On a desolate, forgotten world ravaged by a mechanical monster, Glyph awakens. The titular character looks more bug than anything else but don’t be fooled, Glyph’s got the moves!
I make no secret of the fact that I love platformers. The special ones let you pull off amazing manoeuvres while also providing a challenging experience. Glyph from by Danish developers Bolverk is one of those games. In what is one of the best examples of ‘the floor is lava’ I’ve seen, the sand around the level has been contaminated so you’ll have to traverse by jumping from platform to platform.
With more than 80 exploration levels and 30 time trials, Glyph is a marvel. The controls felt a bit flighty at first but soon I began to take advantage of that, launching myself further than I thought possible.
Levels contain a few different collectibles. The main type you’ll come across is coins. They allow you to progress by opening new levels. They also make the scarab collectible appear, which is usually hidden or out of the way. Scarabs also open new levels. Gems unlock new areas in the overworld and keys allow you to exit a level. You don’t need to collect everything from every level to progress so if you find something a little too challenging you can come back to it later. The menu includes progress tracking so you can easily see which areas you need to go back to.
Those collectibles allow you to progress through the game, but each level also has its own hidden cosmetic. These change Glyph’s appearance and the trail he leaves behind him. They are super challenging to get and require you to master all of Glyph’s moves. Although they’re not required to complete the game, you’ll find yourself getting them anyway. Every level tells you what’s in it and you won’t be able to stop until you’ve found everything.
The environments are very beautiful, and the ethereal music give Glyph a feel of exploration and discovery.
Glyph is an excellent platform game. At no time did the levels or secrets feel unfair, just challenging. I really enjoyed my time with it and highly recommend it. It’s out now for Nintendo Switch and PC.
