PlayStation 4PC (Microsoft Windows)Xbox OneNintendo Switch2019

Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair

Yooka and Laylee are back for a brand new adventure! Get ready for the ultimate challenge - the Impossible Lair! Capital B has created a Hivemind device and used it to enslave the toughest bees in the Royal Stingdom - the Royal Beettalion Guard! Liberate them from chapters filled with only the tastiest 2D platforming trimmings, and take on a 3D overworld that contains a wealth of puzzles, secrets and some familiar faces!

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Very Positive

854 Steam reviews

Review History

LANGUAGE	AUDIO	SUBTITLES	INTERFACE
English	—	Y	Y
Chinese (Simplified)	—	Y	Y
English (UK)	—	Y	Y
French	—	Y	Y
German	—	Y	Y
Japanese	—	Y	Y
Polish	—	Y	Y
Spanish (Spain)	—	Y	Y

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Keywords

available on - luna plus

Reviews

854 total

≥h

Steam User 5979STEAMRecommended

Muy bueno

Mar 27, 2026·30h·Verified

Steam User 6144STEAMRecommended

作为老rare原班人马出走后的作品，《尤卡莱莉与无望巢穴》确实几乎完完整整地保留了上世纪90年代巅峰期rare的那种狂想与倔强。作为尤卡莱莉这个IP的第二部作品，他们没有继续试图致敬《班卓熊大冒险》做3D收集马拉松，而是致敬自己的另一座高峰《咚奇刚国度》，做出了一部既有关卡设计之严谨，又有视觉上的演出享受的2D平台跳跃游戏。但是本作与传统的2D平台跳跃有几个不同：首先，最终boss关卡上来就呈现在玩家眼前，玩家也能随时去挑战，但难度非常非常高（正如游戏名所说的“无望巢穴”），但随着玩家的过关，会收集到许多蜜蜂，而每一只蜜蜂都能在无望巢穴里为玩家抵挡一次致命伤害；第二点，本作并不像传统平台跳跃，使用直接的选关地图，游戏具有一个3d大地图，玩家可以在其中进行解谜和探索，从而解锁新关卡，寻找药水等；第三点，本作虽然名义上只有20关+最终关，但是实际上20个关卡都可以在3d大地图探索中，解锁一些变体：例如，把第一章的城镇钓起来，关卡就会变为“混乱”状态，引水流到第五章，关卡就会变为“成熟”状态，拿箱子卡住第二十章的矿车，关卡就会变为“停泊”状态，这种变化不是简单地换个滤镜，而是运用相同的元素构造出几乎完全不同的关卡，甚至还有以上下颠倒或横向变竖向为设计思路的变种关卡，可谓诚意满满。本作的40个关卡中，也有4个隐藏出口供玩家寻找，而且引导难度也算适中。游戏中有很多的药水可供收集，有的是增加难度和钱币获取率，如操作反转，地图镜像，减少关卡中途存档点等，有的则是降低难度和钱币获取率，如增加存档点，跑得更快，滚动更快等等，还有的则是纯粹的加滤镜和调整人物形象。然而，绝大多数药水的获取都没有什么解谜可言，甚至可以说有很多就是纯粹的在一个毫无引导的地方下砸一下，然后给你一个，我认为这是非常垃圾的设计，建议收集药水这部分直接跟着攻略走，节省时间。此外，本作还有一些特点，我能接受，但未必适合所有玩家，首先就是手感比较粘滞，有一定操作延迟而且人物惯性较大；而且，如果你以为全收集后就能靠48只蜜蜂给的48次容错横闯最终关，那你就大错特错了，实际上，即使全收集，最终关的难度曲线还是有一个台阶式的上涨的，简而言之就是又难又长，分为整整四部分高强度的平台跳跃挑战和多阶段boss战。但好在，失败后可以直接从已经经过的部分继续挑战，这大大节省了时间成本。游戏中台词文本中充斥着大量英式冷幽默，让玩家会心一笑。而且，Grant Kirkhope与David Wise共同谱写的OST毫无疑问是一张高质量的专辑，大大增强了关卡的沉浸感，即使你不能上手这个游戏，我也建议你搜来听听。总而言之，我认为这是一部既有老游戏的奇思妙想和古怪癖好，又能在绝大多数地方让现代玩家玩的开心的游戏。

Mar 16, 2026·15h·Verified

Steam User 9027STEAMRecommended

Достаточно хороший 2D-платформер, который был вдохновлен классическими играми вроде Donkey Kong Country. Уровни интересные и местами даже заставляют попотеть, также есть небольшой открытый мир, где можно и нужно решать головоломки и открывать новые версии уровней.

Визуально игра выглядит ярко и приятно, а музыка хорошо дополняет атмосферу. Но иногда управление кажется немного скользким, из-за чего на сложных моментах легко умереть(

В целом игра хорошая, но местами может показаться немного душной, особенно финальный уровень, который высосал из меня всю душу!

Mar 11, 2026·19h·Verified

Steam User 1719STEAMNot recommended

Spiel für 3 Jährige Kinder..... das Niveau ist echt ganz unten... Schwierigkeitsgrad existiert überhaupt nicht... man läuft einfach nur durch.... was für ein schwachsinniges Spiel!!!!

Mar 11, 2026·Verified

Steam User 2706STEAMRecommended

NeeYum!!!

Mar 11, 2026·16h·Verified

Steam User 7469STEAMRecommended

Jeu intéressant, mais pas parfait, car celui-ci a quelques problèmes techniques (Bugs de collisions sur le final et quelques niveaux), cinétique du personnage qui est ressemblante à un tank a des moments (difficulté de se mouvoir dans certains niveaux, sauf en mode nage et en mode vol dans les courant d'air), Ne convient pas à des enfants malgré la direction artistique enfantine.
Pas de choix de difficulté, mais le final vous donnera du fil à retordre, même si vous faites le 100%
A ne pas mettre entre toutes les mains, sauf ceux aimant les défis.

Feb 25, 2026·29h·Verified

Steam User 1783STEAMRecommended

The best Donkey Kong Country game without "Donkey Kong Country" in the title. Playtonic KNOWS what they are doing and have a passion for their craft. The soundtrack is ridiculously charming, probably my favorite game soundtrack ever. And the customization options (tonics) for both visuals and gameplay leave me mesmerized!

Feb 22, 2026·61h·Verified

Steam User 9336STEAMRecommended

yooka-laylee and the impossible lair is playtonic's 2nd game, and yooka-laylee's 2nd entry, and this time, it's a 2D platformer - and an incredibly strong one at that. one could chalk this down to the poor reception the 1st game received, and the fact a lot of playtonic's developers are responsible for some of the greatest 2D platformers ever made such as the donkey kong country trilogy.

the game boasts 40 levels, half of which are altered versions of the other half, accessed by a very compelling overworld system which is the best overworld i've seen implemented in a game like this (think super mario 3D world). it weaves collecting tonics, interesting puzzles, and character interactions in a pretty simple "zelda-like" top down format, and the alterations made to each level are cleverly conveyed through things you do in the overworld, such as blowing air onto a level, or submerging it in water.

the actual level design is mostly very good, every single level introduces a unique gimmick ensuring the game practically never gets stale, and the tonic system is a brilliant way of introducing replayability and accessibility; some make the game a joke in terms of difficulty whereas others can make the game feel nearly impossible. some levels do feel pretty easy for where they're placed in the game, and others have the opposite problem, so generally i'd argue the difficulty curve isn't great, but it's not that noticeable and hardly detracts from the experience.

by far the hardest level, the titular impossible lair, is no joke. it's genuinely an extremely hard endurance test, and i didn't dare try to beat it all in one single attempt. it's very well put together however and is a testament to playtonic's ability to design a punishing, yet fair challenge (the boss fights in between the level's checkpoints are pretty boring and long, however).

my only real gripe with the game is its presentation is lacking in some areas; the jarring text boxes which occasionally pop up during gameplay just looks incredibly cheap and the annoying voices persist in this game, like the last. the bonus stages also look like a flash game, no clue how they made it into the final product. the music, however, is phenomenal, being composed by david wise, grant kirkhope, matt griffin, and daniel murdoch - excellent ambient tracks which ooze atmosphere. i can easily recommend it to anyone who even mildly enjoys 2D platformers and a decent challenge.

