Gato Roboto
Gato Roboto
Game
Game2018
Yoku's Island Express
Developer Villa Gorilla
Yoku's Island Express is a platform pinball adventure game developed by Swedish studio Villa Gorilla and published by Team17. The studio's debut project, the game was released in May 2018 for Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One. A version was released for Amazon Luna in October 2020. In Yoku's Island Express, players control Yoku, a dung beetle, who becomes a postmaster as he arrives at a fictional… From Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)
312 reactions from 4 sources (Steam reviews, Bluesky, Lemmy, Mastodon) · newest Nov 5, 2026 · last updated Nov 5, 2026 · How this works
Audience score
93
LovedLoved
197 positive · 15 negative
95% range 89–96%
| Source | + | − | = |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steam reviews | 197 | 15 | 0 |
| Bluesky * | 35 | 0 | 44 |
| Lemmy * | 6 | 0 | 11 |
| Mastodon * | 2 | 0 | 2 |
* shown, not counted in the score (label accuracy below our 85% bar or not yet audited).
Steam's own rating
Overwhelmingly Positive
3,043 of 3,193 reviews positive (all languages, per Valve)
What players are saying
93% recommend · 183 yes, 14 no
Counted from the reviewers’ own thumbs up/down on the 197 English Steam reviews we collected, not by the AI. Valve’s all-language rating: Overwhelmingly Positive (5,124 of 5,355 positive).
Players praise the game's charming atmosphere and unique pinball-metroidvania blend. [1][2][3] Some find the traversal tedious and backtracking frustrating. [4][5][6] The game is widely considered a relaxing, original experience with high production quality. [7][8][9]
Liked
Representative posts
- [6]
Cute game with a distinct visual identity and good sound design. The pinball format is certainly original. However, the level design can be quite confusing and it can be difficult to find one's bearing when you get catapulted around. I found that the pinball mechanics ultimately fell short, because there is no actual freedom of movement. Each flipper is basically divided in 3-4 zones and send you in so many …
- [1]
Adorable game. I played through this during a period of loss, and the charming atmosphere and cast of characters really helped alleviate my grief. Pinball-vania was a refreshing gameplay gimmick, as well. I’d play a sequel if it ever happens.
- [2]
Few games feel this original without forgetting to be fun Yoku's Island Express surprised me with how naturally it blends pinball, exploration, and light metroidvania progression into one cohesive adventure. I liked that moving across the island always felt playful, because every flipper, bumper, and shortcut turned exploration into part of the core appeal rather than a gimmick. The tropical setting, colorful art, …
- [4]
Spent way too long backtracking the whole game and post game just because the devs didn't want to implement quick warp back to the post office. Some pinball stages felt hellish to fully complete due to bad oversight. Really needed a toggable post game secrets revealer. Otherwise it was an incredible time.
- [9]
Yoku's Island Express is a relaxing semi-open-world pinball game, often described as a metroidvania. Basically you go around the island delivering packages and mail, exploring new areas, collecting fruit and other collectibles, and solving small puzzles by playing pinball. Getting to some places can take a bit of effort. I have completed the main story twice. It was equally fun both times. I have mostly good things …
Summarised from 34 of the 286 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 10, 2026. How summaries are made
RottenBot@rottenbot · automated account
Players who liked Yoku's Island Express talk about unique and innovative pinball-metroidvania gameplay; those who didn't talk about tedious backtracking and slow traversal. Which matters more to you?
Critics, per Wikipedia
Yoku's Island Express received "generally favorable" reviews, according to review aggregator Metacritic. Critics called Yoku's Island Express "unique". and "ingenious" They praised how the developers managed to combine several genres, with GameSpot's Alexander Pan stating "Yoku's Island Express takes two unlikely genres and combines them into one playful, natural experience". Reviewers criticised the occasional retreading or backtracking in the game's world as sometimes being tedious or even causing frustration. Jon Mundy of Nintendo Life stated that "figuring out exactly how to get from A to B in the early to mid-game stretch can feel like groping around in the dark". Critics who reviewed…
From the “Reception” section of Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Critic context only — not part of the audience score.
