KAIRO

 PC
User Score
7.6

Generally favorable reviews- based on 59 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 37 out of 59
  2. Mixed: 16 out of 59
  3. Negative: 6 out of 59

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  1. Trashware
    Oct 16, 2014
    8
    The approach to wether to buy this game is fairly simple: Look at the screenshots. State how they breathe with atmosphere and probably form something like a desolate first person puzzle exploration game filled with mysteries. Play the trailer and confirm that assumption.

    Well, I was sold and Kairo didn't disappoint at all. It's not a long game but then again it's not an expensive game    The approach to wether to buy this game is fairly simple: Look at the screenshots. State how they breathe with atmosphere and probably form something like a desolate first person puzzle exploration game filled with mysteries. Play the trailer and confirm that assumption.

    Well, I was sold and Kairo didn't disappoint at all. It's not a long game but then again it's not an expensive game either. If you enjoy the kind of mystical immersement games like Myst or Antichamber convey you will enjoy Kairo as much as I do. You get dropped in the game world with not a single clue whatsoever on where you are, why you're there or what you should do. It's up to your creativity and will to explore to find every secret this place has got to offer. Great music, great graphics and logical puzzlesolving.

    A fair warning: There's just that one puzzle that's really annoying and obtuse compared to the rest of the game (almost at Fez-proportions) and you'll probably just have to google that one or try to solve it at random. I think you'll know it when you get there. But don't let that one drive you away from the game, you would be missing out on a beautiful experience.    … Expand
  2. mezhulol
    Apr 25, 2013
    7
    Kairo is an atmospheric, mysterious exploration game set in some vast, desolate monuments, seemingly from another dimension. The minimalistic environments, in all their simplicity, are breathtaking. The puzzles feel a bit akward at times and aren't that innovative- however they do not fail to interest, while adding a layer of depth to otherwise straightforward gameplay. The music and soundKairo is an atmospheric, mysterious exploration game set in some vast, desolate monuments, seemingly from another dimension. The minimalistic environments, in all their simplicity, are breathtaking. The puzzles feel a bit akward at times and aren't that innovative- however they do not fail to interest, while adding a layer of depth to otherwise straightforward gameplay. The music and sound are pretty well fit with the ambience, and play an important role throughout the game. My only slight disappointment is the lack of some clues on the backstory, which would, I believe, help players relate better to the character and experience the game more intensely. Other than that, Kairo is a very enjoyable experience which will pleasantly remind the old-school adventurers of the golden era of Myst. Considering the fact it's been made by two people, and its' fairly low price (I got it from under 5 euros from steam), I wholeheartedly recommend it, both to hardcore adventurers and to people seeking an alternative gaming experience.… Expand
  3. fartheststar
    Jul 19, 2013
    7
    Atmospheric is the first word that comes to mind when I think about Kairo. Huge monuments and empty structures, eerie sounds, discovering the secret of what's going on. I enjoyed playing this quite a bit even just walking around discovering the world. It isn't a long game, but it's not too long either maybe 8 hours or so and it ended at about the right point for me. There are puzzles toAtmospheric is the first word that comes to mind when I think about Kairo. Huge monuments and empty structures, eerie sounds, discovering the secret of what's going on. I enjoyed playing this quite a bit even just walking around discovering the world. It isn't a long game, but it's not too long either maybe 8 hours or so and it ended at about the right point for me. There are puzzles to solve to bring these ancient monuments back to life and in the process uncover some of what is going on in the process. The puzzles aren't overly hard imho. I only had to look up 1 walk-through so the game to me was enjoyable for the discovery aspects not frustrating like some of these type games can become. In other words the puzzles make logical sense and the hint system is usually far more than sufficient if you get stuck.

    You'll still probably be confused when you're done, but you'll have your ideas and will have a sense of achievement. Visually the game is minimalist, but minimalist in an artful and powerful way given its huge scale, and eerie emptiness.

    As for similars: I've heard some compare this to a Myst type game.

