Gibbon: Beyond the Trees

Overview

Gibbon: Beyond the Trees is a hand-drawn adventure from Broken Rules about a gibbon family trying to survive as human activity threatens its habitat. The journey moves from Southeast Asian jungle to the hectic human world beyond, following a search for a home that may be lost forever. Its environmental themes include deforestation, poaching and climate change.

Movement is central to the adventure: swing from branch to branch, build momentum, slide and somersault through the canopy. The story focuses on family and survival, while the game also offers modes built around escape and distance rather than the narrative.

Broken Rules developed and published the game. It was released on May 18, 2022, for Windows and macOS.

Key features

• Brachiation-based movement: Swing between branches with momentum, then use acrobatic moves to travel farther and higher.
• Team-assisted traversal: Launch from another gibbon’s hands in midair to extend a leap.
• Story mode: Play through an hour-long narrative about a family of gibbons facing an encroaching human threat.
• Liberation mode: Race toward freedom through a procedurally generated jungle.
• Daily Run: Compete on leaderboards to see how far you can swing, backflip and slide.
• Painted environments: Explore hand-painted 2D scenes spanning jungle and human environments.
• Encyclopedia entries: Collect entries that provide information about gibbons and their habitat.

Steam lists single-player, Steam Achievements, full controller support, custom volume controls, keyboard-only and mouse-only options, and play without timed input. The listed controller support includes DualShock and DualSense controllers.

Platforms

Gibbon: Beyond the Trees is available for Microsoft Windows and macOS. The listed Steam features include controller support as well as keyboard-only and mouse-only options.

Who it's for

This is suited to players looking for a focused single-player adventure where traversal is the main activity. Its short story mode follows a family facing habitat loss, while liberation and Daily Run offer repeatable runs through the jungle and leaderboard competition. Players interested in environmental themes will find deforestation, poaching and climate change addressed in the game’s subject matter.

It is not a server-hosting or multiplayer-focused game in the listed features: the stated play mode is single-player. The encyclopedia collectibles may also appeal to players who want additional information about gibbons and their habitat alongside the journey.

Pros and cons

Pros

• Distinctive movement built around swinging, momentum and aerial tricks.
• Several ways to play, from a compact story to procedurally generated runs and a daily leaderboard challenge.
• Environmental themes are tied to the gibbons’ struggle to survive.
• Options include full controller support, keyboard-only and mouse-only play, and no timed input.

Cons

• The story mode is described as hour-long, so it is a brief narrative experience.
• The listed play mode is single-player, with no multiplayer or community server features specified.

Alternatives

For other Broken Rules games, see Games by Broken Rules. Related alternatives include Old Man's Journey, Secrets of Rætikon and And Yet It Moves.

Verdict

Gibbon: Beyond the Trees puts expressive canopy movement at the center of a concise story about family and a threatened habitat. The hour-long narrative is its clearest fit for players who want a complete, contained adventure; liberation mode and Daily Run add distinct ways to return to the movement challenge. With single-player play, Windows and macOS support, and control options spanning controllers, keyboard and mouse, it is a focused choice for players drawn to traversal and environmental storytelling rather than multiplayer features.