TUNIC

I have had this game on my wishlist for SO LONG, and now that I've finally tried it... to be honest I could not be more disappointed. Given the look and feel of this game, I was expecting gameplay that was somewhat akin to a Zelda title. WRONG!! This game is Dark Souls dressed up as Zelda. Blasphemous. I HATE Souls-likes, and to be suckered into playing one like this by making it feel similar to one of my favorite games of all time, is both baffling and offensive to me. Clearly this game was inspired by the Zelda titles of the NES and SNES, all the way down to the "instruction booklet" and map looking exactly like they arrived with the cartridge for a classic Zelda title... except in this case with even HIGHER difficulty... and games from the 80's and 90's were already known for their high levels of difficulty! I don't think I would enjoy it as much to go back and replay A Link To The Past again in 2025, but that's exactly what you're doing when you load up Tunic. If you're really into that retro gaming difficulty, then maybe you'll find something to enjoy here. For me though? I have no patience for that anymore.

Apparently the entire point of this game is punishingly difficult combat, so I could not even make it to the first boss without turning on God Mode. I mean how long does it take to actually get a fracking SHIELD in this game?!? I'm expected to pass all these battles with no shield?? Even Zelda gave you a shield right out of the gate. Blocking should be a core combat mechanic! And even then, some enemies like those green spear and shield guys are stupid impossible to beat, because blocking is ineffective. I seriously don't understand how anybody is supposed to be able to get anywhere in the game at all.

I am just sad. I truly LOVE Zelda AND I love foxes... this feels like it should be an easy win!! But this game is simply not fun to play. I think I'm just going to refund it. As I mentioned, there is a cheat mode in the options that allows you to basically skip the combat entirely by making yourself invincible... but that's not quite as enjoyable as I was hoping either since then the game just becomes a scavenger hunt with a lot of button mashing.

For the record, I've NEVER needed cheat codes for any of the Zelda titles I've played. I think the dev was perhaps wanting to play a zelda game with stupidly hard combat, which didn't exist because Zelda has more balanced and accessible combat, and thus Tunic was born. I wanted to like this game, I truly did... but I think I'll have to go re-play a REAL Zelda game instead. This one just doesn't scratch the itch like I was hoping.

I am still a bit curious about the story of this game, and I might want to see more of the puzzles (since I couldn't even find any before being brutally massacred repeatedly by basic enemies) but I may wait until this game is at least 75% off before I feel like it's worth it to try this again. God Mode enabled, of course... I'm no masochist.

The game is a cozy play, combat is mid at best but nothing to get upset about. The puzzle-solving is rewarding and fun. I'm not a super sleuth and can't devote the time to figuring out the puzzles that require you to use a Sonograph to figure it out.

Stumbled on this after hearing it had great exploration and mystery and I was not disappointed. This was nothing short of amazing, and made me experience a sense of discovery and wonder as I progressed through the game that I really don't get to experience often.

Small minus points to combat though, which can feel a bit clunky and slow, but did not particularly detract from my experience with the game.

an excellent zelda-style game to play blind. if you have not learned anything about this game, DON'T, just play the game and learn from within.

Some of the worst soulslike combat that I've ever had the displeasure of experiencing. I would strongly recommend not wasting your time without any accessibility options. You can certainly do it, but it's not worth it. Everything else about this game is great. What a terrible terrible decision.

Great visual and audio design. Irredeemably awful gameplay. Terrible, clunky controls and unintuitive level design. Weird that games made 30 years ago are so much better than this.

Beautiful, breathtakingly awe-inspiring metaphor to Life - you need to go back to move forward!

I played it on Steam Deck Oled and can't recommend it more.

The love-letter of all love-letters and an actual evolution of the top-down Zelda games that inspired it. One of the greats.

I don't think this is a bad game, but I found pretty much every aspect of it to be slightly annoying. Every hidden path I found seemed a result of the isometric camera obscuring a path in a way where I didn't even realize I could go in that direction. Combat felt tedious and repetitive. The manual is a cool idea, but I quickly got bored flipping through the pages for clues. Overall, I stopped having fun after a few hours.

