Knytt Classic Key Art
Image: Bit Kid

Twenty years, huh? Makes you feel old to realize that the scrappy little indie platformer you played back in 2006 is now a key part of gaming history. Originally developed by Swedish solo developer Nifflas in 2006 and re-launching today courtesy of Bit Kid (the studio currently working on Wolfenstein-inspired metroidvania Wolfhound), it feels strange to say that Knytt Classic was one of the most important-feeling games of its strange, experimental era in PC gaming. And you can play it today for the best price of all: Absolutely nothing.

Knytt is a simple exploration platformer, about a little monkey-tailed person abducted by aliens and stranded on a strange world after a crash. Until you go out and find all the bits of the spaceship to get back home, nothing much is happening, so it's off a-wanderin' you go. Knytt's controls are simple and responsive, with little to no inertia, unlimited wall-climbing, and no powers to unlock. This one's about the journey, soaking up some strange vibes and facing minimal (but non-zero) amounts of deadly threats.

Despite this, the controls really do feel like they'd support a much more intense game, with many indie classics of the day (such as the absurdly popular I Wanna Be The Guy) following in its footsteps. Bit Kid's version faithfully updates the game to modern systems, and the game's unusually wide aspect ratio makes it fit nicely on ultrawide monitors (which weren't even a thing back in 2006) if you've got one. It'll probably take a couple hours to scour its tunnels and platforms for everything you need for the trip home. Then comes the fun part, if you don't mind a little bit of pain.

It seems that Bit Kid also thought that Knytt has the potential to be a really good hardcore precision platformer. This version also includes a trio of unlockable remixed campaigns befitting those ultra-responsive controls: UltraTough and Brutally Unfair Knytt (courtesy of Bit Kid) plus Knytt XH by guest contributor Hempuli, developer of Baba Is You, Environmental Station Alpha , and one of the lead developers of the fiendish alchemical roguelike Noita.

Knytt Classic is out now on Steam for free. As for what Nifflas has been doing over the past twenty years? More of the same, mostly. Check out NightSky, Knytt Underground, Uurnog Unlimited and Ynglet.