Trine (2009)

Trine is a charming and visually enchanting puzzle-platformer that blends side-scrolling action with clever physics-based challenges. Set in a beautifully rendered fantasy world (which we are never told the name), the game features three distinct characters, a knight, a thief, and a wizard, each with unique abilities that players must switch between to solve puzzles and navigate obstacles. The game's strongest points are its vibrant art style, atmospheric music, and the satisfying interplay of character skills.

The physics engine allows for creative problem-solving, though sometimes the controls and hit detection can feel imprecise, especially in combat. I highly recommend playing this with a friend in coop, even if remotely (Steam Remote Play, Parsec, etc) unfortunately this was not the case for me, although it is still a very enjoyable experience if played alone. Overall, Trine delivers a magical and engaging experience, particularly in co-op play, and laid the foundation for a successful indie franchise, which build upon it's foundations to create much better games along the years.

One aspect where this game truly shines is in how it encourages experimentation rather than enforcing a single “correct” solution. Many puzzles can be approached in multiple ways depending on how creatively the player uses each character’s abilities, whether stacking objects with the wizard, grappling across gaps with the thief, or brute-forcing solutions with the knight’s shield and strength. This open-ended design gives the game a playful, almost toy-like quality, where trial and error feels rewarding instead of punishing, and clever improvisation is often the most satisfying path forward.

Now, for some of its flaws, combat tends to be the weakest element, often feeling repetitive and less thoughtfully designed than the puzzles themselves, with enemies serving more as obstacles than engaging encounters. Occasional difficulty spikes and minor technical frustrations can disrupt the otherwise smooth pacing. Still, these issues do little to diminish the overall charm of the experience. As a debut title, the very first Trine stands as a memorable and inventive puzzle-platformer, whose imagination and artistic confidence outweigh its shortcomings and make it well worth revisiting, even years after its release.

Today we sat with my girlfriend for a gaming session with Trine 5 and it turned out that we were only missing the final boss, which we beat in a few minutes, so we decided to start with Trine Enhanced Edition.

As I said in my review for Trine 5, the game's formula didn't evolve that much. But still, going from the last one of the series to the first one shows all the things that did change. I believe that originally the game didn't have co-op and it shows. All platforming sections can be solved with one character. Not only that, but they seem to be solvable by any character --probably because when one character dies, they are not playable any more.

Trine is a surprisingly good indie game with some unique features. It’s a simple game with a standard story, three heroes who must save the kingdom by traveling to an evil tower. You play as a knight, suitable for melee, a wizard who can conjure stuff and a thief who can climb with her grappling hook and shoot arrows. The game is focused on progressing through the levels, solving puzzles and kill enemies.

Each character has their own abilities and using them at the right time, depending on the situation is a necessity. The game runs heavily on physics meaning almost anything can be moved or thrown. The physics work quiet well most of the time and do not glitch out, besides for some enemies who get stuck with their legs on platforms.

The graphics are quite nice, especially in the enhanced version of the game. The backgrounds are nice and colorful. The music is atmospheric and gives the feeling you are playing a medieval fantasy game.

The game play mechanics in Trine, such as the conjuring of your own boxes, bridges and platforms is a nice and unique concept and works pretty well. When facing an obstacle, the wizard is a reliable ally who can make a bridge over a hole or summon a box to make the jump. The good thing is, that when a character dies, you can still play with the other two. The levels are designed in a way that you can always progress further with any of the three characters if that one is the only one left before the next checkpoint.

My only complaint is the jump mechanics. They just do whatever they want. One moment you grab on to the ledge, the other moment the character does not even try and falls in the pit. Sometimes your jump goes smooth and straight forward, the other moment it is delayed, and you jump just 10 centimeters forward. It just feels stiff and broken. But nothing an extra platform from the wizard cannot fix.

I enjoyed Trine and for the price, would definitely recommend it.