At first glance, ILA: A Frosty Glide wraps you in the warm embrace of a perfect cozy game. Developed by Magic Rain Studios, it presents a simple, heartfelt quest: as Ila, a young witch-in-training, you land on a whimsical, snow-dusted island to find your lost cat, Coco.
The world, rendered in a charmingly blocky, polygonal art style, feels like a modern take on a classic PlayStation adventure, complete with a soothing soundtrack that promises a relaxing journey. This setup feels familiar and inviting, a clear nod to genre standouts like A Short Hike. But beneath this gentle exterior lies a deeper emotional current.
The search for Coco is more than just a rescue mission; it’s an introspective journey tied to Ila’s recent loss of her mother, for whom the cat was a final, living connection. This narrative depth gives the simple act of exploration a poignant weight, creating a comfortable space to engage with themes of grief and family without being overbearing.
ILA: A Frosty Glide’s simple mechanic “skatebroom” is a triumph
The heart and soul of the experience, and its single greatest triumph, is the “skatebroom.” This is not just a simple flight mechanic; it’s a finely tuned system of momentum-based traversal that feels absolutely fantastic.
The developers, themselves inspired by skateboarding, have focused on the pure joy of movement, and it shows. Gliding over snowbanks, dashing through the air, and ground-pounding for collectibles is immediately satisfying.
The controls are tight and responsive, allowing for a fluid dance across the landscape. A clever mechanic lets you stick your broom into icy cliffs, giving you a pivot point to launch yourself higher and farther, adding a welcome layer of skill to your exploration.
As you discover upgrades that grant you more mid-air boosts, previously unreachable ledges and secrets open up, creating a rewarding loop of exploration and empowerment. When you’re in the flow, soaring through the crisp mountain air, the game is sublime. However, this wonderful feeling of freedom is frequently and jarringly interrupted.
The frustrating challenges juxtapose its relaxed tone
For a game that presents itself as a chill, cozy adventure, ILA: A Frosty Glide has a surprisingly sharp, often frustrating bite. The game is peppered with demanding platforming challenges that feel completely at odds with its relaxed tone.
These difficulty spikes aren’t just about challenging your skills; they often feel unfair, stemming from the game’s own technical shortcomings. The fixed camera angles and polygonal art, while charming, create a deceptive sense of perspective, making it difficult to judge depth for crucial jumps and landings. M
ore than a few times, the camera will get stuck behind a tree or a rock, completely obscuring your view at the worst possible moment. This turns what should be a test of skill into a battle against the game itself.
Puzzles can also be a source of frustration, with some being poorly explained or requiring you to find items in illogical places, forcing you to wander aimlessly, not for the joy of discovery, but out of necessity to progress.
This conflict of identity comes to a head in the game’s final sequence. Originally, players were faced with a long, downhill snowboarding section that required a series of precise, unforgiving jumps. There were no checkpoints, meaning one mistake sent you all the way back to the start.
For many, this was an infuriating gauntlet that felt completely out of place in a game that otherwise has no real penalty for failure. It was a significant design misstep that soured the experience for players at launch.
To the developer’s credit, this intense feedback was heard, and a patch was released to adjust the difficulty of this specific section, making it a much more manageable and enjoyable conclusion. This response is commendable, but the fact that the original design made it into the game highlights the central tension at its core: a beautiful, free-flowing exploration game that can’t quite decide if it also wants to be a punishing platformer.
ILA: A Frosty Glide – Our Verdict
ILA: A Frosty Glide is a game of two minds. It offers moments of pure, unadulterated joy through its brilliant traversal system and sets them within a world that is both beautiful to look at and emotionally resonant.
When you are simply gliding through its snowy landscapes, it is one of the most satisfying indie experiences you can have.
Yet, these moments of bliss are often brought to a screeching halt by frustrating design choices and technical quirks that feel at odds with its cozy identity. It’s a short and sweet adventure, clocking in at around 3-6 hours for full completion, which means the frustrating parts don’t last forever, but it also makes them stand out more starkly.
This is a game for players who love exploration and movement-based platforming and have the patience to forgive some rough edges for the exhilarating highs. If you’re looking for a purely relaxing, stress-free time, the unexpected difficulty might leave you feeling cold.
Pros
- An exhilarating and incredibly fun “skatebroom” mechanic that makes movement a joy.
- A charming and cozy world with a distinct polygonal art style and a wonderful, relaxing soundtrack.
- A heartfelt story that maturely explores themes of loss and family connection.
- Rewarding exploration with plenty of secrets and collectibles to discover.
Cons
- Sudden difficulty spikes clash with the game’s relaxing and cozy tone.
- Frustrating platforming and puzzle sections often feel unfair due to design flaws rather than skill-based challenge.
- Technical issues, particularly with the camera and depth perception, can impede gameplay.
- The short length might be a concern for some, given the price point.