This game does have some interesting ideas but fails on two critical points:
- Fussy enemy locks
- Cryptic progress and character mechanics
- Crash wipes out hours of progress despite checkpoints in between

The last point being entirely unacceptable considering I defeated one of the most difficult bosses and acquired a key item before the crash.

Amazing metroidvania.

The game may appear slow and unresponsive and have an oversimplistic dull combat system at first. But I only had a problem with that on keyboard and mouse, once I switched to gamepad it felt a lot better. Unlike what others said, the combat is fair and perfectly manageable. Combat isn't central anyway.

You don't need to decipher the alphabet to finish everything.

very strange that tunic decides to focus much of its back half on its slow, unresponsive, and overly simplistic combat. this game's at its best when it lets you explore vast areas with hidden, interconnected paths- so why is so much of its runtime taken up with mindless killboxes filled with deliberately irritating & unfair encounters? i really want to like this game, but i can't bring myself to say i do when it's bogged down by an unnecessary focus on its worst elements.

This game ends with what might very well be the greatest puzzle I've ever seen in a video game. Just a masterpiece of game design. It was a god damn love letter to those tiny little instruction booklets that used to come with games back in the day.

The game may be short, but it is one of those games that comes around, you finish it, and you go: "Now THAT was a GAME." In a good way, of course. This game is among the rarest of gems and, while it looks simple on the surface with a lot of parallels to Zelda, it truly is a game unlike any other. If you play through the game and experience the main gimmick (the manual), you'll understand. Do not go into this game with any spoilers, don't search stuff up, this game holds a lot of magic in your ignorance and gradual learning. That's all I can really say without spoiling it. If you really like puzzle games and/or also enjoy fairly entertaining and challenging combat, definitely pick this up.

Tunic starts as a really nice Zelda-like that slowly evolves into this crazy puzzle-adventure game (with a much bigger emphasis on puzzle). It is insane just how much they get out of the in-game manual.

Go into this as blind as possible if you plan to play it.

8/10

This game started as Zelda, then Dark Souls, and then The Witness. Absolutely excellent sense of exploration and is filled with satisfying puzzles along the way (save for a few outlandish ones at endgame). I highly suggest going in blind, as finding the secrets and how the game's mechanics work is part of the experience.

Fantastic puzzle and action game, perhaps the best of the best.
Completed all the fairy puzzles but didn't feel motivated to translate the cryptic language and to solve the golden path.

Amazing game, please play it blind!
If I had to describe this game in one word, I'd be "Clever".
Tunic is a lovely puzzle-adventure game. The puzzles are quite intuitive once you've cracked the code, making them incredibly satisfying to solve. Furthermore, the adventure part of the game is equally simple yet intriguing. My favorite aspect of the game is how, the 'hidden in plain sight' effect is used to create some jawdropping moments of realisation.
I would wholeheartedly recommend this game to any interested in a clever little puzzle game.

I would highly recommend this game if you enjoy games like Outer Wilds and Dark Souls.

Graphics are beautiful and look even more impressive with Auto HDR on an OLED. The game easily maintains 300fps+ on 2k with a mid tier GPU/CPU. Soundtrack is good too.

The Puzzles aren't too hard and for the most part combat isn't either. However there are quite a few hard fights that will test your skill and patience. The game plays best if the player has some level of chill and attention span. If you get frustrated easily, the game might not be for you.

Tunic is an unforgettable Souls-like Puzzle game with tons of accessibility features that make the puzzle part more enjoyable for fans of that genre. If you want a difficult souls-like, this will do! If you want mind-blowing puzzles that span the entirety of this deceptively big game, you'll get that too!

Played this with a partner who was much better at the puzzles, while I handled the combat. This game is easily one of my top 10 games I've played. I dare not spoil anything, give it a fair shot!

Fantastic indie gem! The combat is fun - difficult enough to be engaging while not annoying or creating an impasse. You are rewarded for exploring the cute world, and you build the storybook for the game while you explore.
Worth the full price, and absolute worth it on sale

Tunic excels in exploration and discovery, capturing a rare sense of mystery that few games achieve. Every new area and hidden secret feels genuinely rewarding to uncover.

