Olija
Olija
Game
Game2021
Narita Boy
Developer Studio Koba
Narita Boy is a 2021 action-adventure video game developed by Spanish team Studio Koba and published by Team17. The game is an action platformer that follows the titular Narita Boy as he tries to save the Digital Kingdom from the Stallions. The game was released on March 30, 2021 for Windows, macOS, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, and for Amazon Luna on April 29, 2021. From Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)
229 reactions from 4 sources (Steam reviews, Bluesky, Lemmy, Mastodon) · newest Nov 4, 2026 · last updated Nov 5, 2026 · How this works
Audience score
64
Fresh
116 positive · 64 negative
95% range 57–71%
| Source | + | − | = |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steam reviews | 116 | 64 | 0 |
| Bluesky * | 17 | 0 | 20 |
| Lemmy * | 0 | 0 | 9 |
| Mastodon * | 0 | 0 | 3 |
* shown, not counted in the score (label accuracy below our 85% bar or not yet audited).
Steam's own rating
Mostly Positive
711 of 973 reviews positive (all languages, per Valve)
What players are saying
65% recommend · 119 yes, 64 no
Counted from the reviewers’ own thumbs up/down on the 183 English Steam reviews we collected, not by the AI. Valve’s all-language rating: Mostly Positive (1,445 of 1,858 positive).
Players widely praise the game's art style and music. [1][2][3] Many reviewers complain about the lack of a map and inability to backtrack. [1][2][4] Some players find the combat and controls clunky or unsatisfying. [5][6][7]
Liked
Representative posts
- [16]
Played the whole game, and I just cant give it a positive rating, because I wouldnt recommend it to other people. I DID enjoy the last 1 hour of the game, with the last area and the last boss, but it was pure misery to play up to that point, and I'll explain that in points. First the positive stuff: -Graphics are phenomenal. -Music and Sound design are also absolutely stellar. -The last area of the game, its simple …
- [6]
I really don't hive time to spare on this kind of junk - one of those 'we have a cool aesthetic, so buy our game because it's completely devoid of substance otherwise' games. Seriously, I don't think this game has anything going for it other than the visuals and the music, which are a lot of fun. Here is a rapid fire of the issues: sloppy controls, sloppy combat, confusing level design, constant talking, …
- [1]
Overall a great game with a few minor problems. Art style is incredible, very, very unique - carries the game and honestly makes it worth playing just to experience the world they’ve build. The fighting and movement isn’t as challenging as other reviews let on. You get used to it pretty quick. Biggest issues for me were no map and inability to revisit previous areas. You’ll get lost a fair bit trying to figure out …
- [8]
This...Game...is...FANTASTIC! I mean, just look at it! And there are people who dare say video games are not art...get outta here! Story is engaging and surprisingly sad, Gameplay is solid with good progression. The visuals are out of this world, man!!! And the music...come on! THE MUSIC FREAKING SLAPS!!! Buy this game!!! These devs freaking deserve your money!!!
- [2]
Fantastic artistic direction, great music. People seem to dislike the combat. It wasn't that varied but you could do things like cancelling mid-combo to switch into other attacks. I enjoyed it enough to finish it. The story was interesting, but it left me feeling there was something more to be desired from it. I did not like the lack of the map, and that you could not backtrack to find the rest of the memory …
Summarised from 34 of the 236 public posts collected about this game; every point cites the posts behind it ([n] opens the post) and the split is counted from the posts’ own ratings. Updated Oct 12, 2026. How summaries are made
RottenBot@rottenbot · automated account
65% of the 183 Steam reviewers we collected recommend Narita Boy. The complaint that keeps coming up: no map and no backtracking cause confusion. Deal-breaker or nitpick?
