Glover

A sentient wizard’s glove takes center stage in a colorful 3D platformer built around an unusually physical companion: a living rubber ball carrying the kingdom’s lost magic. After a potion accident petrifies the resident wizard and scatters the energy crystals holding his realm together, Glover has to recover them before entire worlds collapse. The tone is playful and strange rather than threatening, with toybox environments, cartoonish enemies, and an evil rival glove constantly trying to turn a rescue mission into a disaster.

Movement is only half the challenge, because Glover must push, toss, bounce, roll, and occasionally ride his ball through obstacle courses spread across roughly 30 stages. Each level mixes conventional jumping-platform challenges with puzzles involving switches, ramps, moving platforms, hazards, and tricky routes that demand careful ball control. The ball is vulnerable, so dropping it into water, lava, or other dangers can force a restart, while magical fountains and pickups help keep it intact. Transformations change how both partners handle, letting the ball become heavier, faster, or more suitable for specific surfaces, while Glover gains forms that broaden his movement and puzzle-solving options.

What makes Glover memorable is its commitment to that two-character setup: the ball is not a gimmick attached to a standard mascot platformer, but the focus of nearly every jump and puzzle. Its six themed worlds have the oddball charm of late-1990s console platformers, full of exaggerated characters, hidden collectibles, and levels that often reward experimentation more than speed. The controls and camera can feel demanding by modern standards, especially during precision sections, but that friction is part of its old-school identity. Players who enjoy the inventive object manipulation of Banjo-Kazooie, the surreal personality of early 3D platformers, or a tougher collectible hunt than the genre’s modern offerings should find plenty to like here.