The King's Bird
A precision-platformer with momentum-based gliding in a silhouette world.
The King's Bird is a platform game from American developer Serenity Forge and Canadian publisher Graffiti Games. It launched on Windows in August 2018 and was shown at PAX East 2018 and the E3 Media Indie Exchange. The game focuses on momentum-based movement, letting players dash and glide through silhouette-filled levels that grow harder over time. Its look is minimalist and artistic, using bright colors, and its design draws from precision-platformers like Dustforce, Super Meat Boy, and N+.
Reviews were generally positive, earning a 67 on Metacritic for PC and 66 for Switch. GameSpot's Tom McShea gave it a 5/10, praising the freedom in movement but noting that later stages become too difficult, making the fun fade. Twinfinite's Andrew McMahon scored it 3.5/5, also criticizing the later levels for requiring pinpoint accuracy, while lauding the aesthetic as feeling like floating through a real-life painting. IGN Spain's Inés Barriocanal gave it a 7.5/10, highlighting its beautiful, vibrant environments and celestial music, though controls sometimes lacked precision. Hardcore Gamer's Jordan Helm rated it 3.5/5, noting sparse storytelling but praising the challenge and physics integration, calling it a satisfying precision-platformer. TrueAchievements' Mark Delaney included it in his list of favorite indie games at PAX West 2018, calling it a perfect fit for speedrunners seeking perfection. The Switch, PS4, and Xbox One versions were nominated for the Central Park Children's Zoo Award for Best Kids Game at the 9th Annual New York Game Awards.
Quick Facts
- Title
- The King's Bird
- Developer
- Serenity Forge
- Publisher
- Graffiti Games
- Engine
- Unity
- Platforms
- Windows · Nintendo Switch · PlayStation 4 · Xbox One
- Released
- Windows / August 23, 2018 / Switch, PS4, Xbox One / February 12, 2019
- Genre
- Platform
- Italic Title
- yes
- Modes
- Single-player
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The King's Bird emphasizes momentum-based movement, requiring players to dash and glide through challenges in a world of silhouettes. Levels become increasingly challenging as they progress. The game's aesthetic is minimalist and artistic, featuring bright colors. Its gameplay is inspired by other precision-platformer games, including Dustforce, Super Meat Boy, and N+.
The game received generally positive reviews, with an average score of 67 on Metacritic for the PC version and 66 for the Switch version. Critics praised the sense of freedom in movement and the visual presentation, but many noted excessive difficulty in later levels, with some citing a need for pinpoint accuracy and occasionally imprecise controls. The game was also noted as a good fit for speedrunners.
The Switch, PS4, and Xbox One versions were nominated for the Central Park Children's Zoo Award for Best Kids Game at the 9th Annual New York Game Awards.
Reader's Guide
The King's Bird occupies a niche within the precision-platformer genre, drawing comparisons to Dustforce, Super Meat Boy, and N+. Its reception was generally positive but mixed, with a Metacritic average of 67 on PC and 66 on Switch. Critics consistently highlighted the game's strong aesthetic—described as a vibrant, real-life painting with celestial music—and the liberating feel of its momentum-based movement. However, the difficulty curve drew criticism: Tom McShea of GameSpot noted that as walls close in, the fun dissipates, while Twinfinite's Andrew McMahon and IGN Spain's Inés Barriocanal pointed to the need for pinpoint accuracy and occasionally imprecise controls. Hardcore Gamer's Jordan Helm acknowledged sparse storytelling but praised the challenge and physics integration. The game was also recognized as a strong candidate for speedrunners, as noted by TrueAchievements' Mark Delaney. Its nomination for the Central Park Children's Zoo Award for Best Kids Game at the 9th Annual New York Game Awards indicates a perceived appeal to younger audiences, despite its demanding later levels.
Did You Know?
- The King's Bird was presented at PAX East 2018 and the E3 Media Indie Exchange.
- The game received a 5/10 from GameSpot, which praised its sense of freedom but criticized later levels.
- TrueAchievements' Mark Delaney called it a perfect fit for speedrunners who like to achieve perfection.
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