[b] 7/10 [/b]

Feb 17, 2026·20h·Verified

Steam User 9610STEAMRecommended

Questo gioco stava diventando per quanto mi riguarda, il gioco più bilanciato ed onesto del genere platform 2D a scorrimento laterale (più tendente al facile, ma tutto sommato impegnativo) e stava per diventare tra i miei giochi preferiti. Poi, il NOT The Impossible Lair (Nemmeno quello più difficile, pensa te...) rovina totalmente l'esperienza di gioco. Tutta un'altra roba, non tanto per la difficoltà aumentata. Per me non era difficilissimo, sarà che sono un veterano dei platforming, ma quanto per la durata e lo sbilanciamento attorno ai checkpoint.
Il gioco si mostra in un modo e poi il finale diventa un vero e proprio calvario, quasi come se si stesse giocando a Celeste praticamente con l'aggravante dei mancati checkpoint, perché il sistema di save a fasi è illusorio. Si, parti più avanti ma ti tiene conto di ogni ape persa il ché alla lunga NON SERVE perché avrai così poche api che sarà un parto e ti converrà PER FORZA masterare ogni singola fase al meglio prima di tenertela come salvata e avanzare, quasi come se fosse un gioco a parte. Ma dico io... mettermelo come post-game no? No, me lo piazzi nell'esperienza base. Totalmente insane onestamente, sinceramente a 30 anni non c'ho proprio voglia né la pazienza di torturarmi coi try & error. Non ci provo alcuno stimolo, è solo perdita di tempo se non mi tieni congelato i progressi precedenti. C'ho investito un'oretta e pensa un pò, ero arrivato quasi già allo scontro finale con circa 11 api ma ovviamente la mia bravura non basta. Serve allenamento, ripartire da 0, rimasterare le api e arrivare lì con almeno 20-25 api perché poi c'è una quarta boss fight filata e in più un ennesimo e 5 fase platforming complessa e A TEMPO che se non corri perdi e ti rifai tutto daccapo. Cioè, ma tutto apposto?
Sto titolo per me aveva tutto per essere un capolavoro, e s'è perso in un bicchiere d'acqua nel finale. Grafica super ok, gestione dei comandi a parte qualche incertezza solidi, profondità dei livelli e progressione di sblocco mappa molto figo ed originale. Davvero poco da criticare, e stavo preparando una recensione super lodevole ma sto finale ha sporcato tutto.
Non sarò ipocrita e lo consiglio ugualmente, perché tutto sommato lo si può anche godere fino al capitolo20 e rimanere soddisfatti skippando quella merda di livello finale, però è un gran peccato e se lo sapevo prima probabilmente non lo acquistavo. Perché di giocare sapendo che per completarlo dovevo sottopormi a tale tortura non avrei condiviso, ma oramai.
Però per coloro che non hanno problemi lo consiglio perché il resto del gioco è tanta roba.
Sia chiaro, il The Impossible Lair NOT non è difficile da terminare, è LUNGO DA FARE SCHIFO.
Richiede almeno 1/2h se tutto va bene. Perché l'intero livello in sé dura una mezz'ora abbondante, con 5 fasi e 4 boss fight tutte DI FILA. E seppur ti danno checkpoint pre-bossfight (dovendo risfidare il boss ogni volta) ti conteggia ciò che hai perso percui alla lunge è useless. Il miglior modo è masterare al meglio le fasi, specie le prime 2. Arrivare per la 3 fase sulle 25-30 api il ché richiede tanto allenamento e pratica, anche perché il gioco non è perfetto nei comandi e nei pixel perfect spesso prendi danni gratuiti.
Perciò io lo mollo, per mancanza di stimoli. Per me questa non è sfida. La sfida e quando mi fai affrontare un ostacolo impegnativo anche esagerato ma GIUSTO. E qui per me non lo è.
Preferisco riaffrontare il boss finale dell'atto3 in Silksong, guardate cosa vi arrivo a dire. E lì ci misi molto eh perché era progettato male l'ultima fase, ma almeno E' UNA. Finisci quello termina il gioco.
Qui no, è circa mezz'ora abbondante di platform + boss fight da fare perfettamente.
Chiudo col dire che lessi un commento che disse più o meno le mie stesse robe, senza entrare nei dettagli ed io non gli diedi retta. Pensai fosse solo scarso e invece aveva ragionissima e se lo avessi saputo manco lo installavo il gioco. Perché ok, alla fine me lo so goduto e so comunque contento ma da giocatore che vuole provare a completare il gioco al 100% se so in anticipo di meccaniche disgustose evito proprio di metterci mano perché non mi vivo bene l'esperienza.

Feb 17, 2026·21h·Verified

Steam User 3422STEAMRecommended

This is a wonderfully made game (except the ending). They did a bunch of things right to make this game genuinely fun and removed a bunch of gimmicks that other games, like Mario/Donkey Kong have.

For example, there's no such thing as lives in this game. If you die, you restart at a checkpoint, and can re-do it over and over as many times as you would like without losing lives and having to reset. The way they balance this out is by making you lose quills (their "coins"), and quills are needed to progress through the game and unlock tonics. They also removed the useless timer that many Mario games have, so you don't have to rush through levels. You can take your time and explore to find all of the hidden T.W.I.T. coins.

Tonics can be found in the over-world and can be used to make your game easier or harder. If you use tonics to make your game easier, you'll lose a percentage of the quills at the end of the level, and vice versa. This is a great mechanic because it rewards those who take risks, but only makes players who want to make the game easier/safer have to play a bit longer to collect enough quills. Great trade off in my opinion.

They also made a way for swimming to feel good. While I still don't prefer swimming levels, they at least play decently in this game.

That being said, the ending of this game is utter trash. It's next level impossible, and it's an entirely different game. While the whole game is very Mario/Donkey Kong inspired, the last boss level is pretty much one of those ridiculous borderline impossible Mario Maker levels you see online. It's not fun, it's RIDICULOUSLY HARD (only 6% of players have the achievement), but it's just simply NOT THE SAME GAME. It's an entirely different genre just slapped on at the end. It's pretty terrible game design and I hope their next game is better thought out when it comes to the ending.

Not to mention the ending was just.. bad? The story of the game boils down to a couple sentences, and after one of the most frustrating "boss" battles I've ever experienced there was zero satisfaction. Just anger at how stupid hard I had to fight to beat the game.

Feb 14, 2026·22h·Verified

Steam User 1618STEAMRecommended

Одна из лучших игр платформеров, хотя за мультяшной рисовкой и персонажами таиться хардкор, игра подарила мне не забываемые эмоции. Всем советую его покупать, чтобы поддержать разрабов

Feb 4, 2026·32h·Verified

Steam User 2719STEAMRecommended

Sus niveles son ingeniosos, variados y con un diseño que premia la exploración y la habilidad. El mapa interactivo le da una vuelta original a la progresión, y el “Impossible Lair” es un desafío épico que se siente justo y motivador.

Jan 31, 2026·12h·Verified

Steam User 8532STEAMRecommended

It's like Donkey Kong Country but with a chance of future entries. Doesn't reinvent the wheel, but its a solid platformer with satisfying, weighty controls, a big overworld to explore and a brilliant soundtrack including songs by the legendary David Wise.

Probably Playtonics best outing to date, if you're chomping at the bit to scratch that DKC itch, this might just do the job.

Jan 25, 2026·19h·Verified

Steam User 0221STEAMNot recommended

Overly floaty movement. Can't change control scheme on either controller or keyboard.
Do not buy Playtonic platformers, treat yourself to better indies.

Jan 25, 2026·1h·Verified

Steam User 1039STEAMRecommended

**Recomendado, pero complicado**

*Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair* es un plataformero que combina **niveles 2D** con un **supramundo 3D** lleno de secretos. Visualmente tiene detalles hermosos que recuerdan a clásicos y hasta a la famosa demo fan de *Sonic & Knuckles*: lunas de fondo, puestas de sol y niveles que cambian dinámicamente (de soleados a nublados, con viento incluido).

Está lleno de guiños a los grandes plataformas 2D (como *El Rey León* de 16-bit), y su **música es excelente**. Eso sí, la **dificultad es muy elevada**: el juego no perdona y puede volverse frustrante. El sistema de farmeo de plumas te obliga a **repetir niveles**, y además es un juego bastante largo.

