Marvin’s Mittens — Exploration At Its Finest

Nick Mucciarone

People often look back on what it was like to be a child, when there was no stress or responsibilities, but simply a curiosity of the world around us. That sense of early imagination and innocence feels almost lost to us now, but Marvin’s Mittensbrings it all back.

Marvin’s Mittens is an indie platformer which centers around a young boy who, while building a snowman, gets a mitten taken right off his hand. He takes it upon himself to spend the next day searching for it, all the while sketching the animals he sees. But his adventures soon take him to new heights.

There are no enemies to fight in Marvin’s Mittens, and you have all the time in the world to discover new places, sled across the fields, or find new shortcuts for Marvin to take. At first the obstacles seem almost impossible, but with the help of some magical friends Marvin soon finds himself traversing the winter wonderland with ease.

Breakfall, a group of independent game developers, has been developing Marvin’s Mittensthroughout the years, although to simply say “developing” seems like an understatement. They have created a soundtrack that fits in perfectly to the exploratory feel of the game. The hand-painted designs and fluid motions are enough to catch anyone’s eye, and the mechanics speak for themselves. They really do prove the saying “simple is daring.”

It’s not often you find a game as charming as Marvin’s Mittens. With its simple display, yet deep exploration, it will be sure to bring out the sense of adventure in all of us. Marvin’s Mittensis set for release on December 10 on the PC, and is also available for voting on Steam Greenlight.