Gold-Plated Games

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Refunct is a game about jumping on things. Set in a seemingly endless expanse of calm ocean, you hop around blocks and pillars protruding from the water. Landing on a block changes it from white to earth and grass hues, restoring color to the world as you scramble about looking for buttons to produce more landscape.

If that was it, there wouldn’t be much reason to play Refunct. However, there’s an impressive level of artistry at work beneath the simplistic surface. As you play the game introduces you to additional mobility options in a very natural way, ditching tutorials in favor of intelligently designed challenges that help you uncover new techniques yourself. Exploring these options will also lead you to collectible cubes hidden around the map, and another side of the world that is haunting in its beauty.

That gets to the heart of Refunct’s appeal, because the atmosphere in the game is unexpectedly rich. The minimalist landscape is cold and stark, but grows steadily more inviting both as you fill in color and as the sun rises over the ocean. You’ll see the shadows grow short and the colors become crisp, along with the soundtrack reaching an uplifting swell. Details like this make the game an engrossing joy to play, and though the end comes in about 20-30 minutes it is so charming you can’t help but love it. Refunct is an absolute pleasure to play, from tight controls to gorgeous presentation, that I can recommend it to anyone without reservation.