Ynglet Review

Review code provided with many thanks to Future Friends PR

Chill Time

Games are not just for high scores, deep stories and trying to become number one in the latest multiplayer. Sometimes you just want to switch off and enjoy a relaxing experience with some good music. Ynglet is one of those games that feels designed to soothe your soul and be the video game equivalent of a nice hot bath with some chill music going on in the background. Word of caution: do not play video games in the bath. Gameboys and bathwater don’t tend to make the best combination… Not that I would know anything about that.

LadiesGamers Ynglet — I’ll just relax here under the rainbow

Swimming Around

Ynglet is a casual game where you play as a jellyfish-looking creature. The point of the game is to swim through levels looking for collectables before looking for the exit. The game describes itself as a platformer with no platforms. What this translates to is a top-down experience where you try to move from platform to platform without falling into the abyss below. But don’t worry if you do. This is a game that is very much designed to limit any typical gamer frustration. If you hold a position on a platform for a few moments a line draws around the platform creating a checkpoint. So if you do fall you instantly spawn back at this spot with no loading times. You can do this as many times as you see fit.

The game essentially puts the difficulty in your hands. Finding things too easy, maybe don’t use the checkpoint system? As well as this, the game also offers three difficulty modes with the harder ones altering the position of the platforms and just adding more challenges. On all settings, you can use accessibility features that let you tweak gravity and the control you have over your character. Whatever way you decide to enjoy the game the entire experience is available to you.

Use a Gamepad

The controls are simple. The game does recommend using a gamepad so I played through the experience with an Xbox One controller. Movement is smooth and simple and you press a button to boost which is used to reach those distant platforms. You soon find it’s about using the boost at the right time. Boost off an orange platform and bounce off it. Blue platforms you bounce off by not boosting but if you boost into them you push through.

The game never introduces any overly complicated mechanics. There are also little bars you can enter which have your character ride across a rail like a train, letting you have a moment to sit back and enjoy the artwork. The main challenge is hunting down the collectables. If you do somehow get lost the game usually displays a distant orange pulse in the corner of the screen indicating where you need to head next.

Hand Drawn Bloom

Ynglet strongest features are its music and art style. A beautiful hand-drawn game where the character you play, the platforms and some of the other random swimming creatures you encounter are drawn with a simple art style which blooms with colour as you explore. When you acquire a collectable or finish a level you are rewarded with a firework display of colours.

The animations from your character and the random creatures really bring the simple world alive. Often it’s black drawings on a white background but sometimes the colour scheme is flipped. As you swim around you are treated to a lovely relaxing score which adjusts itself as you move around the level and collect things. I had moments where I just let the music play and enjoyed a moment of peace and tranquillity.

A Short Pretty Experience

I was enjoying myself swimming from level to level when after around three hours the game just kinda ended. It’s certainly a short and sweet experience. The incentive to replay is to return to collect anything you’ve missed but the game does also offer some bonus levels to dive into.

Though you may just want to pop back in for another round just to enjoy the soundtrack. Should you want to try it before you buy, there is a free prologue demo of the game available to download.

Conclusion – A Moment of Meditation

Ynglet is an ideal game to pick up if you’re looking for a relaxing gaming experience, with a beautiful soothing soundtrack and striking art style. If you’re looking for that good Zen gaming experience after a hard day’s work or you just need to dial down those stress levels for a bit, Ynglet is a gaming meditation session worth playing.

Final Verdict: I Like It a Lot