**Tip:** jugalo con una guía para no volverte loco.

Otro punto negativo es el uso de recursos: consume demasiada memoria para un juego de su estilo( el hogwarts legacy recalienta menos el pc que este "yooka and laylee 2"

Ideal para amantes del género que busquen un desafío serio y sepan a lo que van.

Jan 22, 2026·42h·Verified

Steam User 8497STEAMRecommended

Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair succeeds as a 2D platformer built on tight controls and clever level design. The tonic system rewards experimentation, allowing you to toggle difficulty or vary playstyles on the fly. While the overworld and main stages are highlights, the absence of traditional bosses creates a noticeable lull in the variety. Swapping mini-bosses for trivial Pagie challenges as a means to access new areas is a bold pivot that fails to satisfy. Furthermore, the finale’s jarring difficulty spike is a massive misstep that belongs in an optional post-game trial. Minor pacing issues aside, it is a polished title that understands genre fundamentals.

──────────────
[b][h1] Score: 7.5/10[/h1][/b]──────────────

[b][u]PROS[/u][/b]
• Satisfying precision platforming
• Tonics add flexibility & accessibility options
• Enjoyable overworld adds light puzzle-solving

[b][u]CONS[/u][/b]
• No traditional mini-boss encounters
• Final level may alienate less skilled players
• Progression between chapters lacks variety

[b]Editorial Disclosure[/b]
[i]Human-authored. AI used only as a collaborative editor for clarity.[/i]

Jan 21, 2026·40h·3·Verified

Steam User 6445STEAMRecommended

so far, pretty fun. the overworld is very fun to explore and interact with.
imo on average id say it is little better of quality than a DK returns hmmm around Tropical freeze, but cheaper and with more jokes.
I think it is one of the best 2D/2.5D platformers you can get nowadays

Jan 21, 2026·14h·1·Verified

Steam User 5497STEAMRecommended

The LAIR might be IMPOSSIBLE, but buying the game is very easy!

Jan 14, 2026·50h·Verified

Steam User 9201STEAMRecommended

Um jogo maravilhoso dos mesmo criadores de Donkey Kong e Banjo Kazooie a mesma qualidade de tudo e vale muito a pena

Jan 13, 2026·16h·Verified

Steam User 5242STEAMRecommended

Fantastic game. I wasn't planning on completely beating it, but ended up doing it anyway! Secret levels included. Took me about 11 hours to complete according to the Main Menu.

Had a great time. A lot of people in the reviews seem to have difficutly problems but I personally think it's very managable. The main issue I had were the T.W.I.T Coins. Too many instances where, if you miss it, there's no way to get the coin without restarting the level - and sometimes you just accidentally lock yourself out of a coin by taking the wrong door.

Outside of that (and perhaps the lack of bossfights), not much to complain about! Platforming is good, the music is great, and really loved the Overworld.

Big thumbs up!

Jan 13, 2026·19h·Verified

Steam User 2592STEAMNot recommended

On purchasing this game I had somewhat high expectations going off the Steam reviews. Platformers are my jam. Unfortunately, this games looks and feels like a bootleg Nintendo platformer. It does not even compete with any decent tight feeling indie platformers for that matter. And I do not say this for the sake of being mean. The game is just anything but tight: It feels and controls sloppily and something about the clumsy animation work is a compounding factor. Its a shame really. The art style, if not exceptional in any way and quite boring, is at least inoffensive and I loved the David Wise OST. But other than that the games just feels like a cheap DKC Tropical Freeze.

Jan 11, 2026·14h·1·Verified

Steam User 7332STEAMRecommended

很好玩的有一点复古的横版跳跃游戏。
整个游戏过程体验可以用渐入佳境来形容，因为角色有惯性（性能类似于雷曼），需要前期关卡来适应，熟悉后利用这一性能在冲刺和加速上能驾驭的很好。
关卡设计中上，每一关都有类似于表里两部分，为了防止漏隐藏，初见时大部分时间花在吃羽毛和找隐藏，会花10-20分钟左右，而打过一遍后速通找硬币基本只要3-5分钟。
大世界类似于马里奥奥德赛，机关比较简单，属于看见就知道怎么解，路牌的解谜有些就比较谜语人，看了攻略找到了剩下几个。强化药水可惜只能带3个，可以根据自己习惯加强角色性能，也有改变画面的挺有意思和创意。
半数关卡的bgm也很有风味，在收集过程中让人不那么枯燥，而且好听的从中期开始变多，也是上面说的渐入佳境的一点。
最终boss关卡很有挑战性，单论关卡难度并不比之前难多少，最大的难点在于你只有48次受伤机会（如果兵蜂全收集），算上boss战有4个小关，每个小关相当于前面的一关。即使每个小关有存档，并不会补充损失的兵蜂，只会记录受伤最少的一次时的兵蜂数量，也就是越往后，即使你从后面关卡开始打，也会因为你前期受伤太多而受到影响。这种关卡放在其他游戏应该是彩蛋或者挑战关卡，放在主线最终boss里难度一下上了几个层级。
即使最终关有点难度，这依然是个优秀的横版跳跃游戏，而且最终关磨一磨其实也能过（比空洞无锁五门简单）。

Jan 10, 2026·39h·Verified

Steam User 7168STEAMRecommended

Jedna z najlepszych platformówek w ogóle. Starczy na wiele godzin, jest wiele różnych znajdziek i nawiązań do klasyki. Czasem wymagająca.

Jan 6, 2026·30h·Verified

Steam User 7287STEAMRecommended

Great game!

Jan 4, 2026·12h·Verified

Steam User 9010STEAMNot recommended

I enjoyed a lot about this game, and it is highly polished. But ultimately, it was too hard for me and requires too much level memorization (I am old, have been platforming since the nes).

Therefore, I do not think many players will actually finish it, so no recommendation from me.

Jan 1, 2026·6h·2·Verified

Steam User 9517STEAMRecommended

It's the best Donkey Kong Country Game to be released

Dec 28, 2025·16h·2·Verified

Steam User 0545STEAMRecommended

temos donkey kong tropical freeze em casa

muito bom

Dec 24, 2025·50h·Verified

Steam User 0645STEAMRecommended

Did you play Donkey Kong Country and think it was too easy? Do you also enjoy solving some simple puzzles and collecting tons of extra crap?

This checks all those boxes. Really great level design, and the overworld is a joy to explore as well.

If you don't enjoy platforming (or do but are terrible at it,) this probably isn't a game for you though.

Dec 20, 2025·15h·7·Verified

Steam User 6602STEAMRecommended

Is good.

Dec 19, 2025·18h·Verified

Steam User 7119STEAMRecommended

At first, I kind of avoided this game due to the reputation of the first game had, and i thought this was just riding on DKC's fame, but personally, this was one of the best platformers I've played in a while.

It does play very much like DKC with how the movements work, but compared to the modern DKC titles, the way the movements work feels much different despite being similar. The moveset available is very basic, but I can kind of see what similar movements they took from the modern DKC games but have their own twist with it unique to both Yooka and Laylee's and the own game's style.

I like how each level has an alternate version that changes up the whole level to make it unique despite just kind of recycling the whole level. Their own way of a "Bonus Room" are doors, they're also used the transition from one area to another area in the level. I found it weird at first, but it did have it's own type of use that makes the game stand out a bit more than the other platformers. As for the overworld map, I certainly liked the treasure seeking and the puzzle solving aspects of it, a huge chunk of my playtime was dedicated to just doing those and i enjoyed it pretty much, reminds me of something like how you progress the world in Banjo Kazooie to unlock levels but simplified being top down.

The collectibles were also pretty fun to get through, DKC had the puzzle pieces that have different numbers per level and the KONG letters, and the bananas. Yooka Laylee has the T.W.I.T. coins and quills for the levels, and the tonics in the overworld. Due to the lack of a lives system, the quills doesn't net lives, instead it's now used to buy stuff in game. I do like the weird lil ghost quills that gives has different little quill collection challenges. T.W.I.T coins are basically like Star Coins from Mario, KONG letters, or the Puzzle Pieces from DKC. Sometimes they're hidden and sometimes they're just out in the open. Tonics are usually hidden in the overworld but they were mostly fun to find.

The music is pretty great, and it keeps the themes pretty well. Wise still has it, but most of the ost is done by Griffin and Murdoch which is as great as Wise's. Kirkhope's tracks were mostly the overworld which felt very appropriate. The visuals look great too, it's very "Rare-eqsue". At times, it looks like their old prerendered visuals from the original DKC games but in HD and real time, but sometimes it's more cartoon-y than those. Still very appealing.

