Stilt Reviews

Note: I think I've actually played Stilt for over 2 hours now. Steam doesn't seem to record my offline play time consistently. Stilt is a fun and cute platformer that allows you to naturally move in any direction just by bopping your springy arms against surfaces. Getting around like that in a VR platformer is a refreshing change from indirectly controlling a character with an analog stick and buttons. It took me about half an hour to get a feel for walking, jogging, jumping, and climbing then I was able to start exploring easily. Once you get the basics down you can start doing more advanced things like wall jumps as well. The movement of your character is generally predictable but starting slow is probably best if you sometimes get motion sick. You do have precise control of your movement so the game is usually only as intense as you make it. You're free to take small steps and I think I noticed a few comfort options in the settings menu as well. Constantly doing big jumps is not actually required and there doesn't seem to be a time limit in any of the levels. One thing that does seem a bit silly though is your character will die immediately if you dip one of your stilts into water. The items you pick up are enjoyable to use and let you do things like glide, get a small upward boost, or swing from a cable. You can also have a different one in each hand and try combining actions if you're having trouble reaching high or distant platforms. Being unsure if you can get somewhere, realizing you can, and then doing it in a way the developer might not have even intended is delightful. Stilt follows the Super Mario 64 model of allowing you to pick a level and do a quick play-through but then go back to find hidden items to unlock more areas. Figuring out how to get through new spaces with your spring stilts and coming up with creative shortcuts by using the stilt attachments is plenty of fun and will keep you busy. Overall Stilt is a charming low-stress game that encourages and rewards your physical movements and I recommend it.