LIMBO

 PC
User Score
8.1

Generally favorable reviews- based on 2095 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1,556 out of 2095
  2. Mixed: 436 out of 2095
  3. Negative: 103 out of 2095

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  1. Sideline
    Jan 6, 2013
    7
    Nice game with an attractive art style but way too short. The puzzles are fun but some of them rely too much on trial and error.
    Still a good buy if you wait for a special on Steam.
  2. hippiej
    Aug 9, 2011
    7
    The only thing i have against the game is the length... finished it in a little under 3 hours. it should have been much longer (for the asking price) or extend it via updates/DLC like Angry Birds or Cut the Rope.
  3. AxeFish
    Mar 30, 2012
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I think the thing that stands out the most in the game and will be the most memorable is the atmosphere of the game. the fact that it's only black and white and mainly has ambiance as music make for a rather dark experience, especially since you're playing as a little boy. The death scenes are intense, really adding to the dark atmosphere.
    This is all fine and good. However, at the end, I kinda got the feeling that whole atmosphere got destroyed under the many trial and error moments that you will be confronted with. It's a shame, because a lot could have been done with the ending, but the fact that you just see your self dying so much during the last few levels kind of ruin the experience.
    Now, dying is a part of the game's atmosphere, so at the beginning of the game, if you don't watch out or haven't played it thorough already once, they kinda make you die, but in a way, that you know what to do afterwards. The fact that the game was so fluid that way made the experience perfect. I just got the feeling that just got kind of dumped towards the end.
    Another thing is that it could have used a little more music. Now I know it's part of the games atmosphere that it doesn't have any at parts, which is alright, but it just feels kind of....empty during puzzle sequences (which them selves are really good ad at times require some logical thinking.
    And know I keep repeating the word "atmosphere" a lot, but really, that's just what the game is based on.

    Don't get me wrong. It's a fantastic experience and if you loved the game during the first few chapters, you will forgive the mistakes during the end.    … Expand
  4. Kluge
    Aug 30, 2011
    7
    I wish so much they didn't try to attempt any narrative. The game's fun and challenging. I do agree with others that in many late-game instances, you DO have to die to figure out how you're supposed to solve the puzzle, but this is excusable. The film noir aesthetic is beautiful and immersive. - But after finishing the game, I felt cheated more than ever before. The game keeps hinting at aI wish so much they didn't try to attempt any narrative. The game's fun and challenging. I do agree with others that in many late-game instances, you DO have to die to figure out how you're supposed to solve the puzzle, but this is excusable. The film noir aesthetic is beautiful and immersive. - But after finishing the game, I felt cheated more than ever before. The game keeps hinting at a narrative -- that the game's making some type of commentary on... something. It seems to really be trying at some points, but at the end, nothing really makes sense. Nothing is explained, and there's not enough of a coherent story to make interesting theories on like in Braid. After finishing, I ended up scouring Internet forums looking for someone to enlighten me. Instead, I found some of the most frustrating nonsensical drivel I've yet read. It was confirmed to me that while LIMBO's creators made some attempt at a narrative, there was nothing substantive.

    Seriously, I'm not OCD, but the game's lack of a story rips a huge hole in an otherwise brilliant indie game. But.... with most games pretending even harder to have a story and failing equally hard at six times the price, I can't give LIMBO a bad rating. In the end, it's a great, enjoyable, rewarding puzzle game great for night-time play.    … Expand
  5. razvyan
    Aug 4, 2011
    7
    this game is very interesting because is like machinarium where you must to logic the ways of life of the little boy LIMBO.
  6. sa66o6
    Sep 22, 2011
    7
    Atmospheric, clever and challenging.The controls are tight and it makes a nice use of physics .It requires quick reactions, and you will die a lot, and the game is based on learning from your mistakes.A forgiving checkpoint prevents the game from getting frustrating A great game overall.
  7. MikefromAngus
    Feb 2, 2014
    7
    Very simple, black and white. Yet it delivers a very good atmosphere! The puzzles are sometimes a challenge. I really enjoy playing this game! I recommend it!
  8. Jotto999
    Oct 13, 2012
    7
    Many of the puzzles seem to expect the player to either be a masochist, or to not notice that they are pseudo-puzzles. By that I refer to the times when you are forced to die to see how the "puzzle" is done so you can proceed. Pseudo-puzzles sap much of the satisfaction, and you begin to feel like you've payed money and spent time to get jerked around.

