Do you know that if a bear was to lose its cub, it would grapple over everything to find them? No? Well, that’s the case in Grapple Bear, where you play as a bear stuck in exactly that scenario.
Essentially, you have to use grappling points to launch and swing around different environments whilst avoiding hazards that will kill you and restart the level. It does take some time to get used to its wonky physics but once you do, it’s rather fun pulling yourself across the level to get to the flag.
The presentation itself is very bite-sized, essentially copying the mobile formula with small levels that you can play and replay. These are timed which helps with the replayability, as I often found myself revisiting earlier levels just to find a quicker route, beat my old time or climb up the leaderboard.
What stood out to me the most, however, is how charming the game looks. Grapple Bear is completely hand-drawn on paper, then digitally coloured and brought to life on screen. You can see the handicraft involved in each level, character and environment. In an age where people are getting too comfortable with generative AI, this level of dedication and effort is refreshing and commendable.
Even the sound effects have an endearing quality to them, where it seems like the developers have used whatever they could. The wind, for example, sounds like someone blowing into a mic, which still has the pop from it. You aren’t going to get expertly mixed SFX here, but what is available is memorable.
In terms of content, there are loads of levels to try and master, as well as the promise of weekly procedurally generated levels for players to try, complete with their own leaderboard. Every area introduces new mechanics, hazards and surprises, which prevents the gameplay loop from getting too familiar.
The game is not perfect by any means, as the controls can be a little too punishing and the physics are hard to read, but when you have some free time and are looking to spend some casual minutes playing a video game, this will scratch the itch.
Be sure to check out the game yourself on Steam, where it is selling for only £3.99. Considering how easy it is for us to casually spend more than that on a cup of coffee, it is worth trying out.