My few problems with this game:
At first, I didn't jive with the game's movement as it's very weird feeling at first especially with how the animations are, but I got the hang of it and somehow I prefer it more than the DKC titles. This being a DKC spiritual successor of sorts, some of the levels feel like they're riding on some of the iconic levels from the first 3 DKC games. They aren't really 1:1 but very similar. That's also the only few gimmick-y levels I'd say, most of them are pretty memorable, but they're also somehow kind of shorter than the other levels.

As for the difficulty, the game is somehow not that difficult even around the last few levels which is surprising for me with it being like DKC. Of course there's the Golden Try challenge, and Impossible Lair itself, but before that, there isn't really much difficulty with me progressing through the later levels, even the previously mentioned gimmick levels. I did hear that Impossible Lair was way more difficult even with the bees due to the lack of checkpoints, I'm personally glad they did the checkpoints but kept the bee count so it's still difficult but not as time consuming.

Overall, I'd give it a 9/10. it's great, wish there were more like it.

Dec 13, 2025·18h·1·Verified

Steam User 7473STEAMNot recommended

Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair is Playtonic's attempt at their own Donkey Kong Country.
It is not a good attempt.

If you [i]really[/i] want this game, wait for a good sale.

[h1]Gameplay[/h1]
[h3]Getting Hit Takes Away Moves[/h3]
You start with Yooka and Laylee, if you take a hit you lose Laylee, losing Laylee removes aerial attacks and makes your jumps harder, making some of the game much harder.

[h3]Momentum Gameplay[/h3]
Too often I found a quick reaction time isn't enough, Yooka has momentum and will crash into hazards or go speeding into death pits because I can't stop fast enough.

[h3]Tonics[/h3]
Tonics are either upgrades or cosmetics, you can find themscattered around the world, once you find them you can then buy the with quills you earn in levels.

Playing a level with any tonic that might be considered an upgrade gives you a negative multiplier to your earnings, making buying other upgrades take longer because you're earning less, the better the tonic the worse the punishment.

You also have only three slots of Tonics, you have to choose between upgrades and cannot pick cosmetics without wasting a slot.

[h1]Annoyances[/h1]
Every time you collect a new bee, you have to watch the full animation of it flying back to camp and everything else flash to remind you for the seventh time that they're there.

Dec 11, 2025·2h·Verified

Steam User 0900STEAMNot recommended

If you look up mediocre in the dictionary, its just a picture of this game. The game gets worse as it goes. Before you believe the very positive rating, ask yourself why only 6.1% of people actually took the time to beat this game.

Dec 6, 2025·22h·Verified

Steam User 8087STEAMRecommended

Holy Moly

Nov 30, 2025·36h·Verified

Steam User 8355STEAMRecommended

Such a charming and rewarding platformer.

Nov 30, 2025·27h·Verified

Steam User 1611STEAMRecommended

very good game

Nov 29, 2025·14h·Verified

Steam User 1961STEAMRecommended

I'm going to tentatively call this one complete as I have beaten the final boss, I just haven't beaten the final final escape sequence, but I don't feel particularly bad as I will explain in detail later!

This game is fun and charming. I love the visuals and the majority of the humour. The way this game is divided into simple overworld exploration combined with light puzzle solving to change the environment within the 2D sidescrolling levels is really clever, interesting and original! The vibes here are great, with the charming visuals and excellent music really pushing this great positive feeling the game proudly exudes.

The majority of what this game does well almost feels wasted when it comes to the final level however; the titular Impossible Lair. This level really shines a blinding spotlight on this game's shortcomings and pushes them front and centre in what feels like a deliberate attempt to be frustrating and meme-worthy in terms of difficulty, rather than presenting a final challenge that the game has built to. The difficulty scaling is pretty minimal throughout the majority of the game (helped by generous checkpoints) but then this level hits and it's like a straight line upwards. All of the small flaws that didn't really cause huge issues in most of the levels are now on full display because of the completely unforgiving nature of this specific stage; the camera sometimes just kinda doing its own thing (in a 2D platformer!!), the sometimes quite imprecise and seemingly rng dependent hitboxes on objects (I've literally had obstacles deal damage to me when I am rolling underneath them as the level intends) and what stings the most here is the load times combined with the complete absence of a "retry" button. Every time I want to reattempt the level knowing I've taken too much damage on one particular boss, I have to back out to the world map, wait for that to load, hold Y to enter the level again, select what part of the stage I want to continue, wait for that to load, walk back into the boss room, wait for him to say the dialogue that isn't funny, then finally reattempt the boss fight. It doesn't sound like much but it really starts getting grating when you've been trying to get through a level for the past 45-60 minutes.

With that rant out of the way, this game is absolutely still worth a play, but I genuinely recommend that you do NOT attempt to beat it fully. Just play all 40 of the normal stages and call it a day imo!

Nov 27, 2025·12h·2·Verified

Steam User 8097STEAMRecommended

チュートリアルが終わったらすぐラスボスに挑戦できる！でもそこは超高難易度ステージだからダメージを代わりに受けてくれる味方のハチを通常ステージでたくさん集めましょうね、という独特のシステム。

…なのですがMAXまでハチを揃えてもまぁまぁ難しいです。通常ステージもそこそこ難しいです。クリアまでプレイするにはちょっとばかり根気がいるかもしれません。

とはいえ、カジュアルなものから狂気の難易度まで幅広いプラットフォーマーというジャンルにおいて本作はちょうどいい塩梅に歯ごたえのあるものとなっているように感じます。

セール時はゲーム本編とサウンドトラック合わせて400円くらいで買えるので気軽に購入してみてほしいです。音楽が本当に良いです。

Nov 27, 2025·42h·Verified

Steam User 8837STEAMNot recommended

It's 2025 and still no game has managed to have the tight controls that truly made the original DKC 1-3 what it is. Every platforming game (including the modern DKCs) seems to insist on character's momentum causing difficulty rather than anything else. The twit coins are fine, but requiring them to progress the game is irritating, especially when they're often placed before a one way door. The overworld was just a huge annoyance, I should never have to look up a guide or solve a puzzle for a platforming game.

Just replay the original DKCs again.

Nov 25, 2025·5h·1·Verified

Steam User 7797STEAMRecommended

I love Donkey Kong Country Returns. It holds a special place in my heart, but it's also just a phenomenal 2.5D platformer. Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair does not give that game a run for it's money.

With that being said... however, I did grow to enjoy the The Impossible Lair more as I progressed through it. David Wise of DKC fame does a fantastic job on the soundtrack, certainly one of the standout features the game. Some of the levels are super visually vibrant, but maybe only once or twice was I wowed by any gameplay. One fun element not found in DKC games is how the world map acts as a sort of open-world level, with puzzles, collectables and npcs to interact with. It makes up probably a few hours of gameplay.
Another standout detail was the level variants. Every level in the game features a sort of 'b-side', ranging from a slight gameplay difference, like the water being frozen or conveyors moving backwards, to completely rebuilt levels that are basically completely new.
If you find this game too easy, I would recommend getting the "less checkpoints" tonic, making each level have only one checkpoint per level. I found this much more enjoyable as a platforming superfan.

This game has a pretty respectable amount of content. I'd recommend giving it a go, but some might find the movement janky. Overall pretty good
7.5/10

Nov 21, 2025·17h·Verified

Steam User 9147STEAMNot recommended

诠释了为什么有的游戏好评看的过去销量不行，因为不好玩，可惜过了退款时间了

Nov 18, 2025·Verified

Steam User 3355STEAMNot recommended

Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair has this stupid ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ annoying habit of constantly placing the damn coins immediately before some one-way gate so you go through it on accident and can't go back to get them anymore and honestly that is my sole reason for the downvote. I'm petty like that.

Nov 17, 2025·3h·8·Verified

Steam User 3923STEAMRecommended

looka yaylee

Nov 15, 2025·12h·1·Verified

Steam User 9811STEAMNot recommended

i ave a 700.00 steamdeck handled . i just purchase this game and it wont start . it just sit in the main menu. ??