Unfortunately, the combat is a major weak point, and its flaws become painfully obvious during boss encounters. Enemy hitboxes often don’t align with models or animations, your attack animations can't be cancelled, and enemies barely react to being hit—yet they can take a third of your health while you’re still recovering. At times, it even feels like inputs are being dropped, adding to the frustration.

After defeating one of these bosses, I found myself reluctant to continue, knowing there would be more of the same ahead.

It's okay. It has some incredibly cryptic puzzles, but thankfully, these aren't required to complete the game. The combat was incredibly repetitive, and the world itself wasn't exactly interesting. Yet, the concept was great, and I believe the game is worth the price. It overstays its welcome toward the end, but I'd say for the most part, my experience with the game was pleasant.

TUNIC lets you figure it out as you play and learn at your own pace. It doesn't overwhelm you with directions and quests. The game is packed with secrets and challenges. Progression is challenging and doesn't feel linear.

One of the best games I have ever played.

I'm conflicted. The game was good, in fact great at the beginning/middle/near the end (i.e., through 1st "okay" ending). I could play mostly blind, without getting stuck too much. Yes, the boss battles were difficult, maybe a bit more than I enjoyed, but it was fine.

The problem began with the "true" ending path, that involved some seriously obscure hints. I did some of it, and enjoyed those, but it became "not fun" over time, so I just looked up and beat the game (and I really like riddles/puzzles in games) - I just didn't think the core mechanism for the puzzles was good.

So, unfortunately, it is not my top pick... but it is still a very good game.

Amazing game with a soundtrack perfectly fitted to this world.
I loved every minute playing this game and this will definitely be in my top games ever. The mystery of this world, puzzles and its charm have a special place in my heart and I am thankful for playing this game!

Tunic is an incredibly unique and well made game that is very much worth playing because it does some things that few games have done before it (like OWDDK). Why then the negative review you may wonder? Because these aspects are dragged down a lot by soulslike mechanics that were shoehorned into a game that had no need for them. Combat in tunic is not fun, i went into this one expecting snappy & fun combat akin to Death's door but instead was met with cumbersome stamina based combat that is just too hard for this type of game. You can alleviate this with invincibility but that's not much fun either now is it? The bosses in this game were even more brutal and not at all as fun as a boss should be. The final one especially made me finally yield after an hour, forcing me to resort to godmode. However if you're good at these sorta games or don't mind using invincibility then there's no reason not to play this game as everything else it does is incredible. Pretty visuals, enjoyable music, GREAT level design and a cool story all make up the bones of a good game but what sets Tunic apart is the Outer Wilds' styled discoveries. I will not spoil any of these but Tunic is the only game that gave me a sliver of that Outer Wilds Dopamine Drip of Knowledge (OWDDK, now the first sentence of this review makes sense :D finally). It's a shame then that this incredible aspect is hidden beneath a needlessly punishing game. Still though a game worth playing for that OWDDK with the asterisk of combat.

TUNIC could have easily been a 10 out of 10 game for me. Amazing exploration and storytelling. Puzzles are not very complicated, and don't tickle my brain the way a puzzle in a Zelda title does but they're okay. But the souls combat is horrific. After awhile it's just not fun. It feels like a chore. It's been a trend for developers to mush souls combat into their games and it shows. MOST OF THESE GAMES DON'T NEED SOULS COMBAT, INCREMENTAL DESIGN WILL SHOW YOU WHAT BEST FITS FOR THE GAME. If you want to have a fun experience devolve into a blunder then play this game. 6/10.

