Completely Stretchy is a whimsical first-person exploration platformer developed by Dan Ferguson and Warp Digital, and published by Super Rare Originals. It takes place in the bizarre, off-kilter world of the Grombi Isles, where you awaken after a mysterious accident at the Elektro factory. You’re now completely blue, extremely stretchy, and equipped with a long, rubbery arm that lets you grab, swing, and slap your way through a surreal landscape populated by quirky characters and unpredictable physics. From the moment you begin, the game makes it clear that it’s not here to follow traditional rules—it’s a playground of absurdity, movement, and lighthearted chaos.
The most defining feature of Completely Stretchy is, unsurprisingly, the stretchy arm mechanic. It allows for a type of traversal that feels loose, freeform, and sometimes downright ridiculous. Whether you’re grabbing ledges to swing across gaps, hurling yourself up cliffs, or bouncing between objects, the arm transforms basic movement into a physics-driven experiment in elasticity. At its best, it feels liberating—like you’re bending the rules of gravity and control. However, the system isn’t always precise. In early sections before upgrades are unlocked, your reach is limited, your aim can feel slippery, and certain jumps or objectives may require more patience than skill. This can lead to occasional frustration, especially in moments where the environment demands more accuracy than the mechanics can comfortably provide.
The world itself is charming in an intentionally oddball way. Each zone within the Grombi Isles has its own identity—whether you’re bouncing around a neon-lit urban district, swinging through the forest, or navigating the chaotic remnants of the Elektro factory. The visual style is bright and pastel-toned, bordering on surreal. Characters are purposefully cartoonish and strange, many of them reacting to your condition with amusement, confusion, or existential rambling. The writing doesn't aim for emotional depth or serious storytelling, but it delivers on personality. Dialogue is goofy, often fourth-wall-breaking, and perfectly in sync with the game’s nonsensical tone. The overall atmosphere is playful and low-stakes, making exploration feel more like a whimsical scavenger hunt than a demanding quest.
Objectives are scattered across the world and range from collecting the rogue creatures called Elektros, to completing mini-games, assisting weird locals with strange requests, or navigating through platforming challenges. These side tasks add a welcome variety to gameplay, though not all are equally polished. A few suffer from clunky execution or lack clarity, occasionally leading to moments where you're not sure what to do next or where to go. Still, when it works, it works well—the game encourages exploration and experimentation, and many of its most enjoyable moments come from simply interacting with the environment in creative ways.
Progression in Completely Stretchy is tied to exploration and task completion. As you collect more Elektros and finish objectives, your arm gets upgraded, allowing for longer reach, more powerful swings, and better mobility. This gradual empowerment adds a nice arc to the experience, making the world more accessible and enjoyable as you grow more capable. Hidden areas and off-the-path secrets reward curiosity, which complements the game’s emphasis on freeform exploration. The upgrades themselves aren’t overly complex, but they are meaningful enough to change how you approach obstacles and terrain.
While the game’s structure is loosely defined, it’s clear that it’s meant to be played at a casual, exploratory pace. There’s no time pressure or punitive fail states—if you fall, you respawn nearby; if you miss a jump, you try again. This makes Completely Stretchy approachable for players of all skill levels. The lack of combat also sets it apart from more traditional platformers, allowing the focus to remain squarely on navigation, interaction, and the joy of movement.
Visually and technically, the game has both strengths and shortcomings. The art direction is unique and consistent, but the low-poly models and simplistic textures won’t impress those looking for graphical fidelity. Still, the aesthetic suits the offbeat tone and feels cohesive throughout. Performance is generally solid on most systems, with minimal loading and smooth frame rates. There are, however, some rough edges: camera glitches during rapid movement, occasional bugs with object interaction, and certain missions that don’t trigger correctly unless approached in a specific way. While these issues aren’t game-breaking, they can briefly pull you out of the otherwise immersive weirdness.
The soundtrack and sound design add another layer to the game’s oddball personality. Music ranges from chill and ambient to upbeat and slightly absurd, matching the tone of the world without becoming overbearing. Sound effects are similarly exaggerated, emphasizing the bounciness and silliness of your actions. Voice acting is minimal or non-existent, with dialogue delivered through text and quirky audio cues. The result is an audio experience that supports the game’s surreal style without needing to rely on cinematic presentation.
Completely Stretchy is not a long game. Players focusing purely on the main objectives can expect to finish it in just a few hours, though completionists and those who enjoy poking around for secrets and side quests might squeeze a bit more from it. It’s a compact, self-contained experience—more of a creative experiment than a full-scale platformer—but one that succeeds in delivering something refreshingly different. Its replay value is limited due to the linear nature of its progression, but the moment-to-moment enjoyment and bizarre world-building leave a lasting impression.
In the end, Completely Stretchy stands out by embracing its weirdness. It offers a unique traversal system, a charmingly nonsensical world, and a focus on fun over finesse. While not without its technical hiccups and design quirks, it’s an inventive and oddly joyful experience that’s hard to compare to anything else. For players seeking something lighthearted, experimental, and a bit unhinged, this is a journey well worth stretching into.
Rating: 8/10
