Unravel is the story of Yarny, a manifestation of the red strings of fate that bind people together. We first met Yarny at E3 2015, where his creator Martin Sahlin introduced this physics-based puzzle platformer along with his handmade friend. In a new video released today, Creative Director Sahlin shares the spark of inspiration that led to this heartfelt project.
“I had this thought,” Sahlin begins. “What if we could make a game about love? A game where the bonds we form with other people were actual, real, physical bonds.”
Sahlin was on a camping trip with his family when this idea hit, and the thought of acting as the physical bonds between loved ones started to feel so important that eventually, it felt like “a game that needed to be made.”
Crafting Yarny from pretty much scavenged materials, Sahlin just started playing – posing Yarny in nature, showing his kids new ideas, taking pictures and having fun figuring out what this game could be.
Yarny is a character of love, longing and connection who travels through the world to mend broken bonds and “reconnect things that weren’t meant to be apart.” He sees the world with the eyes of a child, and travels great distances despite his size.
“And now, 2 years later, I can look back at that summer, and it’s quite amazing to see where it all led… Yarny is already reaching people, forming new bonds. And that’s a pretty great feeling.”
Unravel releases on PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC Feb. 9, 2016. You can check out our hands-on preview here, or watch Yarny take on Parks and Recreation’s Nick Offerman in the ultimate Yule Log showdown.
More news
- At Least 100 Oculus Rift Games to Release This Year, Says Palmer Luckey
- This tinyBuild Game Won’t Release Until Twitch Beats It
- Guerrilla Games Discusses Horizon: Zero Dawn’s Open World Size