Nov 12, 2025·1·Verified

Steam User 9596STEAMNot recommended

el movimiento se siente tan extraño, tiene un no se que que no se siente bien, patina mucho y tarda mucho en reaccionar a los controles

Nov 10, 2025·1·Verified

Steam User 3394STEAMNot recommended

Not worth the time, money, or frustration. 100% is so tedious, no wonder why so few have done it

Nov 9, 2025·17h·1·Verified

Steam User 1219STEAMRecommended

Lots of fun

Nov 8, 2025·28h·Verified

Steam User 2859STEAMRecommended

extremamente difícil.

Nov 7, 2025·20h·Verified

Steam User 9390STEAMNot recommended

I think it's time we just admitted Rareware has lost their touch. People often act like this is some redemption for Playtonic Games and Yooka-Laylee, but after casually going through only a fraction of this game, I have more achievements related to gameplay progression than over 80% of players. This game is highly regarded because people played the first few levels, thought it seemed promising, then threw it into their backlog and forgot about it.

The core gimmick of this game is GENIUS...and suddenly I'm out of positive things to say. Having the final level open at the beginning, but requiring the player to venture out into the world if they want more hit points, causing a constant conflict between the player's platforming and collecting skills is an idea worthy of golden age Rare, but unfortunately, since every level except the Impossible Lair is boring, and the Lair itself would take kaizo skills to challenge early...this game just isn't possible to enjoy. The people who upvoted this and threw it in their backlog are going to get a rude awakening when the video game industry collapses, and they find out the first levels were dull because this game is boring, not because they were beginner levels.

Like how Yooka-Laylee was like Banjo-Tooie, except without the creativity to make up for the problematic level design, this game is like Donkey Kong Country 3, except without creativity, and even worse regardless. The platforming is so slow and unsatisfying, with no interesting moves for either character, and the level design has you constantly waiting around for platforms to move over pits, or doors that open and close to open...you get the idea: Too much standing, not enough platforming. Whereas at least Donkey Kong Country 3 had good movement, even if it was unoriginal, and usually broke its flow by making you do little chores like killing a few enemies, rather than just making you stand around doing nothing.

Once again, this has completely missed the mark on what Banjo is supposed to be, which is baffling, considering this was made by the old Rare team themselves rather than indies trying to recreate the experience without actually understanding it. A core part of Banjo is, even though it loses to Mario, Sonic, and other platformers in raw gameplay, it makes up for it by adding amusing character and world interactions in every corner. But this has none of that, nor does it feel like Banjo. If the graphics and cheap nostalgic nods didn't give it away, and you told me this was a random 5/10 platformer released by a third party for the Wii in 2009, I would believe it. The few character interactions you get are in the overworld, which is a tiny fraction of the experience, and none of them are funny or interesting. Not to mention, all of the characters are just copy-pasted from the original Yooka-Laylee.

Also, this game is even worse than the original Yooka-Laylee in a key way: At least the original had Grant Kirkhope's amazing music, which unlike the rest of Rare, Kirkhope has not lost his touch, but he composed significantly fewer of this game's music, which instead is mostly populated by boring, uninteresting tunes that only serve to remind you how boring this game is.

If you're nostalgic for Banjo-Kazooie, play the mod "Banjo-Kazooie: Jiggies of Time" by Mark Kurko instead. Kurko, despite having nothing to do with Banjo's creation, seems to understand what Banjo is about better than the people who did create Banjo. Besides, this is 30 dollars, Jiggies of Time is free.

Nov 6, 2025·3h·3·Verified

Steam User 5560STEAMRecommended

Very underrated platformer, one of the best.

Nov 4, 2025·16h·1·Verified

Steam User 4191STEAMNot recommended

This game was good up until the impossible lair its far more difficult than the rest of the game and over all not fun.

Nov 1, 2025·17h·1·Verified

Steam User 6156STEAMRecommended

This is the sixth (and currrently final) entry in the Donkey Kong Country series. Overall I consider this to be the fifth best one.

From best to worst:

Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie kong's double trouble > Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy kong's quest > Donkey Kong Country 4: Returns > Donkey Kong Country > Donkey Kong country 6: Yooka Laylee > Donkey Kong country 5: Tropical Freeze

Oct 23, 2025·22h·3·Verified

Steam User 6963STEAMRecommended

If you enjoy the older style of donkey Kong games this will be a blast. Lots of fun for the level design and tons on levels to play through.

Oct 18, 2025·23h·1·Verified

Steam User 2462STEAMRecommended

Let me start by saying I've never really been an enormous fan of 2D platformers, but I went ahead and picked this up when it was very steeply discounted prior to Yooka-Replaylee's release. I much prefer 3D platformers that are less frustrating and more about exploration; fortunately, this game does scratch that itch with it's incredible home world. There are countless little secrets to find all over the place, and optional hints implemented for some of the more obscure ones.

My biggest gripe with games such as this is that they can feel unfair; sometimes you'll bop an enemy only to realize you were supposed to jump on its head to reach a collectible, and now you've lost your opportunity. You have to either kill yourself or start the level entirely over (sometimes collectibles are gated in such a way that if you miss your one shot, you MUST restart the level as there's no way to go back to pick up a key or grenade you need to unblock it).

There are also a few lengthy high-octane jaunts the game expects you to navigate through, but I was frequently killed by things I couldn't really see coming. In one level I encountered a cannon that required you to fire yourself out of, then bounce off an enemy it was pointed at in order to progress. I could not for the life of me get this to work. Firing the cannon just blasted me *into* the enemy and cost my one extra hit point, leaving me to finish the rest of the long, difficult section with 1hp.

If you don't mind having to replay some sections over and over for some kinda BS reasons, and enjoy perfecting your runs through levels, this game will please you! Some players may also get a kick out of replaying the Impossible Lair at the end (or the beginning) over and over again, getting just a little farther every few times they try....I'm just personally not one of these players, haha. I unlocked all achievements but probably won't pick this up again. It's good. Just not really for me. Onto Yooka-Replaylee!

Oct 16, 2025·23h·2·Verified

Steam User 9260STEAMRecommended

2D games are a way to restrict movement to increase creativity and fun. I like what they did here.

Oct 13, 2025·1h·1·Verified

Steam User 0048STEAMRecommended

Really fun so far!

Oct 13, 2025·2h·Verified

Steam User 8480STEAMRecommended

Impossible Lair is an incredibly fun platformer with a lot to offer. It isn't entirely sound or well built, but it's still very charming and quite impressive for an indie platformer.

You play as the duo Yooka and Laylee who have to confront Capital B. in his very hard to get through Impossible Lair. What's neat is that you can attempt the final level, the Impossible Lair, at any time, but it'll most likely be too hard and so you're encouraged to play the other levels to save bees which'll aid you in the lair by acting as extra hit points. This game takes its inspiration and gameplay directly from the Donkey Kong Country games since the devs used to be part of Rare working on that series. You'll be going through linear levels jumping on enemies, rolling for speed and collecting quills instead of DK bananas. If you get hit, you'll get temporary powered down as Laylee flies around and permanently powered down if you fail to get her in time. There's a lot of the expected quick and tight platforming but also an element of puzzle solving. You'll have many enemies and hazards to dodge and learn the patterns of, but you'll also need to be attentive as to figure out how you get to a collectible or in looking out for secrets. If you just go forward without care, you'll end up destroying boxes or defeating enemies you may've needed to use to get up to something. I myself really love this need to be wary of your environment, but I guess it could be a negative if you just want to go fast and don't wish to replay levels in order to go back and get what you missed.
The other half of the gameplay is what makes this game quite a bit more special than others. There's an entire sorta Zelda-like overworld part to this game. There's the expected light puzzle solving of moving blocks around and finding secrets, but also the great idea to have you do things to the books the levels are contained within in order to change the level. There are 20 books and therefore 20 levels across the game to play, but with you being able to alter the books, there are truly 40 levels to play all with their own collectibles to get and bees for the Impossible Lair. This both is a very cool concept on its own and also does a great job at making these already finely crafted levels have a lot more character to them as you run them back in very different ways. There are also some extra bees you can find within the overworld exclusively, whether it be through exploration or by finding secret exits in levels that spit you out to them. It may seem like the overworld is the lesser of the two halves of the gameplay at first, but trust me when I say it's indeed so fun in its own way.

