Knytt Stories is the recent extension of the wonderful platformer Knytt produced by an artist known as Nifflas. I say artist because that's what I mean. The Knytt games are so lovingly crafted by Nifflas that I hesitate to call them works of programming and science. Oh sure, that's in there, but at the core, the Knytt games are made to be wondered at.

I first played Knytt a few months back and was entranced. The game is very simple. Keys to move, a key to jump and a key to slow yourself down. There's a key for inventory as well, but it's pretty much entirely unneeded. In Knytt and Knytt Stories both, the controls are the same. In fact, the graphics are the same, too. As you pick up items in the game, your character earns the ability to jump farther, double jump, stick to walls, glow when presented with deadly creatures and create illusion doubles of yourself. Simple abilities for a simple game.

It's the simplicity that makes everything so wonderful. For as tricky as the games can be in spots, they are soothing to play. It's sort of like actually being able to put your hands on and manipulate zen. Maybe that's just me, and maybe it's that I love pixel-platformers (don't even get me started on Douketsu Monogatari, which is pretty much the pinnacle of all gaming if you ask me), but it doesn't get much more pure than the Knytt games.

The game is loaded with atmosphere. As you journey through the worlds in the games, and they are intended to be explored as much as they are meant to be traveled through, the environments shift. One moment you'll be in a quaint village, then you'll be in a foreboding cave, then a lush forest area, then an odd underwater passage, and on and on. Each area is marked by a distinct look and feel, both represented in the construction of the platforming itself and by the color palette and creatures that populate the background. Each area is also tied to a specific soundtrack, in the official games composed by Nifflas him(?)self. The music is as atmospheric as the environments and complements things beautifully, as one would expect from such an auteur project.

The creatures in the game are great as well. Even the deadly ones are adorable. The fact that there are a great many creatures and beings scattered through the worlds that are simply part of the living background, and will react to your arrival on screen a bit is great as well. It just helps it feel as if you're moving through a breathing world. And the platforming itself… well the levels just flow. They're designed to funnel you to specific locations, but it never feels linear. You can navigate by instinct and it just seems to work. The platforming is fiendishly clever in spots, too, creating a refreshing but always passable challenge.

Okay, enough gushing. Let's get to brass tacks. Knytt is a standalone adventure, but it's not the subject of this review. Suffice to say, it's worth playing. Knytt Stories is a bit different. The Stories are intended to be just that, little story adventures. Included in the download is an official Nifflas level to play, but it's fairly short. To extend your play, visit the forums and the site for the game to download new levels. The levels are blissfully easy to install, simply drag and drop the file onto the level loading window for the game. Done.

Right now there are two official levels, a third party expansion pack featuring three levels and about 80 levels on the forum all spread across various ascribed levels of difficulty (never fear, Nifflas himself has a favorite levels thread on the forum, so that's a great place to start). So, right away there's a healthy community that has sprung up. Certain of the levels I played have all the flavor of a Nifflas level, some are markedly different but still of clear quality, and some will be more open to your interpretation.

All in all, though, the basis for these games is rock-solid. Nifflas' work and style are wonderful and you can rest assured he will continue to produce official expansions for Knytt Stories. Considering the Nifflas games are all free, too, well… that should just about seal it for you.

Graphics:
I love the visual style of these games, but I'm a fan of pixel art. Environments are rich and detailed and the third party expansions really explore how the look of the world can change. The resolution for the game is very small, so in a standard window the game is borderline tiny, but it can be blown up to full screen without really damaging how it looks at all.

Sound:
The score is a perfect complement to the game's ambiance, with tracks that are fluid with the environment. As you expand your way out into non-official levels, you might not get new music at all, or music that might not meet that original standard, but the official stuff is top shelf.

Gameplay:
The platforming in Knytt games is hard to beat. The levels are both organic and challenging and the platform jumping will feel both familiar and unique. The construction makes the gamer reevaluate how to proceed through a platformer, always thinking in terms of alternate ways to move forward. As for controls, very simple and responsive. The game is very light-weight, so slowdown is pretty much impossible.

Concept:
Well, it's a classic platformer. Cute and lovingly crafted though it may be, it's just a platformer.

Value:
Totally free and with a glut of expansion material already available. I can't give it higher than a plus.

Overall:
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.