Sanabi

Another month, another game for my game discussion group - think book club for games. This time, we played Sanabi which is a game I had literally never heard of. The product of a Korean development team, Sanabi is ultimately a platformer centered around a swinging grappling hook mechanic. The platforming is fast-paced and a lot of fun, featuring linear levels culminating in unique boss fights. In between these levels, you are exposed to the story through cutscenes and dialogue which are very reminiscent of a visual-novel. This contrast - between fast paced platforming and text based storytelling - caused me some grief throughout my playthrough. It felt as though you were never allowed to platform for long enough, spare a section toward the end which is undoubtedly the highlight of the game - something that my whole discussion group agreed upon. Additionally, the narrative dialogue sections omit some basic quality of life features such as auto-advance that should be easy to implement. Overall, Sanabi features some good platforming gameplay complete with an enjoyable narrative, but I left feeling like the formual was fundamentally incompatible.

Play it for the:

• Beautiful cyberpunk pixel-art
• Twisting narrative
• Ending platforming sequence

Reviewed on 2025-9-5

The pixel art is glorious, and the game knows it.