There's a lot to collect both in the levels and across the overworld. In the levels, there are firstly the quills which are everywhere and serve as the main currency. A lot can be earned by playing with the different types of ghost quills throughout the levels as successfully doing their challenges rewards you handsomely. Then there are the T.W.I.T. coins which are much more useful and can be compared to the green stars in Mario 3D World. They are scattered throughout the level to be collected and getting enough will allow you to open up the next area of the overworld to access more levels. This game's coolest collectible are the tonics that can be found throughout the overworld and then unlocked with quills. These are literal game changers, being able to edit your moveset, change the gameplay systems or just apply cool effects and filters. They work as a bit of accessibility because if you're having trouble, you can use tonics to make the levels easier. This will tamper with your quill multiplier however, reducing the amount you get when you beat a level. Alternatively, you can equip tonics that make the game harder and so of course reward you with more quills to then buy more tonics. It's a really nice system I say that is completely up to the player as to how they want to engage it.

There's not much to say when it comes to story as it isn't a focus with the game. Hell, the game blatantly doesn't take itself very seriously with how much on the nose humor there is, or how many times the characters reference that they are in a game. The writing and world here is very whimsical and lighthearted, similar to how Banjo-Kazooie was. Characters are goofy looking and always are cracking jokes that are clever with wordplay and the such. There's nothing here to complain about really.

I'd say the game looks really nice with an artstyle that perfectly fits its whimsical tone. Textures aren't always the highest of detail or most convincing, but that's honestly okay for a platformer. I did see a few instances where you could look at where the world or sections of water abruptly cut off though, or one time seeing into the void through some stone. They actually out of nowhere really cooked with the music. There are many simpler tunes here sure, but then you load up another level and get hit with something either beautiful or absolutely slapping. Really reccomend checking out this game's ost for tracks like Factory Fright Frozen, Sawblade Evade Stuck, Ropeburn Ridge or Hazard Hanger Hung.

Now for the number of problems this game has. First up, Laylee is pretty annoying with how she behaves honestly, flying farther away from you and seemingly dodging you when you try to get her just to make the struggle of retrieval harder. This game doesn't have consistent geometry with some hazards not damaging you, you getting caught under slight overhangs or with Laylee getting stuck not so rarely. It would be appreciated if you could skip the sequence that plays for every bee you get and if you automatically selected the last tonic you collected when going into the menu instead of having to find it. Seems to be dynamic difficulty where once you die enough to trigger the ability to skip a section, it also reduces enemies. Weird and annoying that it does both this and allows you to skip as a perfectionist who loves eventually overcoming difficult sections. There are these bonus levels you play to alter the world but they are way too easier and never get harder even in the final parts of the game.
Now just for glitches/mishaps: Conveyors don't move you randomly. Text not smoothly moving as camera moves. Cant access books sometimes when warping to them. There's a tonic to give every enemy 2 hit points but some of them inexplicably still die to 1 hit. Issue of phasing through props such as ropes or rails, don't know what causes it. Overworld enemies getting stuck in their walk. Yooka & Laylee's map icon being misplaced and tweaking out when you select it when at the edge of the map. I saw a snail once move boxes up magically as it slithered into them. I encountered a blatantly misplaced invisible wall in a level once.

It may not be perfect but this is still an incredibly fun and charming indie platformer one should really consider playing. I really enjoyed it and hope they make a sequel to Impossible Lair some day in the future.

Oct 12, 2025·20h·Verified

Steam User 6204STEAMRecommended

Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair is a beautifully refined homage to the Donkey Kong Country series that still manages to set itself apart from its inspiration in a number of innovative ways. I never got around to playing the original Yooka-Laylee, and outside of the 3d Mario series, I don't have quite the same level of experience with collectathons that I do with pure side-scrolling platformers. The DKC series happens to be a cornerstone of my gaming history, with 2 and Tropical Freeze being among my favorite platformers.

One of the core facets that makes Impossible Lair quite unique to what precedes it surrounds its structure. Theoretically, you can finish the game right from the start by going through the entire Impossible Lair. The big catch is, you would be doing so without any of the Beettalion by your side, which are your primary incentive to playing the 20 chapters in the overworld. Having finished the Impossible Lair without the Beettalion twice (bear in mind, each one you collect acts as an extra hit point), it is a brutally unforgiving endurance run where you can lose it all at any point. I have certainly let out a good number of swears against Laylee actively trying to flee me in the most inconvenient spots. Thank goodness you can retry either version of the lair at any point. It is one hell of a gauntlet, but the lair remains extremely fair and well-designed, whether you're going through with assistance or not. It makes almost every failure feel like your fault entirely, while still pushing you to continue until that bastardous B has been thwarted.

Fortunately, the rest of the game is a lot more approachable and generally quite pleasant to discover. The overworld alone is an inclusion that was by no means needed, but made for a better game overall. Seeing how your interactions with Yooka-Laylee's universe directly affect the levels is a genius twist that I'm surprised more platformers haven't experimented with. Each of the 20 chapters have an additional "B-side" level, an alternate scenario that arises from something that Yooka and Laylee make happen in the overworld. It can be anything from the entire level's foundation being fished out to leave nothing but an apocalyptic hellscape, to freezing everything over, powering up a once dormant factory, coating an entire facility in honey, flipping the level upside down, and even turning a level completely on its side. The creativity runs wild, and even for the less crazy diversions, the second go-around almost always feels fresh from the first.

The movement and physics in Impossible Lair are not quite 1-to-1 with the tightness of the SNES DKC games, nor do they try to replicate the heavier feel from Returns and Tropical Freeze. It opts for a slightly floatier, lighter feel that is really satisfying in its own right. The roll has a clear boundary for how far you are able to extend it before running out, and I never feel too scared in performing riskier jumps as a result. The tonic system helps to further spice up the general gameplay in some fun ways. Besides movement improvements like a faster roll or faster swimming, there are also tonics that actively impede your gameplay, with the tradeoff of increasing your quill multiplier (which helps buy more tonics). I think the impeccably refined level design is handily proven by somehow going through entire levels in the dark, just as an example. Besides one or two levels that are very slowly paced and maybe one Twit coin that was too hidden, the chapters are a consistently great showcase, and the tonics allow for a surprising amount of replay value.

Visually, Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair is one of the prettiest 2.5D platformers I think you can play, only barely surpassed by Tropical Freeze and its astonishing level of detail. The colors pop, the environments feel alive, and everything has a certain cheery vibrance that makes the world a delight to traverse. The many tonic filters that you can apply are a cool shakeup as well. This game's OST is also a serious highlight, one that has quickly become one of my favorites from any platformer. David Wise, Dan Murdoch, Matt Griffin, and Grant Kirkhope did a masterful job of giving every facet of this world its own identity, while stringing everything together to make an adventure that feels triumphant and hopeful. I must give particular praise to Matt Griffin's contributions, which not only comprise the majority of the OST, but make them stand out as a perfect composer to follow up David Wise's legendary legacy. Songs like Turbine Trouble - Tidal, Factory Fright - Flooded, and both Cliffside Quests are melodically some of the finest I have encountered, truly euphoric and unforgettable. I hope Griffin and Murdoch continue to make music and can manage to break through to a broader audience one day.

All of this rambling is to say that Impossible Lair is a fantastic game, one I recommend both to platforming newcomers and those who have ample experience with anything that came before or after. While it might not be revolutionizing what platformers can be, the game thrives in being so well-rounded at what it offers and still has the flexibility to make the experience not entirely familiar. It's an easy thumbs-up from me.

Oct 10, 2025·57h·Verified

Steam User 4976STEAMRecommended

good game

Oct 10, 2025·28h·Verified

Steam User 4405STEAMRecommended

Getting the hang of things may pose a challenge, but once you get rollin its really enjoyable.

Oct 9, 2025·26h·1·Verified

Steam User 3579STEAMRecommended

This game has been slept on SO MUCH I actually can't believe how good this is lol. Yooka Laylee was the team shaking the dust off, but this is them in their element.

Unironically one of the best 2D platformers I have ever played, it's stellar! If you're curious about this one, I absolutely recommend picking it up. It's essentially DKC 4 but with the added bonus of a detailed overworld that is practically it's own level, with all the secrets and such around the place. This game SLAPS!

Special shoutout to the soundtrack as well, it's crazy good.

Oct 9, 2025·2h·6·Verified

Steam User 1879STEAMRecommended

Buen plataformero al estilo Crash Bandicoot. Si te gusta el género te va a gustar el juego, sin duda

Oct 3, 2025·31h·Verified

Steam User 1893STEAMRecommended

Hermano de verdad esa guarida si es imposible, 10/10.

