Gibbon: Beyond the Trees Apple Arcade - Tip, Walkthrough, Glitch

Our Site Score

91/100

Rarely does a game manage to be both mechanically exhilarating and emotionally devastating. Gibbon: Beyond the Trees achieves this by making the simple act of movement feel like a dance. When you hit a perfect rhythm, swinging through the canopy at breakneck speed, it’s pure zen.

But the game doesn't let you stay in that bubble. As the lush greens turn to charred oranges and industrial grays, the impact of the message hits hard. It’s an incredibly effective use of the medium to discuss ecological collapse without feeling preachy. The hand-painted art is some of the best I've seen on any platform, and the ending left me sitting in silence for a good five minutes. This isn't just a game; it's an experience that everyone should play at least once.

Reviewed on: Sun Apr 12 2026

Dinsun Review

Dinsun here. Gibbon is what I’d call a 'message game.' It’s more concerned with how it makes you feel about the rainforest than with being a deep mechanical challenge. The swinging mechanic is admittedly very satisfying—when you get into a rhythm, it feels like a more grounded, soulful version of an endless runner. The art is stunning; it looks like a living watercolor painting.

However, it's very short. I finished the story in about an hour. While the message is important and handled with more grace than most 'educational' games, it feels like a tech demo for a movement system that never quite evolves. It’s a somber, quiet experience. If you’re looking for a game to 'beat,' this isn't it. If you want to spend an afternoon feeling slightly guilty about palm oil while enjoying some nice visuals, then Gibbon is your game. It’s good, but it’s thin.

Overall Stats

Pros & Cons

Fluid and intuitive movement mechanics
Genuinely moving environmental message
Beautiful hand-drawn art style

Extremely short play time
Limited replay value
Control precision can occasionally falter during fast segments

Technical Report

Performance: Very smooth; movement feels consistent across devices.

Accessibility:

Subtitles
Difficulty Presets

Audience Fit

Buy if: You appreciate 'art-house' games with a message and beautiful visuals.

Skip if: You want a long game or complex gameplay systems.

Similar Games:

Old Man's Journey
Alto's Odyssey
Abzû

Reviewer Context

Reviewer: Dinsun, 40-year-old conservative gamer
Hardware: iPhone 13 mini
Playtime: 3 hours
Status: Finished Story

The Game

Available on: Mac, Apple TV, iPhone, iPad, iPod

Author : Broken Rules

Pubish Date : Thu Feb 24 2022

Last Update Date : Wed Jan 17 2024

Support Languages : English, Arabic, Dutch, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Russian, Simplified Chinese, Spanish, Traditional Chinese, Turkish

Genres :

Version 1.9.1Wed Jan 17 2024

Final Polish Round!
We gathered the team and fine-tuned all the minor aspects we were itching to make better. It was a pleasure to dive back into Gibbon with our wonderful team. We hope you enjoy this update as much as we enjoyed putting it together!
- Coolest addition: Humans now react to gibbons passing by!
- Game Center Challenges are now up and running for certain achievements.
- Gibbons and other animals will now chill for a bit at the Family Tree, whenever you've freed the same animal type ten times in Liberation mode.
- We've boosted our performance and memory, making things smoother for you.
- The bounce animation is snappier and more visually appealing.
- You can now pull off a double backflip from the crane, and we've thrown in a few other minor level improvements.
- Cages now align with sloped roofs.
- We've added some cool water effects when Pink runs through shallow water.
- We've squashed various minor bugs and glitches.
- Lastly, we've made further improvements to various minor visual aspects of the game. Although, we're not sure if anyone other than us will ever notice them. ;)

Ratings & Reviews

4.8 out of 5 with 813 Counts

★★★★★

Age Rating 9+

Game Overview

Gibbon: Beyond the Trees is a visually stunning adventure that uses a fluid 'brachiation' movement system—the way real gibbons swing through trees. As a family of gibbons, players must navigate a hand-painted world that transitions from the pristine beauty of the rainforest to the harsh reality of human encroachment. The game combines high-speed flow-state gameplay with a poignant narrative about habitat loss, palm oil plantations, and the struggle for survival in a rapidly changing world.

Promotion Videos

Full playthrough of the narrative mode.

Walkthrough

GIBBON: BEYOND THE TREES - Apple Arcade

click to see the youtube video

Screenshots (Scroll Left & Right)

News on this game

Getting Physical: Get Swinging with Gibbon: Beyond the Trees

The latest Getting Physical embraces wildlife conservation in Gibbon: Beyond the Trees, which just came to Nintendo Switch courtesy of Super...

Hey Poor Player - Sat Dec 07 2024

Gibbon: Beyond the Trees Swings to Super Rare Games Soon

We've all had at least one game we hoped to play that passed us by. For me, one of those was Gibbon: Beyond the Trees developed by Broken...

Hey Poor Player - Mon Oct 07 2024

Gibbon: Beyond the Trees going physical on Switch

In partnership with Broken Rules, Super Rare Games is planning a physical release of Gibbon: Beyond the Trees for Switch.

Nintendo Everything - Mon Oct 07 2024

Broken Rules CEO Felix Bohatsch Explains How Gibbon: Beyond The Trees Got Its Political Edge

Gibbon: Beyond the Trees is a beautiful game. Sublime even. The Apple Arcade exclusive is more ambitious than most mobile titles while also...

TheGamer - Tue Aug 02 2022

Gibbon: Beyond The Trees Switch Review

Developed by Broken Rules, Gibbon: Beyond The Trees is a hand-drawn adventure game featuring three adorable gibbons as they travel through...

Thumb Culture - Sat Jul 02 2022

They wanted to make a cute game about gibbons. Then they learned the reality

“Gibbon: Beyond the Trees” explores environmental and conservation concerns while allowing players to experience the exhilaration of soaring and gliding...

Los Angeles Times - Sat Jul 02 2022

Gibbon: Beyond the Trees (Switch) Review

For as frequent as animals are playable in games, rarely are they portrayed in a realistic manner comparable to their real-world...

Nintendo World Report - Tue Jun 07 2022

Gibbon: Beyond the Trees Review – Save the planet of the apes

The most important part of Gibbon: Beyond the Trees – indeed, its best part – is the pointed message about deforestation and the destruction...

checkpointgaming.net - Tue Jun 07 2022

Gibbon: Beyond the Trees tells a story about deforestation in a really clever way

Gibbon: Beyond the Trees isn't a long game - it's about an hour long with the option of playing on after - and it isn't…

Eurogamer - Thu Jun 02 2022

Gibbon: Beyond the Trees Review – A simple message

Gibbon: Beyond the Trees is a simple, beautiful game with a clear, admirable, and touching message concerning the endangered species.

GamesHub - Thu Jun 02 2022

Gameplays

Brachiation and Speed

The gameplay focuses on maintaining momentum. Players swing, slide, and launch themselves through the canopy. The story mode takes you through several chapters, while 'Liberation' mode offers endless swinging challenges.