Knytt Underground

Nicklas Nygren’s games are always worth playing but perhaps his most accomplished work has been his fabulous Knytt series. Back in 2008, I urged Sony to bring Knytt Stories to PSN and finally, unbelievably, a new Knytt game has popped up on PS3, Vita and PC – and it’s wonderful.

Knytt Underground is split into three chapters, with the first two introducing the player to the various play mechanics, while the third chapter throws everything together to create yet another spellbinding adventure.

Nicklas – or Nifflas as he's better known - has taken elements from his previous Knytt games and fused them with another of his celebrated works, Within A Deep Forest, to create a brilliant and superbly thought out game where exploration takes centre stage.

What makes Nifflas’ games so memorable is the wonderful environmental sound effects, which blend with the simple visuals to create a sublime atmosphere. Knytt Underground continues this theme with a host of aural delights. From gentle acoustic guitars playing over rustling leaves in the wind, to minimalist electronica, it's all here and it sounds quite incredible through headphones.

If you want to check the game out, you can download a demo (Windows, OS x and Linux) from the Nifflas’ Games website, or grab the digital download from the PlayStation Network.

Knytt Stories - PC

The very talented Nicklas Nygren (aka Nifflas) has created some truly memorable games in his time, but the pinnacle of his achievements (so far) is the wonderful - and completely free - Knytt Stories. Knytt Stories, like all of Nifflas' games, is spellbinding and it's obvious within minutes of playing that a lot of love has been poured into this beautiful title.




The game takes the form of a simple platformer, but calling it merely that would be doing the game a huge disservice. While it is true that your character performs standard platform moves and learns new abilities by collecting orbs scattered throughout the levels, the game is there to be savoured, not rushed through. You see, the real beauty of Knytt Stories is in the remarkable and beautiful atmosphere it evokes.

From soothing acoustic strings and the gentle sound of falling water to chilled-out electronic soundscapes, each new area drips with ethereal ambience, which fits in perfectly with the game's simple, but aesthetically pleasing, graphical style. It's an absolute joy to play through and hours will be spent exploring new areas.




With games such as Everyday Shooter garnering praise across the gaming community - and it is an excellent game - Knytt Stories seems to have been left behind for some inexplicable reason. The game is crying out for someone like Sony to pick it up and distribute it via thePlayStation store.

Come on Sony, make it happen!