There’s a very specific kind of platformer that exists purely to test your patience. We think it is summed up with Chicken Climber.
You know the drill. You line up the perfect jump, nail the landing, carefully make your way upwards… and then immediately panic, mistime the next leap and fall halfway back down the level while questioning your life choices. We did just that in Egging On, which is, well, strange.
Available now on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PlayStation and Nintendo Switch for £4.99, the latest release from Ratalaika Games and developer Burst Games keeps things simple: you’re a chicken, you jump upwards, and gravity is absolutely not your friend.
At A Glance
- Game: Chicken Climber
- Developer: Burst Games
- Publisher: Ratalaika Games
- Platforms: Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PlayStation, Nintendo Switch
- Genre: Platformer
- Price: £4.99
Just Jump
Despite the name, and despite the fact we considered a rewrite of our Best Climbing Games article, Chicken Climber actually revolves around one core mechanic – jumping.
There’s no attacking, no complicated movement system and no fancy abilities to save you if things go wrong. You simply guide your determined little chicken upwards through vertical stages packed with awkward platforms, traps and huge drops.
And because every level is built vertically, mistakes hurt. Like, properly hurt.
One badly timed jump can send you tumbling back down the stage, wiping out several minutes of careful progress in seconds.
Built Around Precision
Across eight handcrafted levels, players will need to carefully time jumps while hunting down hidden gems and fruit scattered throughout the environments.
You can simply aim for the exit if you want, but full completion means properly exploring each stage and mastering the movement system.
Worth Smashing?
There’s something about vertical platformers that naturally creates tension. The higher you climb, the more nervous every jump becomes because you know exactly what’s waiting underneath if you mess it up. Chicken Climber seems to understand that.
And at £4.99, it feels like another small-but-potentially-addictive addition to Ratalaika’s ever-growing console library.
You’ll find the download of Chicken Climber that you need at the Xbox Store, PlayStation Store and Nintendo eShop.