Good game no,
Great Game but for some reason I couldn't get into it, its not really game's fault here, but Its cryptic puzzles are not for me and are somewhat annoying to figure out....for now....I got one of the endings and I am happy with the outcome.
> Expect great level design, almost metroidvania-esque, though there is one aspect I find annoying, you know how in most metroidvania nowadays, they give you stickers that you can use to mark important locations, I think devs could've made that functionality built into the game, because otherwise noting these things is kinda difficult and pace breaking almost...
>Graphics and sound design are top notch.
>Bosses are eh, and so is combat, which is the biggest bummer for me, If I like the combat & gameplay of the game, I can guarantee you that I would enjoy the completion process as well, I am not against puzzles, but I play game like these to have a balanced experience, for me combat is like oil that keeps the metaphorical cogs (that would be the puzzles in the game btw) interesting, they are like a reward for a good mental exercise that you receive by solving the puzzles in here.Alas, my patience ran out so I am quitting....for now.....
About the bosses, they are....fine, the last boss was interesting, at one point I had to turn on no hit mode to get through an enemy gauntlet, that should give you a good estimate about how I was feeling at that time in the game, I wanted it to be over.
Ultimately, despite playing a lot of metroidvania games over the past couple of years, It seems these metroidbraina-type games are just not for me, but hey if you like search action games with difficult (albeit janky) combat, great, cryptic and overarching/meta puzzles, give this game a try, 7/10 for me. YMMV.

fun difficult game. really interesting implementation of puzzles that feel almost adjacent to the standard gameplay rather than being part of it. a rather unassuming game but very pleasant throughout its entire duration

This game holds a special place in my heart.

It takes four of my favorite things in games and combines them all into one package:
1. The Legend of Zelda-inspired visual elements and vibe, obviously.
2. A Dark Souls combat system (flasks for healing, dodging, difficult bosses).
3. A secret language that can be deciphered, which I’m proud to say that I managed to do all by myself.
4. Mind-bending story and gameplay twists that make you rethink everything you know about the game.

It’s important to note that this game is non-linear and just drops you into the world, no hand-holding, with secrets around every corner.

The soundtrack in this game is just amazing as well.

So, as a TLoZ fan, a Dark Souls fan, a linguist, and an enjoyer of amazing twists in games, it feels like this game was hand-crafted for me. This is one of my favorite games of all time. Hands down.

100% Achievement Completion Perspective:
Most are progression related, but a good handful of achievements are related to uncovering secrets and it was an absolute joy going for all of them. I needed to use a guide for some, but for most of them I got to uncover on my own. Delightful game to 100%.

Such a cute game, with such a cool soundtrack, and a fun combat and progression system on top. TUNIC's progression is pretty open-ended, and it's been fun comparing my exploration of its world with friends ("wait, how did you get to [area] without getting [item] or beating [boss] first?" and it turns out there's a different way to get there which wasn't suspected at all by the other party). This alone is enough to make me give TUNIC a positive review, but I think TUNIC is among my favorite games now, and there are a few more reasons for that. Increasingly spoilery sections below.

There's this category of games I would call "Icebergs", where you progressively understand that the game hides more than you suspected initially. In this category I would place games like FEZ, Void Stranger, ANIMAL WELL... sure let's throw in The Witness too, why not. Anyway, TUNIC is one of those, and I don't know if it's because I played it the most recently, but right now it feels like the best game in this genre, period. From the moment you pick up the first page of the manual and see its eldritch language scribbled about, you know you're in for a good time.

I would have been happy if the game's hardest puzzle was the Golden Path. This would have been enough. But shortly after getting there, and finding a couple secrets, I found yet another, deeper secret... and another after this one. And another after that...

This culminates into the greatest secret of the game, where I had to throw my hands up in the air and just admit that I couldn't solve it on my own, and had to look up a solution. The ultimate secret of the game, to me, was the reveal that there is a second language in the game, hidden in the music and jingles of the game's world, where every slightly melodic enemy or item is speaking a hidden phrase to you. Those phrases don't reveal any further secret, or even a story, they're mostly just stuff you already know, but I find it absolutely jaw-dropping that the audio engineer managed to create a musical language and hide it under your nose ALL THROUGHOUT the game, and for it to BOTH convey a legible message, AND be melodically interesting. Look up Kevin Regamey's thread on TUNIC's audio secrets to see some of it in action. I can't wrap my mind around it to this day.

They absolutely cooked with this one. I'm so glad I could play it almost 100% blind, because not only do you not get to experience this twice; I don't think there's another game out there that'll make me experience this again.