    I did experience a little motion sickness while playing I notice some others mentioned the controls a bit also. I found turning off the "smooth looking" or "smooth scrolling" options helped create more natural movement that didn't disorient.    … Expand
  4. janosbiro
    Oct 27, 2015
    10
    This game makes me feel like I was inside the dreams of a weird engineer/architect. It is great how it can give you so much with so bare materials. You walk around huge constructions, trying to make sense of it. And then you realize you are the life inside these dead empty endless halls. This game is about second changes. You move from a lifeless place to a garden with flowing life. It isThis game makes me feel like I was inside the dreams of a weird engineer/architect. It is great how it can give you so much with so bare materials. You walk around huge constructions, trying to make sense of it. And then you realize you are the life inside these dead empty endless halls. This game is about second changes. You move from a lifeless place to a garden with flowing life. It is really about coming back to life, so it is another game that helped me recover. It is amazing how this message is there without the need of any word. It is a memorable experience.… Expand
  5. gameface
    May 14, 2013
    10
    Kairo surprised me, from the trailer it looked like there wasn't a lot to the game but in fact it was a world filled with wonder and awe. The basic graphics allow it to instead shock you with the sense of scale and loneliness of architecture. It took me a while to understand what the puzzles were about but as you progress it slowly becomes clear you're fixing a broken world for a realKairo surprised me, from the trailer it looked like there wasn't a lot to the game but in fact it was a world filled with wonder and awe. The basic graphics allow it to instead shock you with the sense of scale and loneliness of architecture. It took me a while to understand what the puzzles were about but as you progress it slowly becomes clear you're fixing a broken world for a real purpose. The more I explored and took time to think about the things I'd seen the more sense the subtle story began to make and in the end it lead to what I found quite a touching climax.… Expand
  6. willza99
    Apr 28, 2013
    10
    Kairo is a puzzler game with a deep story to it that is conveyed in a way without speech or reading. A story where by you explore the vast huge expanses in this strange lost world fixing these old relics of machinery. All hinting towards the under-story of the game.
    Kairo is a fantastic indie game developed by Richard Perrin and has music by Bartosz Szturgieweicz (i’m glad i’m typing this    Kairo is a puzzler game with a deep story to it that is conveyed in a way without speech or reading. A story where by you explore the vast huge expanses in this strange lost world fixing these old relics of machinery. All hinting towards the under-story of the game.
    Kairo is a fantastic indie game developed by Richard Perrin and has music by Bartosz Szturgieweicz (i’m glad i’m typing this and not saying that dudes name).
    You start on a small bit of rock and are faced with what is essentially just a white blank background, a nothingness that stretches onward and onward, but not too far way is another structure that you make your way toward and so begins the puzzling story of Kairo. You have no name, no voice, no face and absolutely no knowledge of the goal at hand, which creates a deep intrigue and a need to continue playing to satisfy the curious thirst you develop as everything you do hints toward something, something big and something you just need to know. Its like Someone staring at you knowing everything you do, but you know nothing of them, you want to ask questions, you want to know whats happening, the only response you get is the sound of your footsteps echoing out so clearly into the vast, decaying and broken down world of Kairo.

    Kairo has many things going for it in terms of a game, it has the mystery that pushes gamers, but it also has a certain playfulness about it, sure some puzzles you might get a little stuck on, but there is always an answer near at hand, to find the answer you merely need to explore the surroundings and you’ll get your answer. If you don’t want to you can always bash your head against a wall until you need the useful `hints` found in the pause menu, 3 little clues that should nudge you in the right direction. However as with any puzzle game whether it be portal, Q.U.B.E. you will undoubtedly hit the moment where everything clicks into place and you think “I’m an idiot!”.

    What I do love (and there are many things) about Kairo though is the uneasiness it creates, you can never really feel like you’re alone, the fantastic soundtrack greats such a feeling of dread at times, combine this with sudden jumps when static-filled screens pop up sometimes with the ominous outline of a man in frame and the grainy visuals and to top it off the necessity to sometimes push on into the darkness when all you can see if the path 5ft in front of you all create the feeling that this is testing me, am I being watched, who else is here, when was the last person here, and am I truly alone?

    Kairo is a beautiful world, not so much in what is there (which is incredibly beautiful too) but the minimalism of it all, what isn’t there plays into the beauty, much like the note that isn’t played in a song adds to groove. However I don’t want you to think Kairo is just full of rather large rusty machines, some big building and then nothing else. No it’s so much more, and it comes down to the mood created through the colour.