    I liked the art and music. The    Many of the puzzles seem to expect the player to either be a masochist, or to not notice that they are pseudo-puzzles. By that I refer to the times when you are forced to die to see how the "puzzle" is done so you can proceed. Pseudo-puzzles sap much of the satisfaction, and you begin to feel like you've payed money and spent time to get jerked around.

    I liked the art and music. The controls were slightly awkward but not unbearable. The main negative to this game would be the pseudo-puzzles. If it was all good quality puzzles, then the ratings would be appropriate - otherwise it is over-hyped and it isn't worth paying much for this. I was fortunate enough to get it for $2.50 on Steam, which I think was reasonable. But it isn't worth more than that. It's worth the short amount of time to play, just not worth much money.    … Expand
  9. BasilZero
    Dec 30, 2013
    7
    Game: LIMBO
    Genre: Puzzle
    Developer: PLAYDEAD System: Steam (PC) Total Score: 74/100 Value Score: 7.4/10 • Story: 6/10 • Characters: 6/10 • GamePlay: 10/10 • Graphics: 8/10 • Sound: 10/10 • Music: 4/10 • Length: 5/10 • Replay Value: 8/10 • Player Value: 7/10 Pros +Great Puzzles +Gameplay focused mostly on dark colors and sound effects which bring a unique    Game: LIMBO
    Genre: Puzzle
    Developer: PLAYDEAD
    System: Steam (PC)
    Total Score: 74/100
    Value Score: 7.4/10

    • Story: 6/10
    • Characters: 6/10
    • GamePlay: 10/10
    • Graphics: 8/10
    • Sound: 10/10
    • Music: 4/10
    • Length: 5/10
    • Replay Value: 8/10
    • Player Value: 7/10

    Pros
    +Great Puzzles
    +Gameplay focused mostly on dark colors and sound effects which bring a unique experience.
    +Great for those who love difficult games as the game can be brutal.
    +Great for horror fans
    +Great for casual fans and those who want to play something short and sweet.
    +Replay value is high as you can replay every single section even if you want to play certain stages or if you missed some achievements, the game allows you to go back exactly to a specific part rather than playing the game all over again.