[table]
[tr]
[th] ✔️ The Good [/th]
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[tr]
[td]
• Beautiful Visual Style: *Tunic* features a charming, isometric art style with vibrant colors and detailed environments, making every area feel like a handcrafted diorama.
[/td]
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[td]
• Deep Sense of Discovery: The game encourages exploration with hidden secrets, cryptic clues, and an in-game instruction manual that gradually reveals new mechanics.
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[/tr]
[tr]
[td]
• Satisfying Combat: Inspired by classic action-adventure games, the combat is precise and engaging, with dodge rolls, stamina management, and a variety of weapons.
[/td]
[/tr]
[tr]
[td]
• Brilliant Instruction Manual Mechanic: Collecting and piecing together the in-game manual is a nostalgic and rewarding experience that helps guide players in an unconventional but clever way.
[/td]
[/tr]
[tr]
[td]
• Well-Designed Boss Fights: The game’s bosses are unique and challenging, requiring strategy, patience, and mastery of the mechanics to defeat.
[/td]
[/tr]
[tr]
[td]
• Incredible Soundtrack: The music is atmospheric and beautifully composed, enhancing the sense of adventure and mystery.
[/td]
[/tr]
[/table]

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3438654456

[table]
[tr]
[th] ❌ The Bad [/th]
[/tr]
[tr]
[td]
• Can Be Overly Cryptic: It can be difficult to know what to do next—or even what you’re supposed to be doing at all. While this is by design, it could be made easier for casual gamers.
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[/tr]
[tr]
[td]
• Combat Can Feel Stiff: While enjoyable, the combat can sometimes feel a bit sluggish, especially when dealing with multiple enemies at once.
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[tr]
[td]
• Some Puzzles Feel Obscure: While the game rewards exploration, certain puzzles rely on vague hints that may lead to frustration rather than satisfaction.
[/td]
[/tr]
[/table]

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3438654462

[table]
[tr]
[th] ⚠️The Ugly [/th]
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[tr]
[td]
• Lack of Guidance Could Be Off-Putting: Some players may find the game's hands-off approach too extreme, leading to moments of wandering aimlessly without a clear sense of progression.
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[td]
• Difficulty Spikes: While generally balanced, certain enemies and bosses have steep difficulty jumps that may feel frustrating rather than challenging.
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[td]
• Not for Everyone: The game’s combination of cryptic exploration, challenging combat, and obscure mechanics makes it a niche experience that might not appeal to all players.
[/td]
[/tr]
[/table]

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3438654474


[table]
[tr]
[th] Current Price 💰 [/th]
[th] Historical Low 📉 [/th]
[th] ⛔️ Worth the price? ✅ [/th]
[/tr]
[tr]
[td] $29.99 [/td]
[td] $14.99 [/td]
[td]✅ Worth it at $15.99 for fans of classic adventure games and Zelda like exploration. [/td]
[/tr]
[/table]

[hr][/hr]

Overall Score:

8.3/10

A very clever Puzzle/Combat game, trying to find all of the pages to the guide book is a lot of fun. I will say the game feels a little bit unbalanced, in that the first part of the game is mostly about the combat with some of the puzzles sprinkled throughout, and in the second part combat just kind of stops and the game leans very heavily into the puzzles. I would have liked it a bit more if they had integrated both evenly throughout the game. But other than that one nitpick, TUNIC is a very fantastic game.

This is one of those rare games that truly feels like an experience. It’s not just about beating levels or ticking off objectives—it’s about the discovery. Every step feels like uncovering a secret, and the way the game slowly reveals its mechanics, lore, and hidden depths is absolutely brilliant.

The world design, music, and lighting come together to create an incredible atmosphere. It’s mysterious, cozy, and sometimes even a little eerie, but always beautiful. The game doesn’t hold your hand, which makes every realization—whether it’s a gameplay mechanic, a piece of lore, or a hidden path—feel earned.

And the easter eggs? Insanely well done. There are so many little details that reward curiosity, making you feel like you're piecing together an ancient mystery. If you play it the way it’s meant to be played—without looking things up—you’re in for one of the most satisfying game experiences out there.

Tunic is a one-time journey you’ll wish you could erase from memory just to experience again.

If you haven’t played it yet, do yourself a favor and dive in completely blind.

This game is a masterpiece and my favorite from a long time.
I'm genuinely outraged this game doesn't have an overwhelmingly positive rating.
(Note: Short game time because I've played it from another account.)