Critics, per Wikipedia
Narita Boy received "mixed or average" reviews according to Metacritic, except for the PlayStation 4 version which received "generally favorable" reviews. Rachel Watts of PC Gamer praised the world building of the Digital Kingdom, noting how the game used spirituality in the world. They also praised the segments where the player relives the Creator's memories saying, "These flashback moments are quietly reflective and act as a great counterbalance to all the satirical '80s macho power-fantasy present throughout the rest of the game." Ollie Reynolds, writing for Nintendo Life, enjoyed the game's combat and mentioned how each ability gave the combat more depth. Edge enjoyed the game's music…
From the “Reception” section of Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Critic context only — not part of the audience score.
Reactions
60 of 229 · most liked first🚨🤖HANEDA GIRL IS OUT NOW! 👧🚨 From the creators of Narita Boy — our new pixel-powered action game is here! 💥 Switch between Mecha & Pilot 🎮 Mecha fires. Pilot strikes. 🧠 Every room is a tactical playground 🔓 Unlock weapons. Master combat styles 🏆 Chase high scores. Embrace the risk
neutral · AI labelView post →Just been sent a copy of Haneda Girl, the new game from the developers of Narita Boy, a game I thought was seriously under appreciated, and I don't know if I'll have the time to check it out, but it's got a demo so I thought I'd at least give it a shoutout! store.steampowered.com/app/3169790/...
positive · AI labelView post →Played the whole game, and I just cant give it a positive rating, because I wouldnt recommend it to other people. I DID enjoy the last 1 hour of the game, with the last area and the last boss, but it was pure misery to play up to that point, and I'll explain that in points. First the positive stuff: -Graphics are phenomenal. -Music and Sound design are also absolutely stellar. -The last area of the game, its simple with mostly straightforward arenas, but at that moment you have every power…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Narita Boy has a great artstyle, some swanky music and an interesting premise, but it's all held back by the fact that it hurts to look at, is clunky to play and makes no attempt to have the player care about its story. Set in a digital kingdom, you set out to restore peace as Narita Boy. The story is a bit more complex than that, also centering around the creator of the kingdom, but it's told very haphazardly, with frequent walks down memory lane (literally), but it's told in a way that makes…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This is one of those games I feel guilty for not liking. The presentation is top notch, the pixel art looks fantastic and the soundtrack is excellent. On the surface, it has everything I should enjoy. But while playing, I just felt… empty. I think I was simply bored. There’s style and polish here, but it didn’t grab me, and I have no desire to start it up again. It’s a shame, because I feel like I should love this game - but I don’t.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I’m giving the game a negative rating mainly due to a game-breaking glitch that forced me to quit halfway. I tried Googling for a fix and searched the forums, and eventually found a post on Reddit from two years ago mentioning the same issue, with another player replying having the same glitch and was looking for a solution, yet no answer was ever provided. I can’t expect the developers to fix it. Game art style is imaginative. I especially liked the electric sheep with monitors displayed on…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Overall a great game with a few minor problems. Art style is incredible, very, very unique - carries the game and honestly makes it worth playing just to experience the world they’ve build. The fighting and movement isn’t as challenging as other reviews let on. You get used to it pretty quick. Biggest issues for me were no map and inability to revisit previous areas. You’ll get lost a fair bit trying to figure out where to bring the floppy disks. A map would be an easy quality of life fix.…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I really don't hive time to spare on this kind of junk - one of those 'we have a cool aesthetic, so buy our game because it's completely devoid of substance otherwise' games. Seriously, I don't think this game has anything going for it other than the visuals and the music, which are a lot of fun. Here is a rapid fire of the issues: sloppy controls, sloppy combat, confusing level design, constant talking, incomprehensible story full of made up words just to sound sophisticated, waste of time…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Fantastic artistic direction, great music. People seem to dislike the combat. It wasn't that varied but you could do things like cancelling mid-combo to switch into other attacks. I enjoyed it enough to finish it. The story was interesting, but it left me feeling there was something more to be desired from it. I did not like the lack of the map, and that you could not backtrack to find the rest of the memory fragments. I was oftentimes lost and had to walk around back and forth till I…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Next Fest has a ton of _incredible_ demos for upcoming games but you can also check out demos of incredible games to buy _right now_. For example: Haneda Girl, a sick game from @studiokobagames.bsky.social (of Narita Boy fame)…I had missed it but no longer - it’s awesome. Style to spare, super fun!
