Latest Reviews of Playtonic Games Games
Review Yooka-Replaylee (Switch 2) - Feels Like The Game It Was Meant To Be, Finally
Capital B here now
11 (!) years ago, a bunch of ex-Rare staff formed a studio called Playtonic to make Yooka-Laylee, a spiritual successor to Banjo-Kazooie that promised to skillfully carry the 3D platforming torch. Yet when the actual game launched in 2017, following an incredibly successful Kickstarter campaign, it didn’t fully deliver on that...
Review Yooka-Laylee And The Impossible Lair (Switch) - A Delicious Mix Of Donkey Kong And Zelda
Lair today, Kong tomorrow
It’s possible to beat Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair in under half an hour. Now, hold on a minute. Before you make a beeline for Amazon to start pricing pitchforks (it’s about £25 for a good one, if you’re asking), let us clarify. We said it’s possible. But there’s no way you’ll be able to manage it right...
A rare game
In a post-Super Mario Odyssey world, the bar has been set even higher for 3D platformers. How, then, can a game like Yooka-Laylee stack up - a game so firmly focused on the past rather than the future? Though it may not quite hit the heights of some contemporaries, Yooka-Laylee still stands as a fantastic modern take on 3D platforming...
Playtonic Games Games
- 9th Oct 2025 (UK/EU)
- 9th Oct 2025 (NA)
- 18th Dec 2025 (UK/EU)
- 18th Dec 2025 (NA)
Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair Switch
- 8th Oct 2019 (UK/EU)
- 8th Oct 2019 (NA)
Latest Playtonic Games News
We've played Playtonic's new kart racer, and here's why you should be excited
The Mario Kart series has evolved in some truly remarkable ways over the past few decades, but I feel little shame in stating that the 1992 original remains one of my personal favourites (I'm odd like that; I'd pick the original F-Zero and Star Fox over later iterations,...
Feature Who Is Playtonic's Voice Of The People?
The driving force of change
Frances Williams, Head of People @ Playtonic Here at Nintendo Life we've followed Playtonic's journey since its inception back in 2015. We caught up with the team behind Yooka-Laylee and its follow-up Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair last year to see how the studio had grown and what they are working on next. During...
Video What's Going On At Playtonic, The Studio Behind Yooka-Laylee?
A Rare find
It was almost 10 years ago that a group of former Rare developers got together and established Playtonic Games. This was a team consisting of many of the minds behind Banjo-Kazooie, Donkey Kong Country, and other such classics, so when their first title, Yooka-Laylee was released in 2017, we were relieved to see that level of creativity...
News Nintendo Goodies Up For Grabs In Playtonic's Charity Auction For SpecialEffect
Update: Auction is live, including Banjo and DKC items
Update [Mon 3rd Oct, 2022 17:45 BST]: The auction items went up over the weekend. Up for grabs are various art prints featuring Playtonic Friends games and the developer's own Yooka-Laylee, plus retro-flavoured offerings from the creators of Banjo-Kazooie, Donkey Kong Country, and others. There...
News Playtonic Celebrates 5 Years of Yooka-Laylee, Teases Some "Surprises"
What could it be..?
It's been 5 whole years since Playtonic's Yooka-Laylee launched (albeit Switch owners needed to wait a bit longer) and the publisher is looking to celebrate the milestone throughout the day, even teasing some "surprises". We'll be sure to keep an eye on Playtonic's feed and update on anything worthwhile, but we're absolutely...
News 'Yooka-Laylee' Creator Playtonic Expands With Second Studio
"We want to broaden our reach, without going too far"
Playtonic Games, the studio behind the Yooka-Laylee series, has opened a second office in the UK town of Leamington Spa. Playtonic – which was founded in 2015 by former Rare staffers – recently gained investment from the Chinese giant Tencent. It has released two games so far,
News Playtonic's Original Yooka-Laylee Game Is Getting A Follow-Up Title
A new adventure is on the way
In a bit of a shock announcement earlier this week, Playtonic - the UK developer comprised of former Rare veterans and known for titles such as Yooka-Laylee - revealed Chinese video game giant Tencent had acquired a minority stake in the business. If it's got you wondering what's to come, in an interview with friends...
News Playtonic Announces Tencent Investment And Major Expansion Plans
"Things are going to get Bat Ship Crazy over the next few years"
Playtonic has undergone rapid expansion since its initial Kickstarter success with Yooka-Laylee over six years ago, with a number of Rare veterans on board. It followed that up with the rather good Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair, before delving into publishing last year with...