Oct 2, 2025·28h·Verified

Steam User 6159STEAMNot recommended

I liked the 1st game better. This donkey kong tropical freeze clone just didn't cut it for me. Repetitive and uninspired. The worst part is the last level which at its easy mode is crazy batsh*t hard. So I quit. I wasn't having any fun. There was no challenge. It was pure torture and that's bad gaming design. Probably one of the few games I have rage quit in my 35 yrs of gaming.

Oct 2, 2025·14h·5·Verified

Steam User 7032STEAMRecommended

After a first episode that only garnered a mixed critical reception, Yooka-Leylee drops the Banjo-Kazooie formula in favor of a brand new 2D-side scrolling adventure which propels the dynamic duo to the Pantheon of the all time great precision platformers, carving a place along other notorious mascots such as Super Mario or Crash Bandicoot.

It takes a little time to get used to the peculiarities of the game's gameplay but, when it clicks, it feels great to gracefully roll and jump through the levels at high speed.
This would be enough to make of this game an easy recommendation, but it should also be noted that the Impossible Lair is, in fact, two games bundled together: a tight platformer on the one hand, and a puzzle platformer with a top-down perspective on the other, with its over-world filled to the brim with secrets to unravel and hidden paths, and its map reminiscent of the Zelda franchise.

Add a competent and colorful presentation to the mix, and a good soundtrack with some memorable tunes, and I can only share my enthusiasm for what was, for me, an unexpected discovery.

Sep 30, 2025·31h·1·Verified

Steam User 1947STEAMRecommended

很有趣的游戏，画面丰富多彩。跳跳乐，有点上头，还好复生点合理，还要各种各样的瓶子增加容错。想要个二段跳

Sep 30, 2025·28h·Verified

Steam User 1736STEAMRecommended

Great game for anyone who likes DK Country style games.

Sep 30, 2025·14h·1·Verified

Steam User 7035STEAMRecommended

usually not a fan of platformers but this was fun

Sep 30, 2025·6h·Verified

Steam User 6958STEAMRecommended

[h1]Not for everyone[/h1]

It's definitely not the best platformer, so it can be hard to recommend.
But I like the humor and some of the puzzles/activities so far.

Sep 28, 2025·1h·3·Verified

Steam User 8470STEAMNot recommended

Game sejak awal main tidak berjalan dengan baik, baru awal main game tidak berjalan dengan baik. saya sangat menyesal beli game ini, tidak bisa dimainkan.

Sep 28, 2025·1h·Verified

Steam User 6530STEAMNot recommended

Wasn't having terribly much fun with the clunky platforming and floaty movement. The fact that the intro-videos are unskippable leaves a poor taste in the mouth right from the get-go-- as well as a lack of setting adjustments until after the first cutscene of the game.

Sep 28, 2025·1h·8·Verified

Steam User 2719STEAMNot recommended

It wants to be the next Banjo-Kazooie just a little too much. It's kinda fun, but it lacks authenticity.

Sep 28, 2025·2h·4·Verified

Steam User 8620STEAMNot recommended

Feels clunky, childish, and slow. Not a good platformer in my opinion.

TLDR: 3/10.

Sep 26, 2025·2h·3·Verified

Steam User 3143STEAMRecommended

Sep 25, 2025·22h·Verified

Steam User 7279STEAMRecommended

pretty fun platformer with an unfortunately poorly design final level

it's a fun game in the style of the DKC games, nice graphics, music got that Grant Kirkhope charm
but man that final level is disappointing. the rest of the game doesn't prepare you at all for the final level. not only that but design of the final level feels like someone modded in a late stage celeste level. there alot of precision platforming that game mechanic really isn't designed for. it's technically beatable of course but it feels really off.

If you fine with a final level you might night be able to beat even with all the bees, this game is pretty solid platformer

Sep 21, 2025·15h·1·Verified

Steam User 5833STEAMRecommended

This is a hidden gem. 40 levels, at the beginning easy (no problem for children), at the end challenging. Perfect. I can highly recommend it for the full price, if it is on sale it is a must buy!

Sep 18, 2025·28h·1·Verified

Steam User 0311STEAMRecommended

The game is a fun twist on the DKC formula. While I wouldn't call this game the hardest platformer I've ever played (Impossible Lair level excluded), It is still a reasonably challenging and rewarding experience with a fun overworld to explore and progress through. On the topic of the Impossible Lair level itself, I think it's a VERY difficult level, but thats what makes it fun. It is a standout level in terms of its difficulty relative to the rest of the game, but the same was true for the bonus levels in DKCR:3D/DKCR:HD and that never stopped that game from being a top 5 game for me personally, so I take no issue with the difficulty spike (Your opinions and mileage will vary on this). Overall, I would highly recommend this game to people who are big fans of more difficult 2D platformers. Inversely, this game gets VERY difficult by the end, so if you aren't big on massively difficult levels in your 2D platformers, pass on this one.

Sep 14, 2025·8h·6·Verified

Steam User 7954STEAMRecommended

It's called the impossible lair because the final level is impossible.

Sep 6, 2025·17h·2·Verified

Steam User 3523STEAMNot recommended

Eh.

I really like the overworld, talking to the characters and running around, but the levels themselves are boring and slow. I was admittedly a little bad at the platforming, but the character moves so slow andlkjaf dl;ajfdlkj

The coins to collect in each level are sometimes impossible to know about until you've passed them. And then you'd have to start all over just to find them. It's annoying replayability, no fun. Similarly, the overworld stuff to change up the levels sounded fun, but in reality its just a way to remix an existing level and make you play it... again... with a new set of coins.

I found myself progressing through the overworld as much as possible and then dreading doing the levels.

Sep 5, 2025·5h·4·Verified

Steam User 5166STEAMRecommended

Aug 25, 2025·9h·Verified

Steam User 4113STEAMRecommended

Incredible platformer! The levels themselves are pretty good, although it might be a bit off putting at first. The game gets better the further you get, so don't be put off by the first few levels. I especially love the overworld - It captures that collectathon itch.

The OST is amazing! 1/3 of the way through it turns into banger after banger. Hearing Urban Uprise is why I bought this game, and it did not disappoint.

Aug 25, 2025·48h·Verified

Steam User 5447STEAMRecommended

17時間プレイで全実績解除。
スーパードンキーコングが好きなら買う価値大いにあり。最終ステージの難易度については批判的な部分も多いが、個人的にはそこまで理不尽なものではなく、リプレイと工夫を凝らせば適度なやり甲斐がある高難度ステージというレベル。あまり怖がらなくて大丈夫。
実績解除にだるかったのは羽集め。１～２時間くらいは同じステージを繰り返す単純作業で疲弊した。それ以外は大満足。
令和の時代に新鮮な気持ちでこうしたゲームをプレイできたことが幸せ。続編が非常に楽しみ。

Aug 23, 2025·17h·Verified

Steam User 4479STEAMNot recommended

Frame drops every few seconds, and I've got a fancy new computer.

Aug 16, 2025·Verified

Steam User 9995STEAMNot recommended

This game is just bad in almost every conceivable way: ugly graphics with bad framerates, boring music, floaty slow controls, and unfunny writing. This feels like a cheap rushed product, which is exactly what people complained about with the original Yooka-Laylee.

Aug 14, 2025·2·Verified

Steam User 8240STEAMRecommended

A must-play for any Donkey Kong Country fan, it has the same core gameplay mechanics and the same 2 legendary composer, David Wise and Grant Kirkhope! Every stage has its own unique song and even in 8-bit version, it made the experience very enjoyable. ❤️

Aug 12, 2025·23h·24·Verified

Steam User 2916STEAMNot recommended

This is a tough one for me.
I can see the passion and care that went into creating a love letter to Donkey Kong Country..... but also i can see this is pretty much a copy paste clone of Donkey Kong and in doing that it exposes every single place this game is weaker and no way near as finely tuned and refined as the far superior Donkey Kong games.

I also made the massive mistake of picking this game up after just playing DK country returns HD on the Switch 2.

This game is such a direct copy of Donkey Kong in almost every way which means that it also exposes every thing it does wrong. The controls and momentum don't feel the same resulting in more frustration that satisfaction. The level design simply isn't as good. DK Country has so many moments that filled me with glee and excitement and Yooka-Laylee often feels forced and generic. The pace feels slower as well.

