Unravel: A Spool of Memories and Symbolism

Memory is a powerful tool.
Thoughts about our past govern how we live our lives and make choices in the future. They start off strong, freshly formed, and they fade behind us as we grow older and wiser. Memories connect us to who we are, who we were, and to the people and places that weave in and out of our lives.  Memory is a powerful device; it can sell things, conjure up emotion, and even rule the way someone lives his or her life. It can attach us to places, objects, and people we never thought possible, but above all else, memories can disappear completely. Unravel for XBOX One is a stunning, visual game that not only captures what makes a memory, but it creates an experience that almost all gamers can connect with.

We follow the journey of Yarny, an anthropomorphic thread of yarn, as he explores a captivating world to piece together lost memories in a photo album. As the tale unfolds, gamers will awe, connect, and feel their way through Unravel discovering their own personal connection with memory.  This game is the exploration of everyone’s personal journey and the obstacles we all must overcome.  With a rich story and stunning visuals, this ColdWood Interactive game is most definitely one worth playing.

Symbols on a Journey 

There are many wonderful symbols that tie the events of Unravel together.  The richness of the scenery, the haunting and enchanting score, and the items Yarny discovers are all pieces of the tapestry that weave an entrancing story. Interactions and inanimate objects serve as a gateway to unlock a simple, yet truly touching story in unspoken silence. Each of these symbols set the stage for this truly entrancing game.

Yarny: The Game’s Fabric

Yarny, our guide, is our first symbol.  He is bright red, the color of passion, but mainly a color that stands out as a life force, energy. He leaves a trail of yarn wherever he goes, like we all leave a path wherever we tread.  Yarny serves as two separate purposes. The first is the Unravel metaphor that we all blaze a trail and leave one behind us, while the second is something of a connection to comfort and simpler times.

As Yarny journeys in search of his trinkets, he must use part of himself to move forward to the point where he almost completely unravels, until he finds new yarn that is. He grows as the experience takes him to new places and through dangerous territories. Life takes a lot out of us as we journey, but we always find a way to grow and remake ourselves in different ways.  Yarny shows this by using his yarn to explore his world and finding new bits of yarn to continue on. He is in constant reinvention of himself, though he keeps the same appearance throughout the game. Over time, it becomes more difficult to find yarn to build himself back up as he pieces together his memories.