TUNIC is a very lovely handcrafted game and can recommend to people who love solving riddles and exploring the game world and beyond! You play as a Fox with a Stick in a world which you cannot understand and you have to figure out what your goal is in this game world. They nailed the main game loop with slowly giving the player elements to fumble around in the game world to further progress in solving puzzles by combining the knowledge you have found. Highly recommend to not watch any gameplay to this game and also highly recommend if you love solving riddles and puzzles!

This is such a great game. In the beginning, I was getting woried because I felt no challenge. I no-hit the first boss. The puzzles were challenging enough, but I was missing something.

Then the difficulty SPIKED and made me love this game even more. This is an easy 8.5/10

I had fun for about half of the game. When I got to the end the game seemed to suggest I wander around every nook and cranny of the map I had already explored to solve cryptic puzzles. After having solves a few, I lost interest entirely. The game asks you to do these things but at least for me didn't provide any motivation to actually do them. Just being a challenge for challenges sake isn't enough when it isn't enjoyable.

highly recommend this game if you are able to think out of the box, really cool soundtrack and combat system.

love the progression in this game. slowly revealing secrets and cryptic guides make this game one of a kind

Honestly might be one of my favourite games of all time. The music and atmosphere are wonderful and the clever way the game is designed is fascinating and makes every secret found feel rewarding. I highly recommend going into this game blind as a lot of the fun is learning the secrets of the game and discovering just how deep it goes.

This is a solid 9/10 for me. Not using the "standard" controls takes one point off, I know you can change them and stuff but you shouldn't have to imo.
If you played Zelda games and enjoyed them, u prolly are going to enjoy this as well. A lot of secrets and puzzles that are optional and some running back and forth that's also partly optional.
To me it was a newish concept with a manual that you build as you go along, to get the answers to the next coming puzzles. Some of them were in a weird order, but might been me that did things in "wrong" order. But knowing you have all the answers to the puzzles and secrets made me pay more attention as I played. Also some parts that was challenging, but when you get a hang of it a lot start to make sens.
But if you don't like solving problems or figuring things out this is not for you.

Really really fun puzzle, definitely go for the language.
The combat's pretty shit, but there's accessibility options letting you power through it, so it doesn't end up dragging the game down.

TUNIC is one of the biggest gems in independent gaming.

The gameplay is simplistic but complex enough to keep its mysterious side, in fact the mysterious side of the game is very much inspired by FEZ, which is perfect for those who like to break their heads to solve certain puzzles, some of which are quite perplexing, which created a lot of brain explosions.
I really like the symbolism that the game gives with the manual, which is in fact designed in such an old-fashioned way that the developer has reproduced the printing errors while retaining a personal touch with pen-and-ink writing that gives the impression that the game has already been played by another player.
The game's graphics are sublime, the rendering techniques perfectly adapted to the graphic style, the fluffy feel and the light create a nostalgic charm.
This game is a love letter to video games of the NES/SNES era and to all video game enthusiasts.

As a gamer, this game left a lasting impression on me, and I have fond memories of it.
As a developer, this game taught me that creating a good game is all about the passion you put into it.

Thank you Andrew Shouldice, thank you to the developers at TUNIC, thank you Funji and thank you to everyone who helped develop and finance this game.

This game goes deep, and it's fun journey of exploration. I really appreciate a game rewarding intelligent problem solving, experimentation, and exploration instead of assuming ignorance and holding my hand. I didn't think I'd be translating an entire language while playing this, but it was very rewarding. I feel more intelligent for playing this game, and we need more games like that. Regardless, some of the late game puzzles could use more hints (including an extra hint I required to translate the language). None of those puzzles are required for finishing the game, but they are required for 100% completion.

Absolutely fantastic. So much effort in the design.
The puzzles felt so satisfying to unravel.

I love this game so much. Tunic has Zelda-like experience, has the best puzzle mechanic. Parrying is soooo hard but satisfying after few hours I mastered it . I recommend this game 10/10

this game was very cute and i enjoyed its secrets, definitely worth playing blind

Definitely challenging. Running around and trying to find every nook and cranny to advance can be frustrating sometimes, but still enjoyable. I have no idea how far I am right now.