Knytt

The Knytt is abducted by an alien. As they travel in space, they run into an asteroid field and crash land on a vast, uncharted planet. The only way for the Knytt to get back is to find all the missing ship parts that are scattered across the world.

Overview

Knytt is Nifflas' second major release (after Within A Deep Forest, which is similar in style), and is an exploratory, ambient adventure game that follows the eponymous Knytt, who is abducted by an alien for reasons unknown. As the pair travel through space they run into an asteroid field and are hit by a giant meteoroid, which forces them to crash land on an unknown planet. Upon impact, the ship's parts are scattered all over the planet: on mountains, in grasslands, deserts, caves and even in tunnels under water. The Knytt has to find them all for the alien to be able to repair the ship. On his journey, the Knytt sees strange things and encounter many creatures, though very few are hostile.

Nifflas has stated that he doesn't believe that there is a correct pronunciation of the word as it is a fairly unknown word outside of Sweden and Finland. Some choose to pronounce it with a hard "K" and some people choose not to.

Gameplay

Knytt is a 2D sidescroller made in Mediafusion 2. The concept of the game shares similarities with the first Toe Jam & Earl game for the Sega Genesis, e.g., they both share the crash of a ship and the search for its parts. Knytt has a very unique style as it isn't about defeating enemies, but rather about ambiance and the exploration of a planet. The Knytt's primary abilities are running, jumping, and climbing. The last of these skills allows the Knytt to search through deep caves and on the tops of mountains.

The game consists of one single world. There are eleven ship parts to find, scattered across several zones, and the style and design of each zone is unique.

Knytt can be seen as an important release in the independent scene as it has attracted many mainstream players to independent and casual games. It is also one of the few platform games that focus on exploration rather than combat or leveling.

Critical Reception

Jayisgames.com praised the game for its smart use of ambient sound and music, saying that

"Knytt really pulls you in with its atmosphere, something Nifflas has been working on for quite some time."

Users at CNET.com were also taken with the game, with many praising its beautiful 2D art and addictive qualities. GameSpot users have given the game an average score of 8.1 out of 10. Michael Scarpelli on Game Tunnel was very positive about the game, saying:

"Knytt Stories is gaming as art and it's art that the gamer can now help create. It's a wonderful world and it deserves to be played."

The game has, however, received some criticism. A number of users responding to the Jayisgames review complained that they didn't feel the game had enough substance. A user wrote:

"I almost feel like ... why go to the trouble of building such a neat little world without adding in a few puzzles, plot, or dialogue?"

Influences

Nifflas has listed a number of influences for Knytt, including the indie game Seiklus, as well as Ico and Shadow of the Colossus.

Sequel

Nifflas has stated that a sequel, spiritual or otherwise, is in early development. Its working name is "Knyttwadf" which alludes to both the game Knytt and its predecessor Within a Deep Forest. Not much is known about the game except that it will use a technique Nifflas has used on his most recent game Saira, which involves using photographs as the game's visual background.