Developer: Kylyk Games
Publisher: Assemble Entertainment
Platform: PC, Xbox Series X|S, Switch (2)
Tested on: Switch 2
Urban Jungle – Review
Turn on the news or spend longer than ten minutes on the internet, and you’ll find that the old expression ‘It’s a jungle out there’ still rings true. One of the best ways to escape that daily chaos is to turn ‘in here’ into a jungle as well. Kylyk Games’ Urban Jungle lets you do just that. This cosy sim game takes a familiar gameplay formula and turns it into a zen-like cosy experience. The game saw its debut on PC last year, but thanks to its recent console release, Switch and Xbox owners can now also find out how a little virtual jungle goes a long way.
Story
In Urban Jungle, we follow the life of Ayta, a successful young businesswoman who has become jaded over the years. The game spans several decades and looks back at where she came from, with each chapter representing a different stage of her life. It’s a masterclass in environmental storytelling, as the narrative unfolds through evolving living spaces and environmental details rather than traditional cutscenes. Brief conversations, messages and storyboard-style sequences help flesh out and contextualise everything in a very understated way. This subtlety is actually one of Urban Jungle’s greatest strengths. By focusing on everyday life and universal themes like personal growth, changing relationships and the comfort of home, the story becomes heartfelt and reflective.
Graphics
Given that Urban Jungle’s narrative hinges on environmental storytelling, it is, of course, essential that those environments convey the right mood. It’s something that the game definitely succeeds in. Pastel colours, warm lighting and abundant greenery create a calming atmosphere. The different living spaces that Ayta moves into feel distinct and full of personality. They range from small apartments to larger multi-floor homes. With a title like Urban Jungle, it’s not surprising that a lot of care went into the plant designs. Not only are these visually distinct, but subtle animations like leaves swaying make them feel alive. The gorgeous lighting, including shifting sunlight, also contributes to the overall cosiness of the game. Not only does Urban Jungle look beautiful, but its visual performance is fantastic as well, with a consistent frame rate and no notable issues.
Sound
We’re typically proponents of voice acting in video games, so this may be a bit of a controversial opinion: we’re actually happy that Urban Jungle doesn’t have any. As much as the story is driven by the character of Ayta, we’re just happy to let the game’s soundscape breathe. The combination of soft, unobtrusive lo-fi music and location-dependent ambience, like birdsong or city sounds, complements the game’s slow pace. Active sound effects, such as the rustling of leaves when you interact with a plant or placement clicks, provide feedback without disturbing the laid-back atmosphere.
Gameplay
On paper, Urban Jungle occupies the same gameplay niche as games like Unpacking, Unbox the Room or Pick & Place. The central gameplay loop revolves around decorating living spaces with plants and arranging them to satisfy specific requirements. This, in turn, lets you earn points and unlock new spaces. Unlike the aforementioned titles, though, the focus is on meeting the needs of your plants rather than traditional puzzle-solving. There typically isn’t a single specific solution here: you’ll need to place your plants according to their environmental preferences, which include sunlight, shade and humidity but also compatibility with nearby plants. Most, but not all, other objects are also interactable and can be rearranged so that you can make things more suitable for your plants. Lamps can provide the necessary light, but there may also just be things in the way that you can put elsewhere so that your cactus has a cosy little nook without humidity. There are also optional tasks, like finding hidden items, unpacking boxes and most importantly: petting cats and dogs. You’ll also be keeping track of any plant species you’ve collected in a diary.
Although progression is tied to meeting specific scores, you can tackle Urban Jungle at your own pace. Freedom is important: rooms can be freely arranged and decorated, and there is no way to “fail” a level. While score requirements are the main driving force when it comes to unlocking new rooms and objects, we never felt pressured or nudged in a specific direction by the game. The only friction we experienced was that console controls occasionally felt sluggish, making precision placement or object selection fiddly in cluttered rooms. This is the kind of game that probably works better on PC, where you can work more precisely with a mouse. It does feel like a bit of a missed opportunity that Urban Jungle isn’t compatible with the Switch 2’s built-in mouse controls.
As is typical with games like this, Urban Jungle isn’t a very long game. We were able to finish it over the course of a single evening. We highly recommend against binging it; instead, savour your time with this one. Urban Jungle only has a minimal level of challenge and limited mechanical depth. Because of this, the gameplay loop does get repetitive over time. This is the kind of title that is best enjoyed in short bursts rather than in a single sitting. Any stages you’ve completed can be revisited in Creative Mode, where you can decorate them to your heart’s content without having to worry about scores or other requirements. If that isn’t enough to satisfy your green thumbs, then you can expand Urban Jungle with the Brother’s Wedding Story DLC, either on its own or as part of the game’s Complete Edition. Given that this DLC offers a standalone story and only shares mechanics, you’re not missing out on much in terms of narrative content, but for a mere €2.49, it’s worth the consideration if you enjoy what the €11.99 base game has to offer.
Conclusion
While Urban Jungle isn’t the most original or thrilling title in terms of gameplay, the game stands out because of its environmental storytelling and relaxed atmosphere. This is a fantastic little escape after a chaotic and stressful day, provided you pace yourself and don’t rush through it. So yes, Urban Jungle does ask you to approach it with a specific mindset, but if you do so, you’ll be rewarded with a relaxing experience that is guaranteed to leave a smile on your face.
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