Unravel

Watch on YouTube Of all the games I've played in the past two years, Unravel is the one that gave me the strongest emotional feelings -- of joy and sadness. The music, beautiful environments, and charming protagonist made this an absolute joy to play.

Unravel has you controlling an anthropomorphic ball of yarn -- Yarny -- as he explores a series of memories in the form of a family's pictures in their home. From the cheerful starting levels in the garden and at the beach, through the more treacherous mountains, and through the history of an industrial takeover and chemical spill, the stories unfold without words, tearing at heartstrings with nothing more than brief snippets of pictures.

The music is soulful and powerful; and the environments are beautifully crafted.

On top of the beautiful sights and sounds, the gameplay is engaging: providing puzzles you must solve, using Yarny's tail to rappel down cliffs, swing from treet to tree, and hang from the bottom of a kite. Using environmental features to dodge attacks from crows, turning on powerful excavators to clear a path, and using logs to push debris out of the way, all play a role as well.

The puzzle-solving aspects of Unravel are well done, and even without the beautiful environments would make an engaging game. Combining this with the lovely worlds in which Yarny is placed is just icing on the cake of a fun game to play.

Unfortunately, on PC the game is only available through Origin, but if you're willing to use it, it's a great purchase, and one I highly recommend.