News Yooka-Laylee Developer Playtonic Games Teases New Reveal Coming "Soon"
"We know you're wondering what we have cooking"
Playtonic Games, the UK-based developer behind Yooka-Laylee and Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair, has teased a new reveal that should be headed our way "soon". The studio took to social media today to offer some kind words to fans and to promise that a reveal is on the way. "We'd like to give...
Book Review Flicking Through The Vibrant World Of Yooka-Laylee And The Kracklestone
Over a hundred pagies long
The spiritual successor to the legendary bear and bird besties, Yooka-Laylee, nearly shook the earth when they were revealed through a Kickstarter project by Playtonic Games, the brand new studio made up of ex-Rare developers. Since the original reveal back in 2015, the team has managed to put out not just one, but two...
News Yooka-Laylee And The Impossible Lair Update Makes The Final Stage Easier To Beat
And it's completely optional
The folks over at Playtonic Games have unleashed several announcements for the Yooka-Laylee series of games, including an important update for Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair. The first announcement regards Impossible Lair's erm... impossible lair, with a new update allowing players to dial down the difficulty if...
News Playtonic Games Isn't Working On A New Banjo-Kazooie Game, Despite The Rumours
"They're rumours."
Ever since Banjo and Kazooie were officially confirmed as Super Smash Bros. Ultimate fighters last summer, rumours and speculation surrounding new games and remasters for Rare's legendary series have been doing the rounds online. One such rumour suggests that Playtonic, a studio housing plenty of ex-Rare staff, is helping Rare,...
The perfect (Play)tonic
In these trying times we could all do with a some relief - a little pick-me-up to get us through the day. When we're feeling blue, throwing on some classic Rareware tunes from the likes of Donkey Kong Country and Banjo-Kazooie perks us up no end. As luck would have it, both composers behind those winners feature on the...
"What’s changed? So far as I can tell, not a lot!"
Earlier this week, Playtonic Games announced that veteran character artist Ed Bryan was joining the team behind Yooka-Laylee on a full-time basis. The ex-Rare man has been away from the games industry since leaving Rare eight years ago, but now reenters the fray as Playtonic enjoys the success of...
News No, Playtonic Games Isn't Making A New Banjo-Kazooie Or Joining Microsoft
Playtonic shares official statement
Over the past few days, you may have stumbled across rumours and speculation suggesting that Yooka-Laylee developer Playtonic Games is either working on a new Banjo-Kazooie title, or that it has been acquired by Microsoft. Neither of these things are true. The rumours appear to have started soon after it was...
News Yooka-Laylee Dev Playtonic Is Open To Making A Mario Kart-Like Racer Or Splatoon-Like Shooter
"Really, we could work on any kind of game"
Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair is out right now on Switch, with the folks over at Playtonic Games doing a cracking job of tickling our nostalgia bone. The game reminds us of Donkey Kong Country, Banjo-Kazooie and even Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle all mushed into one, and it'
News Escape 'The Impossible Layer' In Playtonic's New Yooka-Laylee-Inspired Mario Maker 2 Course
Celebrating Impossible Lair's launch
Having released Yooka-Laylee and The Impossible Lair to great reviews just yesterday, we'd like to think the good folks over at Playtonic Games are sitting with their feet up, relaxing after shipping one of them there vidya games. Of course, as with all devs who have just shipped a game, they're probably still...
Feature Yooka-Laylee Devs Make Super Mario Maker 2 Courses
Play four levels from Playtonic Games!
Next up in our Super Nindie Maker 2 series, we're lucky enough to have a bumper offering from Playtonic Games. Following on from the opening gambit courtesy of Shovel Knight designer Mike Herbster, the developers behind Yooka-Laylee and its upcoming 2.5D sequel Yooka-Laylee and The Impossible Lair have cooked
News Playtonic Devs Recall The Trials And Errors Of Making Yooka-Laylee
"We all knew where the issues were."
Playtonic Games - the studio grown primarily from ex-Rare staff - struck gold with its idea to crowd fund a Banjo-Kazooie-style collectathon revival via Kickstarter. Raising over £2 million for 3D platformer Yooka-Laylee, the devs were hugely successful in tapping nostalgia for the kind of game that had fallen...
News Team17 And Playtonic Games Share Super Mario Maker 2 Levels For You To Play
Can you beat them?
If you're on the lookout for some new Super Mario Maker 2 levels to enjoy, hopefully these creations from Team17 and Playtonic Games will do the trick nicely. There are two courses on offer from Team17 - the studio behind Switch games like My Time at Portia, Overcooked,
