Trine

Trine from 2009 is a puzzle platformer from the Finnish studio Frozenbyte that combines three playable characters – a warrior, a thief, and a wizard – into one physics-based adventure. The player freely switches between the characters and uses their unique abilities to solve puzzles: the warrior attacks with sword and shield, the thief shoots arrows and uses a grappling hook, while the wizard can conjure cubes and levitate objects. This system enables a creative approach to overcoming the obstacles scattered throughout the game's fairy-tale world, since most situations can be solved in several different ways depending on which character the player currently prefers. The game also lets you switch characters at any time on the fly, so a player might conjure the wizard's cube one moment and jump onto it as the warrior the next, leading to improvised solutions that aren't always explicitly intended by the level design.

On PlayStation 3, the game excelled especially in its visual presentation – hand-painted environments, dynamic lighting, and a physics engine created the atmosphere of an enchanting fairy-tale realm full of light and shadow. The level design alternates calm, exploratory sections with more action-heavy fights against skeletons and other undead creatures, keeping the pace varied. The music, composed with an emphasis on orchestral and folk motifs, painted a calm, almost dreamlike mood that contrasted with the occasional more intense sections against undead enemies.

Trine was received very positively by critics, especially for its original combination of physics-based puzzles and fairy-tale aesthetics, and it helped establish Frozenbyte as a respected studio on the independent scene. The game showed that physics in games can serve as a core gameplay mechanic rather than just a visual effect, and it inspired a number of other independent titles built on a similar principle. Even years later, Trine remains a visually timeless and pleasantly relaxing experience, especially in multiplayer co-op, where the possibilities for cooperation between characters multiply even further.

Why play it: For players looking for a visually timeless and relaxing experience, especially in multiplayer co-op, where the physics-based puzzles and fairy-tale aesthetics let cooperation between characters truly shine.