One major frustration with this game is the opening and how much dialogue you have to skip through. Every character is telling you what to do. Instead of pacing their game and gradually introducing features to the player or letting the player figure stuff out through game play and exploration the opening of the game has you talking to endless boring NPC characters over explaining every single feature of the game or menu. Its just frustrating and very tedious. It made me annoyed with the game before it had really started.

If you don't own a Nintendo device from the last 20 years then by all means this is a great alternative. You could even emulate DK country returns HD on Wii U and see what this game is trying (and failing) to achieve.

There is charm here and i understand what the developers were trying to do but i don't feel that they stuck the landing and believe they would have been better off creating something original instead of ripping off the exact same mechanics from Donkey Kong which only exposes the weaknesses instead of any strengths.

Aug 11, 2025·1h·5·Verified

Steam User 3590STEAMNot recommended

I've played only a bit of this game so far and I'm not really digging it. It feels like a budget title and it doesn't feel nearly as polished as it should. During my 4 hours, I've already encountered a few bugs and glitches and actually managed to softlock my game twice and one time had to restart the entire stage because of it. The controls are bad and moving Yooka feels clunky and his roll feels awful to use. There is no run button and that makes the game feels very slow paced. On top of that the level design isn't clear which paths are optional and lead to secrets and which paths move you forward resulting in you missing hidden coins and forcing you to replay the level again. The character designs are also not very appealing at all and the gibberish voices they make only makes them more unappealing. The music is also very bland and forgettable. From what I've played this really feels like a dollar store version of Donkey Kong Country Returns/Tropical Freeze and it doesn't seem to be getting any better. If you are really craving to play a 2D platformer I guess this will be ok to play, but it certainly isn't worth 30 dollars. If you can get it 7 bucks or under I say it might be worth it, otherwise I'd avoid it and play something else.

Aug 4, 2025·4h·Verified

Steam User 1787STEAMRecommended

Juego del inicio:
"Wow, me encanta ese platformer! Tiene tantos niveles, y cada nivel tiene su nivel alterno! Tiene muchos secretos y puzzles q son interesantes de encontrar y resolver, q lindo juego tan encantador!"

Juego al final:
Es un Dark Souls 💀💀💀 Ni mucho más fácil con todas 46 abejas
Capital B puede ir a la ch***ada xD

Aug 4, 2025·29h·Verified

Steam User 2187STEAMRecommended

i did not really enjoy the first yooka laylee, but this one is actually pretty fun! it feels like they managed to combine the donkey kong country gameplay with a colectothon, with all kinds of secrets to find in the levels and overworld. Another important thing they get right is every collectable is useful, as you need quills to buy all the tonics you can find.

Jul 27, 2025·12h·Verified

Steam User 1740STEAMNot recommended

the overworld is more fun than the actual plattforming

Jul 26, 2025·1h·2·Verified

Steam User 4340STEAMNot recommended

Really fun platformer that is spoiled in my opinion by its final level.

Gauntlet style platformer levels can be really fun, but the devs took the approach of making the "impossible lair" impossible through mean spirited game design, rather than challenging but fair platforming. The controls feel imprecise for what the game is asking you to do for its final challenge.

I really like to play games until the credits roll, and I was disappointed that I couldn't make it there.

Jul 23, 2025·12h·1·Verified

Steam User 8703STEAMRecommended

I've never really loved side scrollers, so when I saw that a sequel was made to the original platformer, I was a bit dismayed. But honestly, I might like this one a bit better than the first. It doesn't have the full quirkiness and charm since there's less jokes and use of funny characters, but it excels with the gameplay and music. And wow is the music great. It may just be the best part of the game.

Don't take this one lightly though. I only had a hard time in one spot in the standard levels which probably could have been overcome a bit easier with certain tonics, but I didn't want to resort to that. It wasn't until that final gauntlet that is the namesake of the game. It's called impossible for a reason. Apparently there was a patch that added checkpoints, but even with that, I wanted to give up. After about 60 tries and 3 hours I finally beat it though. It's one of the best feelings.

Jul 15, 2025·23h·2·Verified

Steam User 2697STEAMRecommended

Good side scrolling platformer. Big donkey Kong feels

Jul 12, 2025·23h·2·Verified

Steam User 4489STEAMRecommended

"유기"
사유: 최종보스 난이도 ㅣ발 4페이즈가 말이되냐 심지어 4페이즈만 있는게 아니라 깨고 점프맵 깨고 점프맵 ㅇㅈㄹ
점프맵 난이도가 쉽나? 그것도 아님

Jul 9, 2025·11h·Verified

Steam User 1334STEAMRecommended

On one hand it's a well made game. On the other hand it kinda feels like a giant chore and nothing else. Especially because if you missed a single coin in the level you have to redo the whole thing to get it. So it's a positive review, but I'm uninstalling this.

Jul 6, 2025·1h·Verified

Steam User 8848STEAMRecommended

You don't have to beat the Impossible Lair to 100% the game. Thank you Playtonic!

Jul 4, 2025·42h·Verified

Steam User 5884STEAMNot recommended

This game is insanely bad. The score and visuals are broadly good but the gameplay design is atrocious. The controls are floaty and unresponsive, the physics are inconsistent. Sometimes conveyor belts will fail to move Yooka despite them being in motion, sometimes a platform will randomly let you fall through it. Technical shortcomings aside the levels feel like they were designed by people with contempt for the player; the game seems to revel in intentionally trying to cause player misery. The achievements should speak volumes that with 60% of players playing enough to even get their first coin it drops down to just 40% who got to 2/48 bees. By the time we get to 12/48 bees (a rough quarter of the way through the game) the achievement is down to just 19% - There are much harder games out there with much higher achievement rates because in those instances the games feel well made. At the time of this review just 6% of players have beaten it. If you know somebody who has 100% completed this game check on them to see if they are doing okay.

Jul 4, 2025·30h·2·Verified

Steam User 5056STEAMRecommended

Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair is fairly a 99.99% good game, the other .01% being the final level but I'll get to that. At first I was disappointed when this wasn't a full 3D game, but it grew on me, kind of reminds me of New Super Mario Bros. Each world/chapter have two sides that changes the level a bit. You have collectible coins to get in each level, and quills to buy power-ups to use in said levels. For gameplay it's fine, 2d platformer not that difficult. I was having fun until I got to the Impossible Lair. I wouldn't say the levels were relax, but again not that difficult. You get to the Impossible Lair (which you can do at any time) and you meet with kaizo mario level difficulty. No where in this game prepares you for this. You do get checkpoints before Boss Stages, but you'll end up redoing sections to get a better position for the next sections. Also there's more after the final final boss fight, at that point i'm just done.

Jul 2, 2025·15h·4·Verified

Steam User 3855STEAMRecommended

Muy bueno!

Jul 1, 2025·21h·Verified

Steam User 1192STEAMRecommended

Really fun game, missed platformers like this, sadly the end was a bit of a letdown by overall quality.

Jun 28, 2025·32h·Verified

Steam User 8548STEAMRecommended

The level design, including and especially the overworld, is really nice, sprawling and intertwined for a Jump 'n Run: new paths are constantly opening up and already finished levels are modified by the player's doings to provide new challenges. For example, managing to diverting a river to run over a level in the overworld will unlock a flooded version that'll force you to treat new paths, but also allows you to reach previously unreachable areas within the level. That's pretty cool and I can tell that a lot of effort went into it.

Music, sound, art and graphics are adorable and serve their purpose well. There's nothing to point out specifically. Looks nice, sounds good, without any outliers that are particularly captivating or off-putting.

What drags the game down for me a lot is its perceived sluggishness.

Animations and impact of player actions should be more snappy, and while I don't expect a chameleon to flow like the wind, I'd enjoy Yooka to be more reactive, faster, reaching and dynamic with his existing moveset (which of course extends to the rest of the game due to balance). Right now it's just "meh" - may work on a classic 3D-platformer which rely more on depth perception, but a 2D-one has other standards. This game feels a bit off - the last ten percent so to say, which take a considerable and unthankful amount of time to figure out.

It's ... okay I guess? Good enough for a thumbs up and to leave a review. Cute mascots who deserve a bit more WHOOOMP from the game design department.

Jun 27, 2025·3h·Verified

Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair

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