
Graphical quirks aside, A Story About My Uncle suffers from a few other issues as well. The closer character was completely frozen. The character farther away was moving and gesturing. The fantastical elements of the narrative add to the wonder of the core gameplay and really combine to make a fun and unique package. Why are all these islands floating in the sky? Why did my uncle invent a trash disposal machine that is powered by starlight? Why is standing on said trash disposal machine one of the first things you do in the game? None of these questions are a problem because they are all part of a story a father is telling to his daughter. The use of the “bedtime story” framing device can explain away any odd design or plot questions. The graphics, story, and gameplay mechanics all add to the surreal landscape. Using all your techniques in tandem is required to move the story along and reach the end of the game. Your suit also contains a few other abilities, such as a power jump and some rocket boots. You progress through the stages by using momentum to make sure that you can land and recharge your beam before you plummet through the clouds and (presumably) to your death below. The main technique of the suit is a grappling beam, which you can use to fly between pretty much any surface that you are close enough to. Luckily, the suit contains a few tricks to facilitate movement between the floating islands. After donning the suit, your character is transported to a surreal landscape of floating rocks and tasked with locating the aforementioned missing uncle.

Speaking of the invention, the central gameplay mechanic in A Story About My Uncle revolves around a special suit that your genius uncle Fred created. Your grapple beam is the best way to navigate the floating landmasses. It is a really fun concept for a pretty tried-and-true storytelling trope (missing relative left an invention that will help you follow/find/rescue them). Throughout the game, which features some very impressive and surreal graphics, your character will fill in details of the story and his daughter will ask skeptical questions about the things that you are seeing and doing.

Your character is telling a bedtime story to his daughter about (surprise!) his uncle, who one day disappeared. The plot of A Story About My Uncle is a pretty basic story framed in an interesting way. There are some things that hold the game back from being a great piece of software, but overall, A Story About My Uncle is a fun diversion for the brief time that it lasts. This first person physics/momentum-based platformer from Gone North Games can be reminiscent of Portal and Mirror’s Edge with its sense of freedom and fast-paced jumping sections. When A Story About My Uncle is running on all cylinders, it achieves a great combination of fun, freedom, and effortlessness that is a joy to be a part of. A Story About My Uncle features some lovely and surreal settings.