neutral · AI labelView post →This isn't a demonstrably bad game or anything, but it really wasn't clicking with me. I held off buying this one initially because it looked like it was going to be generic gameplay relying on atmosphere, audio/visuals and story. It turns out that my initial hesitation was justified, because that's exactly how I felt about Naruto Boy. For some people, that is fine, and an interactive audio/visual splendor to tell a story is all that a person wants, but I need the level design to be more…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →WW1 horror game is Resident Evil meets Battlefield 1 and you can get it at 90% off. Humble's Team 17 Chains of Command bundle packs in 8 brilliant indie games, including Resident Evil-inspired WW1 survival horror Conscript, for as little as $20 Conscript isn't the only brilliant game in this bundle either, it's an eclectic mix of unique indie gems. Here's the full list: ``` Conscript Hell Let Loose Classified: France '44 Thymesia Warcana Narita Boy Honey, I Joined a Cult King of the Castle…
neutral · AI labelView post →I just can't with this game. I don't know how people like it. Boring combat loop. Easy boss fights. Crappy level design where you can't tell if its a background or a platform you're suppose to interact with. And tons of empty rooms. And the real reason I'm writing such a negative review. No F*ing Map. How simple would it be to make one? It's like the devs are just trying to pad hour game play hours with needless backtracking. "Hey, remember that room? No? Good." F*ing stupid. Even before I had…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Review of Future Knight (Demo only). I'm obsessed with the aesthetic, the animations, the design, the music. But despite some fun gameplay ideas that bring freshness to the shooter genre, the actual execution felt a little janky. Which isn't a deal-breaker, since the gameplay is pretty forgiving, and I liked developer Koba's previous release Narita Boy enough to complete it, despite some control jank in that game. This game however, runs badly. When any flying enemies come on screen there's…
neutral · AI labelView post →Amazing atmosphere and music, can't believe it's been five years now since I've played this on xbox, the gameplay is fun but for the sequel a map and maybe abandoning the screen locked waves of enemies would make it a perfect game, also Big Narita needs more love calling all 80s/synthwave connoisseurs
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Pro The retro aesthetic is absurd, any random frame of the game could be a picture on the wall, every single detail in the background and every single sprite is a love-letter to the 80s (there's even a DeLorean) The plot is refined: it talks about work-life balance and ambition that degenerates into greed and violence… you'll find out how much the Digital Kingdom and the Creator are bound together, it gets more clear through the game The hack'n'slash is damn fun, rich of moves and…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Since I don't want to give a NEGATIVE rating, I want to start with what I DIDN'T like for readers to know this is not a high-praising review. Steam does this positive/negative rating which I always found extremely misleading and inaccurate. This is a game for people that loves a story and appreciate art, not someone that enjoys complex mechanics and character evolution. The game mechanics are extremely simplistic, I certainly didn't enjoy much either the combat or the platforming. There's also…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I don't see what I can write that others haven't already. The art and the music are great, but the control feels bad and eats your inputs, general movement feels bad, the fights don't feel good and are very basic, and so far the story feels like a journal turned into a walking simulator. That is, when the paragraphs of nonsense words convey actual story information. Pretty as it is ( with the blur filter off anyhow), the story isn't interesting enough, and the gameplay controls poorly enough,…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →If graphics, sound, and general atmosphere were the only thing that mattered in a game, this would get a 10/10. Unfortunately, there are other aspects to a game, and this definitely fails. Narita Boy does what many see as a “positive”, but I see as a total “negative”: it drops you into the game with little direction or explanation, and just expects you to go. I walked around for too long with no idea what I was supposed to do, what my goal was, or if I was even supposed to go in a particular…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I really cannot stand the flash effect... I'd like to pick this back if there exists any option to turn off all these eyes hurting effects this game deserves a photosensitive warning, just do not play if you also feel uncomfortable for this
