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Ugly is a puzzle platformer from developer Team Ugly and publisher Graffiti Games. With the use of a unique and complex mirror mechanic that is used to solve its various levels, Ugly presents its players with both a fun gimmick and a complex way to solve problems that will require some skill to master.
This psychological fairy tale tells the story of a nobleman uncovering the secrets and traumas of his past while solving various stages and taking on unique bosses. Players can use the aforementioned mirror mechanic to help the nobleman face his problems both figuratively and literally as they progress through the game, and one thing is clear right from the start – this special story is more than just the average puzzle game.
Filled With A Tragic Charm
Although Ugly is, at its core, a puzzle platformer, it contains a lot of finer details that elevate it. Beautiful visuals color the game, which are simplistic at first glance because they mirror more of a classic animation style. However, there is no lack of detail despite this, even in the childish crayon drawing memory animations. While traveling through the various stages, players will confront the tragic memory animations of the nobleman’s past in a melancholy experience that mirrors similar emotions evoked by other dark indie platformers like Eternal Hope.
Ugly is special and has charm right from the start that is maintained beautifully throughout the entire game. That charm keeps players both focused on puzzles, but desperate to know how the story ends.
Contains Surprisingly Complex Puzzles
In Ugly, there is a mirror mechanic in which the nobleman creates a reflection of himself. The reflection can be utilized horizontally and vertically, and the reflection can pass through objects and walls that the real nobleman can’t. At that point, the nobleman can then change places with the reflection to continue progressing and recall the mirror.
Unfortunately, the reflection will only move if the nobleman does, meaning that if he reaches a dead end, the reflection will move no further either. Additionally, the mirror is static, meaning the nobleman has to be where he wants to place it, and it will not move from that location unless recalled and replaced again. This leads to some tricky strategizing to make it through the various stages, which get increasingly more difficult after each boss.
Even seasoned puzzle solvers are likely to find themselves stumped on more than one occasion, since many solutions will require out-of-the-box thinking and a clear understanding of how the reflection moves. However, that shouldn’t scare away casual players either, as there are often hidden hints among the stages, such as a very transparent message hinting at where to place the mirror, so those in need of a little help need only look a little harder.
A Completely Unique Experience
The way that Ugly is designed is essentially several grand levels that take place in a palace. Each of these levels is filled with various stages via doors in that room that the player may complete in any order. Each one will reward a key that can then be used to unlock any other door in the main area, until all of them have been completed and the boss fight begins.
The nobleman doesn’t need to ensure he’s found some specific item or completed some arbitrary task before attempting the stage; instead, he simply enters the stage at random and everything he needs to have and know is with him. All the knowledge required to solve that puzzle is always previously known, so there is a level of relief in knowing that there is no need to worry about trekking back and forth between stages searching for answers. When a puzzle stage is entered, it can be solved.
Ugly utilizes its boss fights well. Ugly’s boss fights are by no means a breeze, but they’re not incredibly punishing either. They simply require that the nobleman has truly learned how to use his previously acquired skill quickly and efficiently to succeed. As long as he has done so, then the boss shouldn’t pose too much of a threat, which makes for both a fun and rewarding experience.
Final Thoughts and Rating
Ugly is a hidden gem among indie games. It features a beautiful, melancholic narrative that will intrigue players as they unravel the nobleman’s hideous past. The puzzles are both challenging and engaging without being too complex for casual players to enjoy as they master the fascinating mirror mechanic of this world. Ugly is an interesting, unique experience that is recommended for players of every kind.
Ugly was released on September 14th, 2023, and is available on PC, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch. Screen Rant was provided with a Steam code for the purpose of this review.