    Cons
    -No Plot or character development however it is up to the player's imagination to decrypt on what the game is about.
    -Very little to no music used at all.
    -Length might not be suitable for some people who are looking for a long term experience.
    -Game can become quite difficult through its puzzles and traps.    … Expand
  10. BraceHare
    Jul 12, 2012
    7
    The gameplay is competent and tight and the aesthetics are brilliantly executed but I still can't shake the feeling that it represents the confusion on someone's part of fatalism with art. Go ahead and ignore me though, I felt pretty much the exact same way about Watchmen (the comic).
  11. ArtfulChanger
    Dec 29, 2011
    7
    Limbo is a 2D puzzle-based platformer with a dark and stylish mood. It offers a hig-quality casual gameplay, with well designed and non repetitive puzzles which will keep you busy for some time. The game in itself has a reasonable length, without the risk of annoying you too much. There is no frustration of trial and error, because most of the time you will respawn in a location in whichLimbo is a 2D puzzle-based platformer with a dark and stylish mood. It offers a hig-quality casual gameplay, with well designed and non repetitive puzzles which will keep you busy for some time. The game in itself has a reasonable length, without the risk of annoying you too much. There is no frustration of trial and error, because most of the time you will respawn in a location in which you were a few seconds before you died. Visuals are consistent through the whole game, even if the "theme" (forest, underground, technology, ...) changes; the engine is very good, and even the overall feeling is perfect. Just forget the "plot" which serves as a mere justification for you being there. Being a single-solution puzzle game, it has zero replayability.
    In conclusion, Limbo is worth the money and, in general, is a very good game.    … Expand
  12. Zaphrozz
    Jun 11, 2012
    7
    It's a brilliant game when it comes to artstyle & feeling. It has a unique story and is one of that kind of games that leaves you thinking about it for a long time.
    Sadly, the controls with a PC sometimes can be very frustrating.
    But what disturbed me the most were the puzzles, which just needed timing, not thinking. In the last quarter of the game the solutions to the puzzles mostly are    It's a brilliant game when it comes to artstyle & feeling. It has a unique story and is one of that kind of games that leaves you thinking about it for a long time.
    Sadly, the controls with a PC sometimes can be very frustrating.
    But what disturbed me the most were the puzzles, which just needed timing, not thinking. In the last quarter of the game the solutions to the puzzles mostly are pretty obvious. However, you die too often trying out your solution, leaving you questioning: "Is this the real solution?" Then you try something other until you came to the point when you realize that your first idea was the true one but you didn't perform it correct, which often depends on milliseconds. So the last puzzles drove me very angry because of that... But I realized that this don't destroy the whole game, which is - like I said - pretty awesome and inspiring.    … Expand
  13. Metascoreman
    Mar 22, 2012
    7
    I should not but I will.
    Limbo got me sucked in and I really enjoyed the experience for the first 20-30 minutes. then it started sliding and after I killed the spider, It pretty quickly got tedious.
    The game got a lot of the praise for the art style and again, it was fun to look at for the first 10-15 minutes but then that too got a bit boring. It is not a bad game but it is not as great    I should not but I will.
    Limbo got me sucked in and I really enjoyed the experience for the first 20-30 minutes. then it started sliding and after I killed the spider, It pretty quickly got tedious.
    The game got a lot of the praise for the art style and again, it was fun to look at for the first 10-15 minutes but then that too got a bit boring. It is not a bad game but it is not as great as people say.
    It was a good experience for the price so I still recommend it.    … Expand
  14. theGrey
    Apr 5, 2014
    7
    I thought the game was well designed and fluid for what it is. You get nothing when you start, no instructions, no direction, nothing. But that was the whole point.. for you to figure your way out of the 'darkmess'. Level design was a 9/10 easy. Overall game gets an 8/10 from me. It's good but only good for what it is. A very simplistic game with complex level design.
  15. Honner
    May 31, 2012
    7
    4$ on steam now (special offer) absolutely worth it for that price... I played through in a few hours and I love how they created all those details with only black and white, sound is k and the puzzles are nicely done.
  16. CrashOverride
    May 20, 2012
    7
    A short but pleasant experience. When I played it I couldn't help myself but think it could have been much more, but it stands good enough where it sits. There are many things that could be fixed though - a lot of puzzles require you to die first to see how it's solved, others are simply frustrating.
  17. ukwn
    Jun 5, 2012
    7
    Limbo is a wonderful game, with innovative scenery and an unique ambiance.
    The main dark point is the game is the lifetime is so short... You may clean the game in 2/3 hours; nevertheless 2/3 hours of fun and reflexion!
  18. notyourbuddy
    Sep 19, 2012
    7