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →It's okay, but 2 hours in I realize I'm not really having fun playing it. The story is meh. The setting kind of misses the "Tron" aesthetic and ends up in a weird hybrid of medieval fantasy with Tron, lots of religion-scented words that are tedious even to skim-read. The jumping is floaty. The combat so far is easy. The lack of map is frustrating because the layout is neither intuitive nor distinctive. I'm not playing it further so I won't know if it gets better. Also a weird mix of linear and…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →#NaritaBoy is currently free on #GOG for a limited time. https://www.gog.com/en/game/narita_boy #PCGaming #Games #Gaming #FreeGames
neutral · AI labelView post →Did a quick run on normal. This game is so delightfully goofy. Don't let the visuals fool you though, this has some simple but great game design. Loved it. Bite-sized compared to Narita Boy and Haneda Girl but another great addition to @studiokobagames.bsky.social 's library. #FutureKnight
positive · AI labelView post →There is hardly a single aspect of this game that works. As a platformer, it is abysmal — if it can even be called a platformer. Ninety percent of the time, you simply walk left or right across a flat surface. Actual platforming is almost nonexistent, limited to the occasional jump across a few platforms or climbing a couple of walls. As an action game, it fares no better. Only two enemy types require anything beyond mindlessly mashing the basic attack button. Every other enemy can be defeated…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Well, here we are. 15 hours into the game and i have officially beat it 1 and a half times, only re-ran the game again on a new save file up to the red world as i forgot to grab 4 achievements on the way out but regardless, very enjoyable game, it was definitely worth its price tag and it kept me interested all the way through, i really like the retro feel and simplistic fighting controls using a controller, my only true and honest complaints is that near the end of the game it does start to…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Another indie game where the devs care about tedious textboxes but don't care about gameplay, feel, action, legibility of level design, or sound. And the writing in Narita Boy is particularly bland and self-absorbed. Great aesthetics though. Except that it's impossible to read the level or interactive items. Meanwhile there's warnings for light sensitive people about the obnoxiously flashing lights. The lights have no reason to exist the way they do, they look ugly aside from being…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I truly don't understand why only 13.2% of players completed this less than 6 hour game? Combat has enough going on with upgrades that it never gets boring or tedious. It is heavy on the dialogue at the start but it serves to create a deeper world I thought. And there are enough unique gameplay segments to liven things up. And the music is awesome. A hugely overlooked indie gem. Pick it up if you're even a little curious.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Broken Game. Period. Game breaking bugs on this and on ps4. I bought this on sale to (hopefully) get past where I couldnt on ps4 and, still game breaking bugs. This time I beat the Pirate Boss and he never died. A perpetual loop of him saying his nonsense and nothing else happening. Hey, Studio Koba...fix your game. I was excited for #Haneda Girl but now not so much.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Continuing the mission of finishing games where I'm saved at the final boss but just didn't finish the game (_Narita Boy_ probably) and looking to indulge for my birthday in something on my wishlist.
