Thirty years is a long time to wait for a good 3D platformer from a mascot with a reputation this rough. Bubsy 4D landed on May 22, 2026, developed by Fabraz and published by Atari, and it turns out the wait was worth it. Before you commit, though, you probably want to know how much of your time this thing is actually going to take.
How long does Bubsy 4D take to beat?
Three worlds, 15 levels total
The game is built around 15 levels spread across three distinct worlds, each themed around a different crafting material like wool and paper. There's also a tutorial stage if you count that, bringing the total to 16. Four levels per world focus on platforming and collectibles, with the fifth being a boss fight against a BaaBot, the tech-enhanced sheep antagonists who stole the Golden Fleece from Bubsy.
Each stage runs between 5 and 15 minutes depending on how thoroughly you explore. Rush straight to each exit and you're looking at roughly 3 hours to see the credits. Play more deliberately, hunting down every yarn ball and Blueprint along the way, and that stretches to 5 to 6 hours.
Blueprints are the main collectible in each level and tend to be well-hidden. If you plan to go for 100%, consider doing a relaxed first playthrough to learn the levels before attempting time trials.
What does 100% completion actually require?
Blueprints unlock the gauntlet
Getting everything in Bubsy 4D means tackling three separate challenge layers on top of the main campaign.
Time trials
Every level has a time trial trophy that requires finishing the stage under a set target time. Some of those targets are brutal, with certain stages needing to be cleared in under two minutes. Mastering Bubsy's movement, including his jump, glide, and Hairball roll, is non-negotiable here. Expect to spend around two additional hours grinding out the goal times across all 15 levels.
Secret platforming gauntlet
Collecting everything in the main game unlocks a secret platforming gauntlet level. It's not especially long, but it's a genuine test of everything you've learned and clearing it is required for one of the achievements. Budget a bit of extra time here depending on your skill level.
Nine Lives mode
This is where the real time sink lives. Nine Lives mode tasks you with completing the entire game using only nine blocks of health total. Take more than nine hits across the whole run and your save file gets wiped. That's not a level restart, that's a full wipe. After testing this mode extensively, two to three hours of attempts per session adds up fast. Finishing Nine Lives mode realistically adds at least three to four hours on top of everything else.
Nine Lives mode deletes your save file if you exceed nine total hits across the whole game. Back up your save data before starting this mode if you want to preserve your collectible progress.
Full completion time breakdown
How does Bubsy move and what can he do?
Hairball form for speed runs
Bubsy has three core movement options: jump, glide, and the Hairball form which lets him roll and bounce. The Hairball form is where most of the time trial optimization happens. Yarn balls and Blueprints collected in levels can be exchanged at an in-game store for new outfits, moves, and upgrades, so there's a light progression layer on top of the platforming.
Time trial ghost data can also be uploaded, letting you race against other players' recorded runs. For anyone who enjoys adventure games with speedrunning communities built in, this is a genuine hook.
A free demo is available on Steam with progress that carries over to the full game. If you're unsure whether the movement clicks for you, the demo is the right place to find out before spending $19.99 on the full release.
What's the story setup?
The Woolies have returned as BaaBots, tech-enhanced versions of the series' classic antagonists, and they've snatched the Golden Fleece from Bubsy. Your job across the three worlds is to recover it and dismantle every BaaBot boss standing in the way. It's light and comedic, exactly what you'd expect from this series.
Is Bubsy 4D worth the time investment?
Boss fights close each world
For a $19.99 game, 3 hours of story content is on the shorter side. But the gap between a casual run and full completion is wide enough that players who enjoy mastering movement and hunting collectibles will get significantly more out of it. The time trials alone add meaningful replay value, and Nine Lives mode is the kind of punishing optional challenge that keeps dedicated players busy long after the credits roll.
The game sits at a 67 on Metacritic and 72 on OpenCritic, which reflects a solid but unspectacular critical reception. Whether that's enough depends entirely on how much you enjoy the movement sandbox Fabraz built.
For more tips and walkthroughs covering every corner of the game, the Bubsy 4D strategy guides collection has you covered.