Ori and the Blind Forest might be the most adorable 2D metroidvania game of all time

Lucky charm

Ori and the Blind Forest is one of those games that immediately charms the pants off of anyone that plays it. Its minimalist, yet gorgeous, hand-drawn aesthetic is nearly as captivating as its cutesy protagonist and fairytale story.

You play as Ori, a spirit whose job is to rekindle life in a forest overcome by darkness. Initially, you only have the ability to perform simple jumps. Within a few minutes of the game's opening sequence, you'll encounter a friendly spirit that vows to protect you; this is your combat buddy. With a simple press of a button, it auto attacks any nearby creatures or spiky obstacles--the real challenge during fights is dodging enemy projectiles and melee attacks.

The game provides a great sense of mobility. You'll traverse its 2D plane pretty quickly, and the animations as Ori tries to scale slightly too-high walls is as adorable as it is realistic. As you play, you'll unlock new abilities--like wall jumping--and skill points that further enhance Ori's inherent talents. With an attractive art style and a great sense of progression, Ori and the Blind Forest is an action platformer that is sure to impress.

Be sure to read on to see more images and information about Ori and the Blind Forest.

That floating ball of light in the center of the image is your combat spirit companion.

If it wasn't immediately obvious, Ori and the Blind Forest is gorgeous.

Watch out for spikes--they'll get ya.

Swim if you want to, but you can also just wall jump to reach the top of the far wall.

During my journey, I encountered what I assumed to be a few dead kindred spirits. Looks like they're all hanging out here.

Ryan was once the Executive Editor of GamesRadar, before moving into the world of games development. He worked as a Brand Manager at EA, and then at Bethesda Softworks, before moving to 2K. He briefly went back to EA and is now the Director of Global Marketing Strategy at 2K.