difficulty level and features wonderful 2D art. However, the game also manages to put players in gaming situations they have never been in before. It's a surprisingly fresh experience that can be incredibly rewarding and despite it being seemingly impossible at times, players who love a sizable - but fair - challenge will find a lot to love within Kalimba.

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Developed by Press Play and best known for their hit Max: The Curse of The Brotherhood, Kalimba quietly made an appearance on the Xbox One store on December 17th without much fanfare. Previously known as Project Totem, this puzzle platformer game offers players a fresh new take on the traditional platformer. With head scratching puzzles to solve, twitchy and challenging gameplay, and a difficulty level that rivals some of the best in the genre, Kalimba will initially be discouraging but it is a game that should definitely have your attention.

A bold and smart Xbox One indie platformer, Kalimba takes a simple and clever idea, transforming it into something that's equal parts tough and rewarding. Totem-ally worth a look.

Much as it might take close examination to appreciate the amazing craftsmanship of a totem pole, the plain presentation of Kalimba shouldn't turn you away from the originality and fun harnessed locked within this puzzle-platformer. Save for a few puzzles that lose luster due to unintuitive and touchy physics, I mostly enjoyed testing both my platforming timing and my problem-solving skills with Kalimba's brain-busters.

Press Play brings us a clever puzzle platformer with Kalimba but it may be more frustrating than it needs to be.