Reactions
60 of 312 · most liked firstGood Boy, a WALL-E inspired metroidvania from the developers behind Dredge and Overcooked, is announced for an upcoming release on PC, Playstation, and Switch. …and from the devs of [Yoku's Island Express](https://store.steampowered.com/app/334940/Yokus_Island_Express/), which is an awesome pinball metroidvania. >A cosy, heart-warming, ecosystem driven PET-roidvania! Take control of a LAIKA Space Rover pup, capture and research alien creatures, complete quests for the other doggy Rovers and…
neutral · AI labelView post →There aren't a whole lot of other games like Pinball Spire, but one game that often comes up is Yoku's Island Express: a vibrant, charming, #pinball adventure with a huge world to explore. Now, you can grab both games together in a Steam bundle! ⭐ store.steampowered.com/bundle/84293... #indiegames
neutral · AI labelView post →possibly the best game criticism I've seen this month. Yoku's Island Express is Catholic. Cathedral is Protestant. Carrion is Judaic
neutral · AI labelView post →Wanting to play some pinball videogames. Hey so I've been getting a bit into videogame versions of pinball. Whether it be just normal pinball or games that use pinball mechanics to do other things. Like I had a ton of fun with Yoku's Island Express. Played through the campaign of Sonic Pinball Party and thought it was ok. I've been recommended Pinball FX and Midnight Magic before. Just curious what else is out there worth playing.
positive · AI labelView post →A crossover with the title character from the charming pinball game 'Yoku's Island Express'. Be the ball. #NSMisc #PlaytonicGames
neutral · AI labelView post →Adorable game. I played through this during a period of loss, and the charming atmosphere and cast of characters really helped alleviate my grief. Pinball-vania was a refreshing gameplay gimmick, as well. I’d play a sequel if it ever happens.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Weekend PC Game Deals: Fallout for cheap, BAFTA winners and nominees, and more. Big Deals - Psychonauts 2 – $29.99 on Steam - Old World – $27.99 on Steam - Darkest Dungeon II – $26.79 on Steam - Hogwarts Legacy – $26.39 on Fanatical - RimWorld – $25.54 on Fanatical - Warhammer 40,000: Darktide – $23.99 on Steam - Pacific Drive – $23.99 on Steam - Thirsty Suitors – $22.49 on Steam - Sifu – $19.99 on Steam - Stray – $19.79 on Steam - HighFleet – $19.49 on Steam - The Callisto Protocol – $17.99…
neutral · AI labelView post →Just a few more fruits...
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →As an adult, innovative gameplay and/or mechanics interest me way more than graphics. I'll take Fez or Yoku's Island Express over graphical fidelity any day of the week. To a certain extent high quality graphics just becomes a measure of how much electricity and money you are willing to throw at a game and that's just not interesting to me. Length, one way or the other, is largely irrelevant to me as long as the game is satisfying. The relatively short length of the original Portal made that…
positive · AI labelView post →My 4 favourite Metroidvania games: Metroid Dread Ori and the Will of the Wisps Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow Yoku's Island Express
positive · AI labelView post →I didn't recognize this game until recently, this one is an amazing game, here are why: pros - most innovative metroidvania ever - amazing art, sound, gameplay, overall great production - the map is big and the exploration is fun as hell - no corpse runs or any other fake timesinks - fast travel system, once you get the hang of it, is incredible and opens up a lot of possibilities - lots of side quests to do neutral - this is an easy game, you simply don't die - therefore doesn't…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Pros: -Post game free roam. -Simple collectibles. Cons: -Forced 60Hz and you cannot display mode unless your monitor is set to 60Hz as well. They probably do this to make sure the physics is not affected for the pinball game so you don't get stuck in strange places, but still there should be a better solution for this. -You cannot change keybindings.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Silksong is going to be the Expedition 33 for Metroidvania games (lots of new ppl trying the game that are new to the genre). If that's your case and you end up loving Silksong, try these: 1. Metroid Dread. 2. Yoku's Island Express. 3. Axiom Verge. 4. SteamWorld Dig 2. 5. Ori.
neutral · AI labelView post →Heya! I swept up Yoku's Island Express in short order, really a delightful game just as I've always heard. Started a new game of FFVII with my son watching. Started a new game of Uncharted 4 - I was pretty close to beating it NINE YEARS AGO (dear god). I'll get there this time. Take care, y'all.
