FRU (Xbox One, 2016)

Release date: Wednesday 13th July 2016

Platforms: Xbox One

Published by: Through Games

Developed by: Through Games

Genres: Platformer, Puzzle

Story Driveđź“– 3/20
Accessibility🚪 18/20
Depth🤿 6/20
Challengeđź’€ 12/20
Duration⌛ 4/20
Freedom🌎 9/20
Review Scores
2xAFC
Fouttaf Score
Dimension: 2
By mid-2016, the Xbox One Kinect was already gathering dust in gaming history’s attic. Few titles dared to rely on the peripheral, and even fewer managed to stand out. FRU didn’t set out to revolutionize the industry - it simply wanted to make the most of a neglected device, squeezing out every drop of potential from its motion-tracking magic. Its ambitions are modest, but its execution is anything but.
The Flair: A
The audiovisual presentation is… fine. The mystical, dream-like atmosphere works well enough to support the gameplay, and the visuals are clean and functional. However, it’s impossible to ignore how static and repetitive everything feels across its 100+ levels. The art style remains flat and doesn’t evolve or surprise, and the sound design feels more like background filler than an integral part of the experience. While nothing about FRU’s presentation is offensive or poorly done, it’s also clear that neither graphics nor sound were a priority. They serve their purpose, but they rarely elevate the experience beyond "good enough."
The Feel: F
Here’s where FRU absolutely shines. The controls are intuitive and ridiculously clever, letting you use either hand to guide your character while your body’s silhouette interacts with the environment. It’s a game that’ll make you grin, feel like a genius, and then immediately facepalm at your next mistake—all in the span of seconds. Even if this genre isn’t your cup of tea, FRU has a way of pulling you into binge sessions that’ll last its 2–3-hour runtime effortlessly. The difficulty curve strikes that sweet spot: challenging but rarely unfair. Hats off, seriously.
The Fuel: C
If only there were more levels—double, triple, quadruple! FRU leaves you craving more, and while its 100+ stages are finely tuned, it’s hard not to dream about community-created content keeping the magic alive. The hidden masks scattered across levels and the bonus mode they unlock are a nice touch, offering just enough incentive to dig deeper.
Excellent
85
Classic Score
Conclusions
FRU is one of those games that makes you want to bake cookies and mail them to its small team of developers. In a world where the Kinect was little more than a punchline, FRU dared to dream small and deliver big. It’s a game that justifies the device—not through sheer hours of gameplay but through quality, creativity, and pure joy. Playing FRU feels a bit like the first time you held a racing wheel in a driving sim or aimed a light gun at a CRT screen in Time Crisis. Magical, charming, and absolutely essential for anyone still holding onto their Kinect. Totally worth dusting it off.
FRU
FRU (Xbox One, 2016)
Badge Cabinet
Release date: Wednesday 13th July 2016
Platforms: Xbox One
Published by: Through Games
Developed by: Through Games
Genres: Platformer, Puzzle
Trait Chart
Story Drive đź“– 3/20
Accessibility 🚪 18/20
Depth 🤿 6/20
Challenge đź’€ 12/20
Duration ⌛ 4/20
Freedom 🌎 9/20
Review Scores
2xAFC
Fouttaf Score
Dimension: 2
By mid-2016, the Xbox One Kinect was already gathering dust in gaming history’s attic. Few titles dared to rely on the peripheral, and even fewer managed to stand out. FRU didn’t set out to revolutionize the industry - it simply wanted to make the most of a neglected device, squeezing out every drop of potential from its motion-tracking magic. Its ambitions are modest, but its execution is anything but.
The Flair: A
The audiovisual presentation is… fine. The mystical, dream-like atmosphere works well enough to support the gameplay, and the visuals are clean and functional. However, it’s impossible to ignore how static and repetitive everything feels across its 100+ levels. The art style remains flat and doesn’t evolve or surprise, and the sound design feels more like background filler than an integral part of the experience. While nothing about FRU’s presentation is offensive or poorly done, it’s also clear that neither graphics nor sound were a priority. They serve their purpose, but they rarely elevate the experience beyond "good enough."
The Feel: F
Here’s where FRU absolutely shines. The controls are intuitive and ridiculously clever, letting you use either hand to guide your character while your body’s silhouette interacts with the environment. It’s a game that’ll make you grin, feel like a genius, and then immediately facepalm at your next mistake—all in the span of seconds. Even if this genre isn’t your cup of tea, FRU has a way of pulling you into binge sessions that’ll last its 2–3-hour runtime effortlessly. The difficulty curve strikes that sweet spot: challenging but rarely unfair. Hats off, seriously.
The Fuel: C
If only there were more levels—double, triple, quadruple! FRU leaves you craving more, and while its 100+ stages are finely tuned, it’s hard not to dream about community-created content keeping the magic alive. The hidden masks scattered across levels and the bonus mode they unlock are a nice touch, offering just enough incentive to dig deeper.
Conclusions

FRU is one of those games that makes you want to bake cookies and mail them to its small team of developers. In a world where the Kinect was little more than a punchline, FRU dared to dream small and deliver big. It’s a game that justifies the device—not through sheer hours of gameplay but through quality, creativity, and pure joy. Playing FRU feels a bit like the first time you held a racing wheel in a driving sim or aimed a light gun at a CRT screen in Time Crisis. Magical, charming, and absolutely essential for anyone still holding onto their Kinect. Totally worth dusting it off.

Excellent
85
Classic Score