neutral · AI labelView post →first 30-40% of the game is above average fun. But I have never seen more boring and uninteresting fight than the last 2 bosses of this game, it's not fun to push the same hit button 3000 times during a fight and repeat same patterns for 3000 times until the boss is dead. Not recommend to people who value their time. The last 2 hours of the game you just want it to finally end, but it doesn't sending upon you encounters that you have seen already 100s of times. And those bossfights, especially…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →So I guess I didn't enjoy this game as much as other people because this is a kind of retro modern game? But the level design was pretty bad, many times I didn't know where to go, going to multiple places back and forth without finding anything. Even movement and combat weren't handled well for me, platforming was pretty awful because of the movement and combat was a bit frustrating because of all the effects on screen. Again, maybe I'm not the public for this game, but the 2 hours I played…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I wasn't able to resonate with NB's more direct, world-merging storytelling, with a specific villain, allegories unmasked, and the rather sincere heroism. At the same time, I failed to enjoy many of the action scenes, and as I’m rather sensitive to all the screen-flashing that can’t be dialed down, I was getting overwhelmed, turning the game off quite often. But always eager to return. It’s clear to me that NB is likely the best looking and best sounding games I’ve ever played. Some small…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Clearly the devs are impressed with themselves, a la Stan Marsh sniffing his farts when he bought a hybrid. The devs spent so much time and energy designing the world that they forgot to make the game enjoyable. I played this game for 0.7 hrs and all I did was run around pressing buttons to go up and down, reading books of game lore that is overly convoluted. And when I say books of overly convoluted lore, I am not exaggerating. Whoever wrote all that stuff must really love to drive their…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Oh sweet Narita Boy dev showed off their next game looks awesome! Hearing Katana Zero was a big influcence sounds very fun. #blutoid #indiegames #naritaboy #90s #katanazero #hotlinemiami youtu.be/FfIGbG2Ufas?... store.steampowered.com/app/3169790/...
neutral · AI labelView post →I tried really hard to like Narita Boy. The visuals are astonishingly original. I love the character designs. I also think there's something bizarrely charming about how in love with its own lore the whole game is. Every box of dialogue overshares and overexplains in long techno-fantasy ramblings, and somehow it comes across as funny and sincere more often than annoying. Maybe it's just too long or demands too much precision from its floaty combat, or maybe the whiplash is too strong between…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Aesthetic is great and normally that's enough for me to love a game but the combat and everything else was so lack luster that I couldn't be bothered.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →If you're like me, the game threw me off so bad because I couldn't see between pit and floor, turn off the damn filter and you're gucci. Game is really solid otherwise, I can nit pick here and there but overall I'm left with a satisfying feeling.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Narita Boy is a 2D action platformer with a unique visual style inspired by the 1980s. It blends futuristic elements with retro-wave aesthetics and features an atmospheric synthwave soundtrack. The story follows a talented programmer who created a gaming console named Narita One. But something went wrong — a malicious program entered the Digital Kingdom, corrupted the system, and erased the creator's memory. You play as Narita Boy, the chosen gamer tasked with recovering fragments of the…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Just learnt (via @geekdadgamer.bsky.social) that Haneda Girl is a thing. It's from the same team behind the excellent Narita Boy. Wishlisted. store.steampowered.com/app/3169790/...
positive · AI labelView post →Really loved this one. The style and story are sure to stick with you. Purchased on sale.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I love Narita Boy! I think the text holds it back a bit. Otherwise, it is a really good game. I play it when I feel like a controller game atm. It is special! #GameDev #NaritaBoy
positive · AI labelView post →Really awful amount of flashing I can't deal with it at all. I thought this was a fake complaint from people that just can't hack it but no. It's super obnoxious.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I'm a weird Deck gamer, in that I often start games and come back once in a while, which I never do on PC, where I try to finish one game at a time - Death Crown - Narita Boy - Citizen Sleeper - Dave the Diver - Deep Rock Galactic Survivor - 60 Parsecs! - In Other Waters - Race the Sun -Merchant of the Skies
neutral · AI labelView post →I was suprised how good this actually was. Can recommend this to anyone who appreciates a bit of retro charm and ideally is a little bit familiar with those games personally. Looking back, I have nothing but fond memories of this game. The gameplay might have a few quirks, but is totally fine in the end for what it does. Has a lovely and emotional backstory. All in all a really nice little experience, I do not want to have missed.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Starting Streaming around 8pm ET www.twitch.tv/mirithd - Narita Boy! I've been curious about this game, it looks like it might be right up my alley.