positive · AI labelView post →#VideoGameBacklog "Yoku's Island Express" (PC, 2018) is an adorable mix of platforming, exploration, and pinball! This is a gem from Villa Gorilla and you should play it for the art, music, design, characters...and pinball. Roll your ball to victory, little Dung Beetle! #indiegames
positive · AI labelView post →Cute game with a distinct visual identity and good sound design. The pinball format is certainly original. However, the level design can be quite confusing and it can be difficult to find one's bearing when you get catapulted around. I found that the pinball mechanics ultimately fell short, because there is no actual freedom of movement. Each flipper is basically divided in 3-4 zones and send you in so many directions, and you're basically on a previously defined track from there.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →(complete) [Steam] Yoku's Island Express. I've got a spare Steam code for this game and I've already played it on Switch. It's a great pinball platformer game with a lovely soundtrack - I'd be super happy if someone else was able to enjoy it! Choose a number between 1-100 and I'll use a number generator to pick a winner **6th July at 15:00 UTC (16:00 British Summer Time)**
neutral · AI labelView post →I beat Yoku's Island Express last night, then mopped up enough post-game to get the true ending. Super fun throughout! There's one task left that may be a bit tedious as I need to revisit most tables, but I'm still enjoying my time with it so no biggie. #blutoid
positive · AI labelView post →This is a tough one to give a negative review to. The objective quality of the game is high, the presentation is slick and the overall idea of a platforming adventure game where the traversal is replaced by pinball mechanics is refreshingly original. However, the implementation of that idea felt half-baked, to the point where the gameplay loop just wasn't fun for me. In a 'metroidvania' style of game where backtracking is required and mastery of the environment is key to fluid gameplay, the…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Indie game checkpoint! You are now obligated to share one of your favorite indie games! I picked Yoku's Island Express! I love how much creativity this game has between the art style, Metroidvania/Pinball gameplay, the music and the characters. Would really love to come back to this game again!
positive · AI labelView post →🔴 Live on Twitch! Come hang out and chat about #indiegames with us. ^^ ✨ Featured Game ✨ Yoku's Island Express (dev Villa Gorilla) twitch.tv/callmekixie
neutral · AI labelView post →🔴 Live on Twitch! Come hang out and chat about #indiegames with us. ^^ ✨ Featured Game ✨ Yoku's Island Express (dev Villa Gorilla) twitch.tv/callmekixie
neutral · AI labelView post →Appleseed's Indie Game Of The Day! Day 308) Yoku's Island Express by VillaGorilla A platformer esque game where you're a bug delivering mail... But it's also pinball? For real though this game is crazy fun just to try and traverse and use your pinball skills to gather fruit and solve puzzles.
positive · AI labelView post →🔴 Live on Twitch! Come hang out and chat about #indiegames with us. ^^ ✨ Featured Game ✨ Yoku's Island Express (dev Villa Gorilla) twitch.tv/callmekixie
neutral · AI labelView post →The precision needed for many of the pinball sections was often frustrating. Even if I did manage to get my ball into those tiny holes, it always felt like a matter of luck since I struggled to get them consistently. Funnily enough, I found this game far more rage-inducing than games like Elden Ring.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →2. Yoku's Island Express (PC, 2018) A genius concept with decent execution. Yoku's adventure is a joy when you're flippering through the pinball-like mazes. But it's a slog when you're backtracking and traversing the world. Especially as a Metroidvania. A fun game to beat in a weekend!
neutral · AI labelView post →After seeing comments here on patientgamers I was reminded that I wanted to play _Yoku's Island Express_. So I did. 97% complete. Not sure what's left to do but I'll figure it out. Also around half-way through _Pepper Grinder_ so I'll be working on that for a couple evenings.