    Love the black & white style to the game and from start to finish I can definitely say it looks beautiful, but it can also feel quite redundant at times. Thankfully there are some memorable moments to break the monotony: the first "boss", the neon signs, and the rotating world all jump to mind. Unfortunately while much attention was paid to the art/animation by the developers - the gameLove the black & white style to the game and from start to finish I can definitely say it looks beautiful, but it can also feel quite redundant at times. Thankfully there are some memorable moments to break the monotony: the first "boss", the neon signs, and the rotating world all jump to mind. Unfortunately while much attention was paid to the art/animation by the developers - the game itself still feels unfinished. There is no story (only the title and your imagination to go by), little if any music (some levels this works while others beg for atmospheric melodies), and the ending sucked. Even having only offered ~5-6 hours of game-play with no replay value I still don't regret buying it. Its one of those indie games worth supporting.… Expand
  19. akarnokd
    Jan 10, 2014
    7
    Interesting but sometimes annoying game. After this time, it still "hangs" at the very end unless you modify the video card settings. The puzzles are too much trial-and-error and it makes you die before you can realize the solution.
  20. andrew77
    Aug 16, 2012
    7
    Great artwork, very interesting sometimes adult horror themes, I found the play-through refreshing and fun. there were, however, a couple challenges which I spent most of my time playing the game on that dropped my rating significantly. I didn't want to play through the game again because of the difficultly of those challenges.
  21. nbilyk
    Oct 30, 2012
    7
    A beautiful game with very well thought out gameplay, physics, and puzzles. My biggest complaint was that it was way too short. About 2-3 hours of gameplay.
  22. Mykwon
    Dec 8, 2012
    7
    Limbo is rather well done graphically and the atmosphere is very strange/dark. We can't say that the game breathes joy but it is its style so you must have a certain amount of black humor to enjoy it.
    The game doesn't offer any in-game music but the effects are good and rich enough so that it doesn't bother.
    Regarding game-play, it gets a little boring after a while so it has nothing of    Limbo is rather well done graphically and the atmosphere is very strange/dark. We can't say that the game breathes joy but it is its style so you must have a certain amount of black humor to enjoy it.
    The game doesn't offer any in-game music but the effects are good and rich enough so that it doesn't bother.
    Regarding game-play, it gets a little boring after a while so it has nothing of a big hit. But if you grab it at a discounted price, that's okay.
    Replay value however is the biggest flaw and once finished, there is not much to do except trying to finish it again as fast as possible and using as few lives as possible.    … Expand
  23. balzzy
    Jan 5, 2013
    7
    Limbo is a darker game, with interesting puzzles, and moments that make you feel tense. The atmosphere and tone that the devs set fits very nicely with this sort of platformer game, and the overall package is a nice addition to any casual gamers library. The game is not that long, and can be completed from start to finish in a few hours. With the length of the game in mind, the $10 priceLimbo is a darker game, with interesting puzzles, and moments that make you feel tense. The atmosphere and tone that the devs set fits very nicely with this sort of platformer game, and the overall package is a nice addition to any casual gamers library. The game is not that long, and can be completed from start to finish in a few hours. With the length of the game in mind, the $10 price tag is steep. Wait for it to go on sale because it has very little replayability.… Expand
  24. raisert
    Oct 2, 2013
    7
    Limbo is one of the most captivating games I've played so far. After I saw ending, I was thinking about it and I was stunned for a moment when I understood it. It lingered in my mind for a while.
  25. AAKN
    Oct 13, 2013
    7
    Game Play[8]
    Controls[10]
    Contactable/Easter Eggs[0]
    Innovation[10]
    Graphics[7]
    Sounds[7]
    replay Value[4]
    Gaming Satisfaction[10]
    Price/Playtime[8]
    Technical Issues[10]
    ------------------------------------
    Over All[7.4]
  26. markwhitton
    Nov 20, 2013
    7
    It’s enjoyable, atmospheric and in parts quite spooky… I'm more than happy to give Limbo its props for looking and feeling different, however it is fundamentally a standard puzzle platform game! I enjoyed the game, despite completing it in just over 3 hours over two separate days of a gap of 1 year! So taking a year for me to finish despite only playing for over three hours comes down toIt’s enjoyable, atmospheric and in parts quite spooky… I'm more than happy to give Limbo its props for looking and feeling different, however it is fundamentally a standard puzzle platform game! I enjoyed the game, despite completing it in just over 3 hours over two separate days of a gap of 1 year! So taking a year for me to finish despite only playing for over three hours comes down to the fact I didn't really get into it originally and it's not that long a game! I'm not a massive puzzle fan and there are some parts in this which I found more tedious than enjoyable! However if you do enjoy puzzle platform games, this should definitely be an awesome experience despite its fairly short length!… Expand
  27. crimsondoor
    Jul 10, 2016
    7
    I think this game is good, but a bit overrated. First let's talk about the goods. As I really love film noir, the art style is what got me hooked. Music is also really great, no doubt about that! Shame they haven't released a complete version of the OST. Control is very simple - only movements and one action key. Puzzles are quite tricky. You have to die many times to figure out how to notI think this game is good, but a bit overrated. First let's talk about the goods. As I really love film noir, the art style is what got me hooked. Music is also really great, no doubt about that! Shame they haven't released a complete version of the OST. Control is very simple - only movements and one action key. Puzzles are quite tricky. You have to die many times to figure out how to not die.

