Review: Kine

• Platforms: Playstation 4, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, PC
• Developer:  Gwen Frey
• Publisher: Gwen Frey
• Release Date: October 17th, 2019

The music business can be an absolute meat grinder. For every million individuals that dream of making it big and seeing their name in lights only a mere handful ever see it come to fruition. Gwen Frey’s Kine is a game that follows this theme, a charming tale of three talented musicians grinding and hustling their way to the main stage. It’s also one hell of a puzzle game, and an impressive solo debut for Gwen Frey.

On the surface Kine is a game with the straightforward premise of moving blocks from a starting point to a finish line. The player must navigate three-dimensional diorama-esque levels, manipulating these blocks past obstacles such as pitfall gaps, narrow passageways, and changes in elevation. These aren’t just any ordinary blocks however, they are Quat, Roo, and Euler, an adorable trio of instruments that all share the common dream of making it big in the music industry.

Kine’s levels are neatly compartmentalized into short story sections, with each level seamlessly transitioning to the next while the story is played out before your eyes, almost like reading panels of a comic book. With just over 20 chapters to unravel, each one tells a story of struggle, friendship, love, and ultimately triumph.

The key to keeping any puzzle game engaging is to pace the difficulty at a steady progression to avoid difficulty spikes or player fatigue. Kine perfectly paces its difficulty in a way that feels natural, starting off with simple tutorial-like levels featuring a single character so you can become accustomed to their moveset and how they are able to traverse the environment. Once you’re at a point where you start to think you’ve got the hang of things, a new character is introduced with different mechanics to master, like slide tubes and accordion bellows. Eventually you’ll be confronted with levels that feature two or sometimes all three characters and you’ll have to combine everything you’ve learned to use Quat, Roo, and Euler in unison for some real brain-busting challenges towards Kine’s endgame.

One handy mechanic that Kine does provide is an undo button, and you’ll use it… a lot. You can rewind back as many moves as you’d like with a simple press of a button, or you can easily start the level from scratch in seconds, without any loading time at all.

On PC, the mouse and keyboard controls can take a bit of time to get used to, especially when it comes to adjusting the camera angles on some of the more complex levels. On Nintendo Switch with Joycons or a Pro Controller, or using a controller on PC, the controls were easier to grasp, and the camera was much more manageable.

Of course, a game that has such a music-heavy focus would be nothing without a solid soundtrack to accompany it, and Kine features some excellent Jazz tunes. The soundtrack perfectly pairs with the tone of each chapter’s story, and overall it gives off some major La La Land vibes.

If the soundtrack and addictive puzzles don’t immediately have you hooked, the visuals and adorable character design just might do it. The bold outlines really make everything look as if it could pop right out of the screen, and the compact levels are given the illusion of depth by some clever backdrop design.

Gwen Frey’s Kine delivers an addictive puzzle experience, while seamlessly telling a heartwarming story in the process. Whether you’re an avid gamer of the puzzle genre, a fan of good Jazz, or just a sucker for cute visuals and charming story, Kine is a game that should be on your radar.

Nintendo Switch & PC review codes for Kine were provided by the Publisher