positive · AI labelView post →The vast majority of my favourite games have been listed, many multiple times, so I'm gonna go with some I didn't see, though I didn't look exhaustively, here we go: [Horace](https://store.steampowered.com/app/629090/Horace/) Quite a hidden gem in my opinion, almost no one I mention it to has heard of it. 2D platformer with an amazing story and some interesting gimmicks. One of the most surprising and unforgettable indie games I've played. [The…
neutral · AI labelView post →(I played Yoku's Island Express, a search-action game that uses pinball style controls as its main movement and combat method)
neutral · AI labelView post →Very good game, incredible gameplay and art style
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →🔴 Live on Twitch! Come hang out and chat about #indiegames with us. ^^ ✨ Featured Game ✨ Going for 💯 Yoku's Island Express (dev Villa Girilla) twitch.tv/callmekixie
neutral · AI labelView post → [Yoku's Island Express](https://store.steampowered.com/app/334940/Yokus_Island_Express/) (2018): I purchased one game, still have to play it in coming days. I had visitors and no time to play, but this game piqued my interest. It's a Metroidvania platformer style, mixed in with pinball mechanics. And also it is 90% off and cost me only €1,99 in Germany (or $1.99 in US presumably). It is Steam Deck Verified and [84% on…
neutral · AI labelView post →🔴 Live on Twitch! Come hang out and chat about #indiegames with us. ^^ ✨ Featured Game ✨ Yoku's Island Express (dev Villa Gorilla) twitch.tv/callmekixie
neutral · AI labelView post →Yoku's Island Express is a cute little platformer adventure/pinball game that helps teach reaction time (it did for me, let alone children!)
positive · AI labelView post →🔴 Live on Twitch! Come hang out and chat about #indiegames with us. ^^ ✨ Featured Game ✨ Yoku's Island Express (dev Villa Gorilla) twitch.tv/callmekixie
neutral · AI labelView post →Keep getting stuck in endless loops with no clear goal other than to get out somehow
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →- I started Yoku's Island Express and that seems like a good time! Gonna be my chill game for a bit, I think. Also finally started Black Myth Wukong which has been pretty cool. Already found an enemy that's kicking my ass lol. I think it's optional but I'll keep trying - gotta git gud somehow. -
positive · AI labelView post →I got this game in a bundle a grillion years ago so I figured I'd try it even though I don't like pinball... and it didn't change my opinion. But it's objectively a well-made game.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This is a fun, clever Metroidvania that changes things up, but there are a number of quibbles and frustrations that keep it from being top-tier MV in spite of the smart pinball mechanic. I wish there was an upgrade that let you activate a brief burst of slow motion to better line up shots and slingshots, for one, and I generally would have liked to see more/better ways of getting around the island fast. The story, while cute, also seems halfbaked, and the final boss battle doubly so: it was…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Few games feel this original without forgetting to be fun Yoku's Island Express surprised me with how naturally it blends pinball, exploration, and light metroidvania progression into one cohesive adventure. I liked that moving across the island always felt playful, because every flipper, bumper, and shortcut turned exploration into part of the core appeal rather than a gimmick. The tropical setting, colorful art, and relaxed tone give it a lot of charm. It is also a fairly easy game overall,…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →A game I like for each letter of my username! T - TF2 (both of em) Y - Yoku's Island Express M - Mirror's Edge B - Balatro E - Enter the Gungeon R - Return of the Obra Dinn
positive · AI labelView post →Just rolled credits on Yoku's Island Express. What a delightful snack of a game!
positive · AI labelView post →Diary of a Spaceport Janitor is a slice of life/poverty simulator in which you scrape by earning pennies, dreaming of escape and adventure. Full of charm! Miasmata is a horror/cartography game where you have to triangulate PoIs in order to fill out your map as you search for a cure to your disease on an uninhibited tropical island. Yoku's Island Express is a metroidvania/pinball game in which you traverse the world vis flippers, chutes, and as a bug rolling a ball.
neutral · AI labelView post →Yoku's Island Express. Before playing it, I didn't like pinball or search-action games (metroidvanias). I ended up loving it. I still don't really enjoy pinball on its own, but I now have a deep love for search-action.
