Unravel Reviews

Tom Orry

Videogamer

June 5, 2021

7/10

Unravel is thoroughly enjoyable, lovely game, but it falls short of being something to be truly cherished.

Chris Bowring

Game Skinny

July 8, 2016

7/10

Unravel tries desperately to create an emotional and impactful indie experience, however it's confusing narrative and irritating puzzles hold it back from greatness.

Ben

GameSpew

March 3, 2016

10/10

I spent a very long time trying to come up with a reason to mark Unravel down as a game but I just… can’t! Really, I can’t think of one negative thing to say about it. From the visuals to the audio, the smooth and responsive gameplay (and lack of glitches) to the touching story/message; there is nothing wrong with this game. Honestly, if you even slightly enjoy puzzle or platformer games, even slightly, buy Unravel. Do it.

A.J. Maciejewski

Video Chums

February 20, 2016

8.9/10

It's rare for a modern 2D platformer to be as memorable as Unravel. The incredible amount of imagination put in to craft every moment makes it quite a special experience, but does it live up to its undeniably unique premise?

Graham Banas

Push Square

February 15, 2016

7/10

Pretty much from the moment that Coldwood Interactive's creative director, Martin Sahlin, took to the stage during EA's E3 2015 press conference, we had a good feeling about Unravel. Sure, Sahlin was very visibly nervous, but it was in an endearing way, and if anything, made our early impressions of the game even more positive. And that's not even mentioning the fact that Sahlin had his very own Yarny – the character that you control in the game – with him while presenting. Several months on from that, the title has finally released, and we get to see if the...

Emma Quinlan

Stuff

February 10, 2016

Apparently writing the word ‘cute’ one thousand times doesn’t count as a review, which is a shame, given just how adorable the protagonist of Unravel is.

Robert Grosso

TechRaptor

February 9, 2016

8/10

A simple, emotional journey that is also simple to play, Unravel works at endearing you despite the mundane mechanics behind the journey.

Joe Jasko

Den of Geek

February 8, 2016

Unravel is a puzzle-platformer stitched together with a lot of love. Here is our review!

David Jenkins

Metro GameCentral

February 8, 2016

7/10

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.

Caitlin Cooke

Destructoid

February 8, 2016

10/10

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.

Anthony Taormina

Game Rant

February 8, 2016

9/10

Visually stunning, endlessly creative, and wholly affecting, Unravel is a propulsive journey with a clear destination. It wants to delight, entertain, and challenge the player, and it succeeds way more often than it fails. If you buy into the world that Coldwood Interactive has created, Yarny’s adventures will likely stick with you for a long time to come.

Daniel Perez

ShackNews

February 8, 2016

7/10

Unravel's 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.

Jim Hargreaves

TheSixthAxis

February 8, 2016

Unscored

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.

Daniel Krupa

IGN

February 8, 2016

8.3/10

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.

Kyle Hanson

Attack of the Fanboy

February 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.

Jeff Marchiafava

Game Informer

February 8, 2016

7.8/10

Yarn-based characters have been a surprising trend in recent years, thanks to playful platformers like Kirby's Epic Yarn and Yoshi's Woolly World. While Nintendo's crocheted protagonists and the worlds they inhabit are brimming with unbridled joy, Unravel strikes a bittersweet tone. With little more than a silent protagonist, a grand orchestral score, and a few excerpts of exposition, Unravel delivers style and soul, even if the puzzle mechanics are threadbare.