I was excited The brave squire since Devolver Digital first announced it in 2022. While I don’t typically enjoy platform games, I was immediately drawn to its quirky, dimension-shifting mechanics and distinct art style that I’ve been familiar with for years.
I was worried at first too. I’ve had my heart broken too many times based on my admiration for his style, only to end up with a disjointed, inconsistent, or just plain tedious attempt. There was a diminutive part of me hesitant, hoping that this wouldn’t be the same. Thankfully, the hopeful gamble with my time paid off and I emerged happier than ever after stepping outside my comfort zone. Well, except for a few puzzles, but that’s entirely down to my problem-solving skills.
Throughout The brave squireyou play as a celebrated hero named Jot, whose goal is to thwart the plans of the villain Humgrump, who is spreading evil and chaos throughout the land of Mojo. While it starts out as a typical 2D RPG experience of defeating monsters and chapter bosses, you quickly learn where the meat and potatoes of the game come from: Jot and his friends are characters from a book, and with the magic of Humgrump, you can jump between dimensions and continue your journey in the real (or rather, game) world.
I’ll be straightforward: the jumps between 2D and 3D maps were enough to convince me to play the game before I even jumped in and checked it out for myself. The last time I experienced something like that was when I played Super Mario Paper. I already felt the desire to play back then, and that desire only grew. The brave squire proved how far you can push creativity and gameplay experimentation by combining multiple gaming genres in one title.
When I say multi-genre, I mean that in the best possible way. At its core, it’s an action-adventure game that seems to have the standard “hero saves the day” premise, but there’s so much more you’ll discover as you play. I even managed to play a miniature rhythm game along the way, surprising me at first but making me chuckle when I realized what was going on. You could spend a few minutes fighting enemies, only to find yourself back on a desk flying around the map with rockets. There’s a ton of seemingly random elements thrown into the mix, but it makes for some fun moments.
With that in mind, the game is largely about that. The brave squire It takes about 9-10 hours to complete the game and you learn so many features during the game that it can get a bit tedious at timesit’s challenging to remember everything. You’ll also briefly employ a few one-time abilities on different bosses or puzzles before they disappear, leaving you wanting to try again or grateful that you never have to do it again. I found most of them quite fun, but a few had weird mechanics that were a bit tough to control. Sometimes, a trusty sword is all you really need. Either that or I’m just not cut out for wielding a bow.

Speaking of combat, expect to do a lot of fighting. In both the 2D and 3D worlds, you’re constantly facing random enemies and surprisingly unique chapter bosses. Something All Possible Futures and Devolver Digital have done particularly well here is give you a reason for why all of these monsters are just there. You also have unique battles for almost every boss, so you won’t have to worry about mindlessly slashing your sword for minutes at a time. If anything, my only wish was for more to do in the 3D world, since most of its excitement came from the later chapters.
I can say that about a enormous part of it The brave squire itself. On the one hand, it’s a book that presents a linear story of a brave hero setting out to defeat an evil villain. At the same time, there are almost no opportunities to stray off the beaten path and go on miniature side adventures or exploration. The puzzles add some variety and exploration. Beyond that, you’re set on a specific path, and there’s no way to tell one playthrough from another unless you go back to find all the collectibles.
Fortunately, this leads to the main plus: the plot. The entire game takes place in the story book and the world outside of it, and it manages to tie everything together perfectly. This is where linearity is a strength that makes the plot easier to understand, absorb, and immerse yourself in without getting too distracting. Every aspect The brave squire — the visuals, the landscape, the characters, and even the sound — everything is crafted to fit and enhance the story. Whether you’re looking for pretty art, comedy, or the occasional unhappy moment, you’ll find it all here. There are even a ton of puns, which I was elated to appreciate.

Right from the start, it’s clear that this is Jot’s story. While that’s no surprise, especially since he’s the Plucky Squire himself and the main character, the other characters are there to pass on information or follow you around as Jot does things. A few eventually facilitate you out later in the story, but for the first few hours they act more as distractions than companions. Some of the locations give off a similar feel, acting as places you can run around and check out, but not necessarily interact with or immerse yourself in. They’re just there whether you like it or not.
Still, I really enjoyed exploring the game’s environments, especially the 3D landscape. Getting lost in all the clutter reminded me of how messy my desk usually is and forced me to tidy things up. I’d forgotten how many times I accidentally found collectibles because I was standing behind the wrong paint bottle, block of wood, or tree, but every time it happened, it made me laugh. You can even change the world with word manipulation, which can lead to some crazy shenanigans if you catch the right words later.
The brave squire manages to expertly craft a delightfully engaging story filled with charming characters, enjoyable storytelling, and near-perfect parallels between the 2D and 3D worlds. While some parts need a bit more polish, the game exceeded my already high expectations and gave me almost a dozen hours of laughter, fun, and brain exercise. Plus, well, watching a cast of adorable little characters suddenly transform into muscled badasses is a great bonus.