Manairons is a game that absolutely piqued my interest solely off the visual whimsy and intrigue it seemed to offer at first glace. A gorgeous art-style not visited as often as I'd like, the announcement trailer gave me a little tug. I've always been a sucker for dark whimsy, and this game looked like it might just fit that bill. While visuals can't provide a full carry on titles, the concept itself looked interesting and unique. That uniqueness, really starts from the developmental level.
Developed by both 3Cat and Jandusoft. Of note, Jandusoft is a developer/publisher out of Barcelona, Spain that seems to be working with and fostering projects that are inspired and driven by Catalan culture as of late (Though that is not it's entire catalogue). 3Cat itself is a Catalan language streaming and video service. So, one would guess that Manairons would be, as is boasted, a swirl of culture as well. As someone who loves new culture and folklore woven into games, I found this an absolutely phenomenal equation.

Unfortunately, while the intent of the title is clear, in my time spend playing, I felt like the rest got... muddled. I think Manairons suffers from a few issues, but the largest shortfall I believe I found was this:
It is unsure of what it REALLY wants to BE, and WHO it is exactly FOR. 

While the art is kitsch and unique, at times it can be unexpectedly unsettling.

Understandably, that is QUITE a statement. However, the longer you spend playing, the more obvious it becomes. What I thought I was getting into was a whimsical dark fantasy fairytale platformer with some beautiful Catalan inspiration and culture mixed in. And it IS somewhat that, but not enough in any real direction to make it feel like it is a cohesive experience. To boot: While at the time of review, this title had yet to be released, there were also initial issues I had just trying to dip a toe in this title that had me somewhat on edge, even before I got into the real meat and potatoes.
So, let's start from the beginning.
Initially, I was able to install and launch the game, but found that upon starting a new game, in any slot, and with any control type, I simply couldn't move. The cursor was responsive in menu and pause, but when it came down to in game, you were stuck. After troubleshooting myself (checking off just about the most common go-to solutions anyone would try), I opted to post to the games discussion board, in hope of a reply. Nothing popped up, but I did have some folks having the same issue, and by sheer chance a day or so later, I noticed a post by a user who saw a patch had dropped, seemingly solving the issue (given you start a new game and do not attempt to use the old files). No word or response from the actual developer. Fantastic start. But, excited to give it a try, I reinstalled and hopped back in- thankfully, it worked. So with the technical issues aside, I got to playing.

Learn multiple tunes to help you navigate levels. If you forget one, you can always check in your menu.

I noticed almost immediately, the sound quality for the English voice acting is... well... bad. It sounds hollow, echo-y and just in general, roughly paced. This isn't all on the voice work, however. Some of it rolls back around to the Catalan influence of the story. I would likely guess that would be it's native language.  That being said, playing in English leaves you feeling like the story really isn't translated well. If a younger player were to hop into this game, they would likely cast aside the story entirely, unable to really translate for themselves what was going on, and what phrases mean, whereas older players will likely understand, but find the translation just... poor overall. While there are certainly linguistic lacunas when translating a story, it is still something that should be done in a way that can ultimately relate to the audience, or at bare minimum make it a story that can be understood without needing to have to try and figure out what context is meant. That being said, it also makes the voice work sound unnatural. You can make a pace or dialect sound old, or like it's someone recalling a story that took place in a different time without making it sound like a direct, literal and awkward translation. 

At times, the dialogue just lands... off. As though it was translated in a literal way, instead of contextual. Also, while the main characters are styled beautifully, closer inspection during story scenes shows some of the more low resolution assets that just don't seem to match with the care put in the characters themselves.

Another major issue Manairons has is an inability to hold attention. The art, on first glance, is beautiful. Dramatic lighting, a bold whimsical art style, and gorgeous painted stills make it easy to draw you in. However, a lot of this lands ONLY with the initial impact. Overall, level designs feel long, and repetitive. Assets CAN be really pretty to look at, but you'll see very quickly how often they're recycled, and how truly empty the world feels. The same planks with nails stick up, the same rope, the same stovetops. All used over and over again, with very little to hold you attention as far as the backdrop. Some of the camera angles really can make the spaces look good, but eventually, the tricks feels the same, and you've likely been frustrated by the lack of ability to control the camera at all by that point. Mostly, you will find perhaps 2 or three "set types" per level, and they're repeated and rearranged over the course of the level. Sadly, by the time you hit the area boss, you've likely seen it all 3 or 4 times over. I found myself being "over" an area pretty quick, feeling like there just wasn't enough substance.

While something like a farmhouse should be interesting and unique, by the second half of the level, it's endless rows of uninspired chicken coops and repetitive "battery" puzzles.

The music is really delightful, and you will find several opportunities to find records you can listen to littered around the levels, as well as the ability to use your flute to alter the world around you. Create grapple jump points, move heavy objects, and repair broken things... you have multiple "tunes" at your disposal. While not bad, and you have the ability to conjure up a book with all your tunes, it can feel tedious after awhile, especially when you have to re-play a tune for something like grapple points. I did also note that sometimes you are plagued with invisible walls in some areas (wild for what is kind of a precision platformer), while at other times you're allowed to plummet to your doom. Also, the controls are...ok. They're not awful, and you do have a little circle below you to help you find your placement (since you're worrying about depth at times as well) , but really I didn't find them to be polished for a platformer. Controls feel ok, the interact button can be fickle with objects into the world, and combat is just underwhelming.

Even with some of the shortcomings, the humour can, at times, land pretty well. Spoiler: His food was... tampered with.

Clunky, even with a lock on, a near worthless ranged attack, no real dodge roll and a guard that feels like a waste to use, there's not much here on the combat front. It's something you just hammer through and deal with. Take the damage, heal when needed, you'll find a poof two rooms over. It's not really worth trying to be eloquent at, as you'll just end up frustrated. Enemies are, dull. Melee, ranged, flying. Nothing feels overwhelmingly threatening, even amongst bosses who have very generic and uninspired feeling "phases". While the bosses may look entertaining, the very robotic feeling animations and phases do no real justice to the game itself.

As unique as some of the game design is, it can feel far too short sighted, inconsistent, and just out of place at times. 

Ultimately, despite some beautiful imagery and music, it's simply not enough to make Manairons feel like a stand out. Platforming can be too fickle and frustrating for younger players, but a little too simple and straightforward for the generic audience. The story comes across poorly in translation, which is really quite sad, as from the context I think it should feel like more. You can tell there is an attempt at a  meaningful fable here, but it just isn't conveyed in a way that resonates. Ultimately the level and asset design makes thee thought of needing to revisit levels for quest or completion purposes feel like a chore, and sadly, it just comes off as a title set aloft on hopes and dreams that falls miserably short. To note, this is my opinion of the game pre-release, and is not necessarily the final product. At the end of the day, in it's current state, it may be worth a look on sale, but I might wait to see if the developers opt to add any additional polish post launch.

Manairons will be available on the Steam Marketplace on February 19th, 2026. The price is TBD.