    We all associate colours with emotions, red is angry, green is envious, blue is depressed. These are things we all have instilled into us at some point. And Kairo doesn’t use the colours for those reasons at all, I’m not envious of the temple above just there. The world is just coated in this colour scheme and its done beautifully well, it never felt over-bearing or right in your face. It felt right and in place if anything and it created a little excitement “whoo I was in a green room and now its purple what does it want me to do?”. It gave the rooms character, and when it came to vast expanses of colour it made you feel small, you’re playing in a world much bigger than you can explore, much bigger than you can comprehend and much bigger than you can simply just handle.

    Feeling small can make you feel like you’re not making a difference, but when you feel like its you fixing this broken world, this lost world then it makes you feel empowered. You have dominion and its up to you to do the job and figure how it all fits together. Some of the designs are incredibly strange no doubt, however with some of them they are more astounding than confusing. One of the very early rooms you walk through is green and has an odd green fence all around it, but within the room are blocks arranged very strangely at first glance, however a better look around will reveal this odd green landscape is in fact a park. Its a wonderful moment of clarity and realisation that maybe everything you will see, will not be as it first appears.

    As you traverse down many corridors of infinite colour and length. Each feeling uneasy and comfortable in their own ways, you will pick up on something that made me quite happy and even more powerful despite the small significance it actually gives.

    *Read the rest of the review at http://willza99.wordpress.com/2013/04/27/exploring-kairo/*    … Expand
  7. kSum
    Jun 8, 2013
    9
    Kairo is a wonderful, mystical and spheric experience. You wake up in an abandoned world full of miracles and mysteries and try to find out why you are here. A philosophical journey.
  8. Iron_Salamander
    Apr 28, 2013
    9
    An unusual but very interesting game. It comes off as a more benign version of the some of the odd worlds you read about in H.P. Lovecraft circles. Strange buildings, odd colors for what one is used too, and while I have not gotten that far yet, I find it almost relaxing in a way. The graphics are both austere and stunning, the music excellent, and the first=person point of view is perfectAn unusual but very interesting game. It comes off as a more benign version of the some of the odd worlds you read about in H.P. Lovecraft circles. Strange buildings, odd colors for what one is used too, and while I have not gotten that far yet, I find it almost relaxing in a way. The graphics are both austere and stunning, the music excellent, and the first=person point of view is perfect for this exploration into an unknown world.

    Not for everyone I admit, but if you think you might like it, give it a try, it's not expensive and may open your mind to a new and exciting world.    … Expand
  9. Onheiron
    May 3, 2013
    6
    Let's start with cons:

    - Terrible controls: looking around feels either too sudden or too slow, moving and jumping sometimes feels weird - Textures are cool but they look way too much tiled - Cannot look straight up or straight down - Maybe a little more variety/attention on backgorund music and sounds would be needed - Maybe an itty bitty dot in the center of the view would    Let's start with cons:

    - Terrible controls: looking around feels either too sudden or too slow, moving and jumping sometimes feels weird

    - Textures are cool but they look way too much tiled

    - Cannot look straight up or straight down

    - Maybe a little more variety/attention on backgorund music and sounds would be needed

    - Maybe an itty bitty dot in the center of the view would help

    now the pros:

    - I crave these plain 3D graphic puzzle world games

    - Cool places, awesome light effects etc.

    - Quality/price ratio is good and even if the game has some faults it is worth the money

