The Floor is Jelly Review

Grade: A

Tightly constructed platformer with a unique twist.

In a world made solely of jelly, your character is a two-legged jelly creature. As you jump and move across the jelly ground, it bloops and blorps in all directions, making for a dynamic and constantly shifting environment. You begin your journey playing a straightforward platformer going from point A to point B. Soon though, the game evolves into a complex exploration of this strange jelly world.

Coolness factor set to maximum

Every detail in “The Floor is Jelly” adds to the exceptional charm of the game. The main event is the jelly that jiggles, of course, but you get to experience several other details as well. As you move, bushes and plants sprout under your feet. You pass by adorable frogs and animals on your path. All this while figuring out how to open curious portals into inter-dimensional space.

The overall sound design further elevates the experience. The music you hear is atmospheric and relaxing. Little details make a big difference in the soundscape. For example, when you hit a jump flower, you get a little sitar note that sings out in harmony with the music.

The Floor is Jelly includes many different atmospheres and color palettes.

In art design, you are struck by the stunning color palettes. Each world in “The Floor is Jelly” has its own different carefully chosen color schemes that shift and change as you explore. The evolving colors are a clear visual queue that makes it easy to remember where you have been.

Mastery of the platforming genre

In addition to the general atmosphere, the developers of “The Floor is Jelly” showed an absolute mastery of the platforming genre. There is no wasted time on death because the reset is quick and clean. The frustration is minimal because the levels are tight, 30-45 chunks of content. The controls are enjoyable because your movement is crisp and intuitive. Most importantly, the designers continually challenge the player with new obstacles and complexities at the perfect time.

Activate Gravity shifting wheels to spin the map. One of many platforming complexities added in.

An ending that was truly surprising

Beyond the game and art design, The Floor is Jelly has an innovative ending. Click right below for a primer if you don’t mind spoilers.

Floor is Jelly Spoiler

As you get to the final areas, The Floor is Jelly begins to glitch. At first, you see little static flashing across the screen. Then, the physics start to break apart, and whole areas of the map become malformed. The jelly physics you’ve spent hours getting used to change dramatically. In some cases, there is no jumping ability as the jelly floor hardens. In others, a single jump sets the whole map jiggling into disrupted infinity. As the physics bend and twist and mold, you have to adjust your platforming accordingly. It was an incredibly ingenious, challenging, and interesting way to round out the game.

Overall, “The Floor is Jelly” hit a sweet spot for me. It demonstrated innovative platforming, a bug-free gaming experience, and an art and music design that had me chomping for more. What a gem!

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