positive · AI labelView post →Yoku's Island Express – An Arc Tracing Back to Old Memories Playtime: 15 hours Anyone who grew up in the pre-internet era probably remembers the small collection of games that came preinstalled on our computers – FreeCell, Minesweeper, Spider Solitaire, and, of course, 3D Pinball. Among them, 3D Pinball for Windows: Space Cadet remains especially vivid to me: the heavy mechanical pull of the plunger mapped to the Down arrow key, the crisp electronic chime of a steel ball hitting a…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Damn, Yoku's Island Express would have been my recommendation. [Vector Pinball](https://f-droid.org/packages/com.dozingcatsoftware.bouncy) ([Play Store link](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.dozingcatsoftware.bouncy) ) is a decent time waster on mobile.
neutral · AI labelView post →Fun little game. Cute characters, pleasant graphics, and a very nice soundtrack (so good I bought it). If you like pinball, this will scratch that itch. It reminds me of a Kirby game just a bit in that if you want to "beat" the game, you can do it relatively quickly, but if you want to 100% it, then buckle up, you're in for a ride. I'd buy a sequel to this in a heartbeat. Give this one a shot! Also, I not only 100%'d the game, I got all of the achievements too. That never happens for me. So I…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →So a platformer like Castlevania 1 and also a pinball game like Metroid Prime Pinball. Got it. Does that make Yoku's Island Express the only true metroidvania?
neutral · AI labelView post →Spent way too long backtracking the whole game and post game just because the devs didn't want to implement quick warp back to the post office. Some pinball stages felt hellish to fully complete due to bad oversight. Really needed a toggable post game secrets revealer. Otherwise it was an incredible time.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I used to play Sonic Spinball on the demo Genesis unit at the local Sears. Yoku's scratches that itch without having to wade through rows of cheap clothing and overpriced tools.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This was a fantastic game. For being unique and original this was an absolute pleasure to play, very wholesome. I would recommend anyone who is into metroidvanias and just want to try something different, this was a great one. Also i wanted to mention the music was phenomenal as well!
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →If you like Pinball games and Metroidvanias this will probably be an enjoyable game.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →It's been a while since I played this, but I still think of it very fondly whenever I see it pop up. Yoku's Island Express is an extremely unique spin on the metroidvania genre through a pinball-esque system, and the overall aesthetic from art to sound and story just flow so well together. The game frequently goes on sale for 80% off and it's an absolute steal at that price.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →A super fun, well made little game and a great buy at the current price. It looks like the studio have t made anything since, which is a shame as they got just about everything right here.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Continuing on with my current streak or replaying games I haven't played in a long time, I've been replaying Yoku's Island Express and what a fucking delight that game is!
positive · AI labelView post →Just make everything a metroidvania at this point. Metroidvania visual novels. Metroidvania slots. Maybe I would enjoy pissing myself if I got to unlock the diaper upgrade later on.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I absolutely love games as unassuming as Yoku’s Island Express. On the surface, it looks like a strictly child-friendly game from a bygone era, but if you give it a fair chance, you’ll discover a small gem hidden among the sea of repetitive, look-alike products flooding the market. Pros: ✅ Believe it or not, this game has a functional open world. It’s not huge, but it’s built around a pleasant system of unlocking regions and then opening up fast travel routes. ✅ The music and sound design are…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I played exactly half-way through this game twice - once on Switch, and now once on Steam. Both times, I started out and thought it was incredibly innovative, and was ready to sing its praises to the moon. Aaaand ... both times, I fizzled out on it halfway through. A pinball metroidvania is one of the most ridiculously innovative concepts out there. In the first hours, I was just fascinated and enthralled. loving every interaction, discovery, and progression. The world is wonderful and the…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Picked up [Yoku's Island Express](https://store.steampowered.com/app/334940/Yokus_Island_Express/) during the sale. A unique 2D platformer/exploration game that seamlessly incorporates pinball mechanics. The world feels big with a lot of variety. The pinball stuff is fun and works better than I though it would. Great production. Very happy with the value so far. Another new one to me is [Downwell](https://store.steampowered.com/app/360740/Downwell/). This is a neat little game and it's good…
positive · AI labelView post →I love this little pinball adventure. After having seen it pop up on my feed for years, I finally played it and enjoyed nearly every second. There's plenty here for people that want a casual game to play through, and collectables for fans of searching. Sometimes it's tricky to navigate the pinball puzzles, but that relies on pure skill just like real pinball of course :D It's a concept that should be played with more.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
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