    With few adjustments could be a nice 8/10 game    … Expand
  10. neout
    Aug 10, 2014
    5
    Not bad game, but I hoped for more. Pros: There are new things that I haven't seen before in other games, sometimes there is really atmospheric, but: the game has very simple graphic, this world lacks of details, and isn't living and many locations are quite empty. Most of all THERE IS NO STORY IN THIS GAME. Just riddles... We are activating some machines but it is hard to tell why? I haveNot bad game, but I hoped for more. Pros: There are new things that I haven't seen before in other games, sometimes there is really atmospheric, but: the game has very simple graphic, this world lacks of details, and isn't living and many locations are quite empty. Most of all THERE IS NO STORY IN THIS GAME. Just riddles... We are activating some machines but it is hard to tell why? I have found some article proving that there is some story behind the game - but it very easy to miss it completely playing the game...… Expand
  11. Lucathegreat
    Dec 28, 2013
    10
    One of the best games I've played this year, and the proof that HD graphics isn't needed to make a good and fascinating game. Puzzles are clever and perfectly balances so you always have the right clues to solve them without reading the in-game hints (don't do that!), and the satisfaction of solving them on your own is really great. The cubic and creepy world is big and fascinating and itOne of the best games I've played this year, and the proof that HD graphics isn't needed to make a good and fascinating game. Puzzles are clever and perfectly balances so you always have the right clues to solve them without reading the in-game hints (don't do that!), and the satisfaction of solving them on your own is really great. The cubic and creepy world is big and fascinating and it makes you feel like you could go anywhere, thing that you'll probably do just for fun and to watch it from another perspective. The music adds a lot to the atmosphere and is perfectly fitting as well, and there's also some replayability, there are hidden puzzles and runes carved in the most unexpected places, and a hidden ending.… Expand
  12. PenguinSheep
    Jul 1, 2014
    10
    You definitely need to get this game. It is the most interesting game I have played this year. It is simple yet complex at the same time. It is easy yet challenging at the same time. It is mellow yet scary at the same time. It is like a dream, maybe even a nightmare. There is so much mystery wrapped into this game and will leave you wondering what you are getting yourself into.
  13. Nerokin
    Nov 24, 2015
    7
    Stylistically Confident And Monumental World

    Overall: 66% (65.9/100)

    Atmosphere: 8.0/10
    Graphics: 5.7/10
    Level Design: 6.8/10
    Sound: 6.5/10

    Balance: 8.5/10
    Controls: 7.5/10
    Mysteries: 7.5/10

    Replay Value: 6.4/10
    Story: 3.5/10
    Tutorial: 1.5/5

    Cost-Benefit Ratio: 3/4
    System Requirements: 1/1
  14. Young_Nacho
    Oct 5, 2015
    6
    For those who like exploration puzzle games with good atmosphere, its worth checking out. I enjoyed it for the most part and thought the atmosphere was really cool. The ambient music really brought you into another world and that was enjoyable. Unfortunately The rest wasn't as good IMO. The puzzles were cool but the game as a whole just seemed to lack some real substance. I personallyFor those who like exploration puzzle games with good atmosphere, its worth checking out. I enjoyed it for the most part and thought the atmosphere was really cool. The ambient music really brought you into another world and that was enjoyable. Unfortunately The rest wasn't as good IMO. The puzzles were cool but the game as a whole just seemed to lack some real substance. I personally didn't find much drive to continue on so after i finished a large chunk of it, I kind of stopped playing. Even though it seemed cool to solve the puzzles and uncover the ancient ruins, it just didn't feel that satisfying. The minimalistic design and ambient atmosphere are really cool and I think its a good experience for that. But I DO NOT think it is worth the $5 price on steam (even though that's not a lot, $0.99 or free seems more appropriate). Cant say i hated it though and if you're into these kind of games, you should definitely check it out. 6.5/10… Expand
  15. Voyou
    May 22, 2021
    3
    The ugliest walking simulator ever sold thinks it is made of puzzles. The only non-dull aspect of the enterprise is the motion sickness it induces.

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
76

Generally favorable reviews - based on 6 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 4 out of 6
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 6
  3. Negative: 0 out of 6
  1. PC Gamer UK
    Jun 19, 2013
    71
    No arguments, this is one of the most beautiful game worlds created. [July 2013, p.85]
  2. 4P.de
    May 15, 2013
    73
    This is an entertaining puzzler, but in terms of finesse or cleverly constructed thought experiment this is as far away from games like Starseed Pilgrim as it is from Portal or Antichamber.
    Read full review
  3. games(TM)
    May 14, 2013
    80
    It is a game that has been crafted with care, love and attention and is the perfect antidote to the usual mainstream fare of guns, graphics and gore.
See all critic reviews »