Yesterday, EA Inc. and Coldwood Interactive launched Unravel™ via digital download on Origin™ for PC, Xbox One®, and PlayStation®4. Unravel is a new physics-based puzzle platformer centered around a tiny, endearing character named Yarny.
“I wanted to make something more personal, something with more impact. The game didn’t have to change the world, or even try, but it had to be genuine, it had to have a deeper meaning. It had to have heart,” explained Martin Sahlin, Creative Director at Coldwood.
Yarny begins tethered to something important at the start of the game and goes on an adventure riddled with challenges, attempting to make it to the end without unraveling. Some challenges are simple, like using Yarny’s thread to swing across a gap, or rappel down a tree. But others are more complex, and players will need to use Yarny’s thread in clever and creative ways to find the path forward. Along the way, players will unlock a heartfelt story about love and longing, and the ties that bind, with Yarny as the red thread that runs through it all.
Unravel’s stunning environments are inspired by the nature of northern Sweden, where the game was created. The visuals showcase the beauty in the ordinary – getting down on Yarny’s eye level helps immerse players in the splendor of even the most common things.
The environment is more than simply a backdrop though, there are clues and hints about the story entrenched throughout, for the player to uncover on their journey. In addition to the landscape, players will experience the game’s emotion and story come to life through the original music score. Unravel’s story is told in very few words so music plays a critical role in setting the atmosphere. Composed entirely by local Swedish musicians, Unravel’s soundtrack is inspired by local folk music and traditional instruments and beautifully captures the tone of the game’s environments.
What makes Yarny’s journey and Unravel’s story unique, is that it isn’t there to be told – it’s there to be discovered. This allows for a more personal player journey and a deeper connection instilled throughout the game, because ultimately Unravel is all about connection – physical and emotional. Unravel is a story of love and mending broken bonds; a story of courage and persistence made only more vivid through the perspective of Yarny’s small size in a sometimes big and overwhelming world.
Available worldwide Unravel was developed in Umeå, Sweden by Coldwood Interactive and is available as a digital download for $19.99 in North America. EA Access and Origin Access members can save 10% when they buy the digital version of Unravel on Xbox One and Origin, respectively. This title has been rated E for everyone by the ESRB.