    Now onto the bads. Story? Don't even mention it because it doesn't exist. The ending made me particularly frustrated because it made no sense and explained nothing! Furthermore the game is so short I can finish it within 2 hours. There is no replay value.

    At best, it's an artsy game. But at worst, it can also be called style over substance. If you remove the music and art style front, you are left with a 15-year-old flash game. The whole game just feel half-baked. I got this game because it was free for a day on Steam. There's no way I'm buying this game at $9.99.

    To smilzoboboz:
    Like it or hate it, you have to die until you get it because that's the whole point of the game. I agree that the game doesn't give you a reason to move forward. It asks you to imagine what the story is about which I think is just an excuse for the lack of story.    … Expand
  28. Trunks252
    Jun 29, 2014
    7
    Limbo is a decently fun game with a disappointing story and ending. I would rate this game much higher if the game had any sort of story-driven sequences or anything more than just a scene at the end hinting at something. I like the atmosphere but I am kind of disappointed in this game.

    This is another example of an overrated indie title, seemingly just because of its lack of content. A    Limbo is a decently fun game with a disappointing story and ending. I would rate this game much higher if the game had any sort of story-driven sequences or anything more than just a scene at the end hinting at something. I like the atmosphere but I am kind of disappointed in this game.

    This is another example of an overrated indie title, seemingly just because of its lack of content. A game lacking what many other games do well does not make a good game. Sometimes critics are up their own **** holes too far to realize simple things like this.    … Expand
  29. Jwv
    Jan 9, 2014
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Good puzzles and I like the occasional humour in the puzzles (cf. the boy-scout chase and the spider). The game does a great job of creating a mysterious, uncanny atmosphere with intelligent use of colour and sound. I can't keep from comparing this game with the genius Braid however.… Expand
  30. phwaap
    Mar 5, 2016
    7
    Uniquely rendered world, decent puzzles, and a generally strange ride. At times it felt like Lord of the Flies and at others like I was in a Tarkovsky film. Somewhat hampered by being soooo basic and rather short.
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Awards & Rankings

9
#9 Best PC Game of 2011
18
#18 Most Discussed PC Game of 2011
17
#17 Most Shared PC Game of 2011

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
88

Generally favorable reviews - based on 22 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 22 out of 22
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 22
  3. Negative: 0 out of 22
  1. Absolute Games
    Jan 10, 2012
    80
    Limbo is a beautiful, intense experience.
    Read full review
  2. PC Games (Russia)
    Sep 19, 2011
    90
    A brilliant indie platformer. Braid can finally retire. [October 2011, p.100]
  3. GamingXP
    Sep 15, 2011
    90
    Minimum effort, maximum tension!
    Read full review
See all critic reviews »