neutral · AI labelView post →A 2D platformer with absolutely godawful controls and platforming that - to give you an idea of how far up its own ass it is - opens with a two and a half minute cutscene and then expects you to read (I counted) SIXTY-EIGHT dialogue windows before you embark on your first real "mission." Give me a break. Overall a hamfisted cringe vibe, too. Perfect example of this is the death screen: Every time you die it displays an (aesthetically incongruous) image that says "REST IN FORCE" and speaks it…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →How many games on Steam are about a boy battling his inner demons as he realizes the Dad he idolizes has become old and foolish, and his glorious past is more checkered than you realized?
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Love the art style and music. It's unfortunate it's so easy to get lost and not know here to go.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Future Knight Rad LCD action game from the devs behind Narita Boy and Haneda Girl. Their games always have a really great sense of style and this already looks really sick. store.steampowered.com/app/4235410/...
neutral · AI labelView post →80s, its aesthetic wise TOP! The fighting is great! the world design on the other hand is chaos, run here and there without a map its back and forth, trial and error. So looks good gameplay bad!...then the flashing and the chaotic telling. The pacing is off, its slow and quite then it changes to fast and the cuts are so off, the whole gameflow feels so off. Thats why i dislike the game and give it a thumbs down, if it would be a faster more linear game with a more intuitive story i would had…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Buy it on a sale not worth more than 10 bucks. Game is good. Ending isn't that great. I liked the story but again ending was pretty lame. I'm guessing that's why the reviews for this game are like fluctuate between mostly positive and very positive instead of sitting always at very positive.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I haven't beaten it yet but @studiokobaGAME have done it again. Same universe as another game I love, Narita Boy, but entirely different gameplay. Like many have said, if you have to compare it, it's like Katana Zero meets Celeste. And it's insanely addicting. #HanedaGirl
positive · AI labelView post →Narita Boy. The game is so-so, no one remembers it, but the soundtrack is unfuckingbelievable. Throw Hollow Knight in there as well, and Sayonara Wild Hearts.
neutral · AI labelView post →wanted to like this game but couldn't make myself like it
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Game awards. Good roundup on Eurogamer: www.eurogamer.net/everything-a... Favs: Long Dark 2 - visuals were neat www.youtube.com/watch?v=NIAi... Intergalactic - reminded me of Narita Boy www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQVy... Ueda's new game - www.youtube.com/watch?v=GLty...
neutral · AI labelView post →It sucks, while visuals start great your eyes will explode in like 20 minutes. Combat is too slow and this whole Tron thing gets boring quick. I want to kick ass, this game blows.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I remember playing this game a whole lot on the Xbox Gamepass. This is a very good game, with a very good story, and enjoyable gameplay. I can safely say that this is an incredible game. 10/10. Please do make more.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →New Episode Drop, time to revisit the 80s! Today's episode we discuss and highlight music from Studio Koba's 80s throwback, Narita Boy, a game that wears it's love for Tron (and karaoke) on its sleeve. Listen on Spotify / Apple / Amazon Or via in-browser episode: share.transistor.fm/s/177e6aa5
neutral · AI labelView post →This...Game...is...FANTASTIC! I mean, just look at it! And there are people who dare say video games are not art...get outta here! Story is engaging and surprisingly sad, Gameplay is solid with good progression. The visuals are out of this world, man!!! And the music...come on! THE MUSIC FREAKING SLAPS!!! Buy this game!!! These devs freaking deserve your money!!!
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →> Death Crown (2019) It's as if a 4x was stripped down to the essentials, just you and the map and three building types, the gameplay is basically "try to overwhelm the enemy" and zerg rushing has been my winning strategy so far. Love the aesthetic though. > Narita Boy (2021) I first played it close to release, but got bored of the story after a while, rediscovering this one on Steam Deck, the controls and combat has surprising depth !
neutral · AI labelView post →
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