Unravel Two (2018)

This is a fun little game. I didn’t play the first game, so I don’t know how it compares, but I didn’t feel like I was missing out.

With a run time of just a few hours, it doesn’t overstay its welcome, and it’s unique take on platforming carries it through the whole game.

Even still, it did get a little repetitive at times. Some puzzles were really cool, but others were just more of the same.

I didn’t really get what was going on with the story, and the ending was a bit anti-climactic.

I wouldn’t pay full price, but if you can get this on sale, it’s a solid title for a weekend play.

Unravel Two remains one of the more considerate co-op designs of recent years. Truly good cooperative games are rare—especially those that do not assume both players have identical skill levels. The core mechanic of being physically connected works well, but the real strength lies in the ability to carry the other character when necessary. If one player struggles, the other can step in without breaking the flow. That design choice makes it genuinely accessible.

I played it together with my girlfriend, and it created a balanced, enjoyable experience for both of us. Helping each other felt natural rather than forced, and that made the cooperative element meaningful rather than superficial.

That said, the landscape has changed. Games like It Takes Two and Split Fiction operate on a different level in terms of mechanical creativity and variety. Compared to those, Unravel Two feels more restrained.

There were also technical limitations on the Switch. The detailed environmental design occasionally strained the hardware, and performance dips were noticeable. Visually, the realistic backdrops and the yarn characters did not always blend seamlessly.

Overall, I had a very good time with it, and the core idea is strong. However, if asked today for a co-op recommendation, I would point first to It Takes Two or Split Fiction. Unravel Two would follow as a solid third option for those who want more after finishing the others.

This year my wife and I were looking for another coop experience and Unravel Two was something she and a friend had started playing together. Eventually I started playing with her as well and now we've passed her original progress. The game itself is fairly pretty and it has some good platforming and puzzle solving. The game can be frustrating at times especially if you don't play it for spans of time. The one core mechanic often dominates a level and sets the tone which means that when you go weeks between sessions it can be a bit jarring to get back into things.

Now for a quick list of positives.

-Engaging Coop that actually feels like it was meant to be there. -Beautiful backdrops in this 3D side scroller. -Extra content and good challenges both as a platformer and as a puzzle or problem solving game.

Negatives

-Perspective can be a bit wonky or jarring especially with two people playing. -The story is very bare bones and at times hard to follow (not super important in my opinion when gameplay is good)

In short if you are looking for a great game to play couch coop definitely consider Unravel Two.

I didn’t like this one as much as the first one. I played it solo and found the co-op focused mechanics less fun than those of the original. Also, the difficulty ramps up but not in a fun way. The controls are a bit wonky too.

Still, it has style and when you get in the groove it can be very fun. The last level is very fun because you get double jump. They should have brought that in much earlier!

CO-OP PUZZLE-PLATFORMER - Two Yarnys navigate through seven unique levels that test their ability to work together.

PROS:

++ Environments. My GF and I thought it looked quite beautiful.

++ Accessible for beginners. The hints for puzzles are quite helpful, the better player can "piggyback" the struggling player to carry them past problematic areas. And oftentimes, only one player was required to overcome an obstacle in order to move forward. Checkpoints were also very gracious.

++ Decent platforming. The platforming itself, though basic, felt pretty good. Swinging worked well and I had no issues with how the Yarnys moved and jumped.

CONS:

-- Vague story. It was too vague to have an impact on me. It seemed to be about two kids running away from people, but that's about all that I was able to gather from its narrative. I wish it gave more details and a better resolution too.

-- Too easy for me. It was a decently challenging experience for my GF, but for me it was just way too easy. Maybe that was the intention, but I personally breezed through all the platforming sections and only 2 of the puzzles stumped me for a bit.

-- Hard to see the Yarnys. Small gripe but at times it was hard to see them since the camera was so far out and they often blended into the environment.

I almost never play multiplayer, but every now and then I’m up for some couch co-op. I had Unravel Two on my list to play with my niece for a while and we finally got a chance to do it recently. I was expecting something nice and relaxing, which I got, but I didn’t expect such quality from a game that, for all intents and purposes, remains largely left out of most quality couch co-op recommendations, at least from what I’ve seen. The game looks amazing (we loved going through all scenarios) and plays even better. The visuals and soundtrack are stunning, and they kind of drop you into this meditative, almost hypnotic space where you start to feel zoned in and just flow through the challenges, especially a couple hours in. Everything is polished and fluid, and pretty much all mechanics are a joy to use - especially the swinging. The puzzles, whilst not necessarily head scratchers, still offer enough challenge for it to be fun, and we actually had a bit of trouble figuring out a couple of them. The platforming can be difficult at times, but the level design and mechanics are so incredibly polished that it never feels unfair. Overall, I’d say it’s a perfect balance between challenge and enjoyment especially if you’re playing with a child. And speaking of children, the game also incorporates this awesome mechanic where you can hop on your partner’s back if a particular section proves too difficult, which was a great plus on our playthrough. But actual cooperation is where Unravel Two truly shines: you often have to help each other out to progress, and the variety of scenarios you’re presented with in these situations is quite decent throughout the entire game. There aren’t really that many downsides I can think of. Maybe that the game seems to end somewhat abruptly, and that the underlying story, although endearing, may feel a bit too vague. However, just like the two Yarnys ‘bond’ with each other from the start, I think the main goal here is to form a bond between players, so I’d argue it wouldn’t need much of a story anyway. And to be honest this would be nitpicking in an otherwise great package.

Unravel Two is definitely one of the most satisfying platformers I’ve played in recent times. It was the last game I played this year - which was by far my most prolific gaming year ever -, and I couldn’t have asked for a more relaxing and enjoyable wrap-up. My niece wanted to replay it immediately after we had finished, which we did. That’s how much we both enjoyed it. If you’re on Game Pass and enjoy platformers, this is an absolute no-brainer. A very fun way to spend 5 to 6 hours of your time. 8/10.

Tight: The yarny's cheer.

Loose: Confusing, uninteresting plot.

Unravel Two is a 2D puzzle-platformer in which you take the role of a couple of tiny yarn-people (yarnys) who run around doing stuff. What exactly is hard to tell because the game tells it's story only through ghostly vignettes in the background. But even if the plot specifics are left murky, the emotions associated with them are crystal clear. Gameplay, visuals, music and sound design all combine to effectively convey everything you need to know about what you are doing.

The tho main characters use their yarn as grappling hooks to swing around, rappel up and down cliffs, and tie them between places to make bridges. Since they are bound by the same thread, they can't be too far apart and must work together to circumvent obstacles (Two Brothers style). Puzzles can be solved by one character doing something and then waiting while the other does something else. This makes them solvable by one person, but I don't know if it translates well to multiplayer.

Each level mirrors the mood and raw emotions of the story. An mysterious burrow starts to unfurl the journey, an idyllic forest shows the peace and freedom soon to be threatened, a hellish munitions factory sets the stakes and a gushing river celebrates new-found abilities. They are also incredibly well crafted; backtracking from a missed jump always leads to interesting places of the map and makes use of the characters abilities. The healthy mix of slow puzzles and quick platforming keeps things fresh. Challenges are reasonably paced and strike a perfect balance between joy and frustration: the difficulty spikes can be smoothed out by a hint system and a slow motion mode, but obstacles are still meaningful, as evidenced by the two characters performing an adorable celebration after overcoming them.

Unravel Two removes all the filler and crafts a short but tight experience. If it leaves you wanting more --and it will--, you can extend your play with challenge areas and speed records, but their purely mechanical nature is a disappointment after such an emotionally rich main story. Better to bask in the delightful felling of unity and love as the credits roll.