Have You Played... A Story About My Uncle?

Have You Played? is an endless stream of game retrospectives. One a day, every day of the year, perhaps for all time.

A Story About My Uncle [official site] is a non-combat, narrative-leaning platformer from the same folks responsible for Goat Simulator. It tells a whimsical tale about a boy, his nomad and currently missing uncle, a fantasy realm, and jumping. Lots and lots of jumping.

Admittedly, A Story About My Uncle could for the most part exist without a story - it’s basically in place to facilitate all the gravity-defying plunges you’ll engage in while traversing its weird and wonderful world. And this is entirely fine because doing so is a lot of fun.

Early on, you’re given a magic glove that boosts you meters into the air by way of charges that regenerate as soon as your feet are returned to the ground. Once airborne, the glove doubles up as a plasma-style grappling hook, while rocket boots facilitate a double jump complete with shock absorbers to prevent damage upon landing. A combination of all three are regularly required to reach each area’s highest peaks, and you’ll use whatever environmental leg ups you can to make it so.

About halfway through the game’s modest three hour span, you’re tasked with negotiating an area of floating islands by latching onto a series of floating windmills. It’s a tough set piece, however getting to the other side unscathed is enormously rewarding - partly thanks to the game’s tight and responsive controls. I failed this particular section more times than I care to admit, however I had a great time doing so. You should too.