Orwell: Keeping an Eye On You

 PC
User Score
7.3

Mixed or average reviews- based on 141 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 91 out of 141
  2. Mixed: 27 out of 141
  3. Negative: 23 out of 141

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  1. thecowofbeef
    Aug 19, 2017
    7
    The game presents an interesting, if somewhat overly simple set of mechanics to the player, allowing for the illusion rather than the existence of choice. Whilst some actions do have consequences, most players will just be uploading information as soon as it appears, especially in the early game. Whilst the game does probably think that it's cleverer than it actually is with its literalThe game presents an interesting, if somewhat overly simple set of mechanics to the player, allowing for the illusion rather than the existence of choice. Whilst some actions do have consequences, most players will just be uploading information as soon as it appears, especially in the early game. Whilst the game does probably think that it's cleverer than it actually is with its literal Orwellian references (see title) it does sometimes revel too much in its own sense of smugness over what the developers no doubt thought were biting social comments. Never-the-less, Orwell manages to provide a novel gameplay experience, enriched by the lengths the game goes to in order to immerse you in its story, like sending you emails in the real world. Worth checking out if only for the chance to see a different approach to storytelling.… Expand
  2. DreamOfHero
    Mar 24, 2023
    5
    Nice game, could have been a little gem, instead...it could have used some more storylines, maybe intertwining them with the main one, some more characters to investigate, or some mini-games that went beyond the simple "gathering information to compile the file" (like, I don't know, encrypted files to decrypt or devices to unlock, etc.).

    Furthermore, I noticed that selecting irrelevant    Nice game, could have been a little gem, instead...it could have used some more storylines, maybe intertwining them with the main one, some more characters to investigate, or some mini-games that went beyond the simple "gathering information to compile the file" (like, I don't know, encrypted files to decrypt or devices to unlock, etc.).

    Furthermore, I noticed that selecting irrelevant information doesn't give you a penalty, nor does it lead you down different paths, and this is a shame because it could have provided much greater replayability.    … Expand
  3. Klewer
    Jul 22, 2017
    7
    It's a nice little game, you can read what you like in to it about government monitoring etc. The actual game is pretty solid, looks nice, and the impact you can have on the outcome is quite good. Just feels like there could of been a little bit more there in terms of how it turns out or the impact you have. Worth a look though.
  4. bergcamp101
    Aug 17, 2020
    6
    Very unusual yet interesting and immersive game. This is definitely not a 10/10, but it really worth playing.
  5. aditya1101
    Oct 5, 2017
    6
    Cool, casual indie game that gets into some cool themes and has a unique way of putting across its message, but not deep or interesting enough to deserve a higher score.
  6. PanMrkvicka
    Feb 12, 2020
    7
    Cool little indie game that questions your morals and such. Maybe too short and could have been better if there was more content.
  7. Sepherim
    Jan 20, 2021
    7
    Orwell es, sin duda, un videojuego muy interesante. El punto de partida es que nos contratan como investigadores en La Nación para resolver unos atentados que tienen lugar en nuestro primer día y para ello ponen a nuestra disposición el programa Orwell. Este lo que hace, básicamente, es acceder a las redes sociales, páginas webs, y otros elementos digitales para extraer información, hacerOrwell es, sin duda, un videojuego muy interesante. El punto de partida es que nos contratan como investigadores en La Nación para resolver unos atentados que tienen lugar en nuestro primer día y para ello ponen a nuestra disposición el programa Orwell. Este lo que hace, básicamente, es acceder a las redes sociales, páginas webs, y otros elementos digitales para extraer información, hacer perfiles y agregarlos. Al hacer esto, vamos juntando las pistas de lo que está ocurriendo, y avanzamos una historia que se va desarrollando con cada día de juego ante nuestros ojos. Es un juego cortito, de hecho da la sensación de que se acaba cuando está llegando a su mejor momento, que con su peculiar estética consigue transmitir muy bien las sensaciones de que estamos observando una sociedad real desde un panóptico digital.

    Un apartado gráfico interesante, un apartado sonoro algo escueto pero que cumple en parte (aunque se nota que el presupuesto en este sentido era muy limitado) y un juego con algunos bugs pero ninguno demasiado grave, cierran más o menos un juego sin duda recomendable. Un 7.

    Si queréis un análisis más social y político: http://tribulaciones.es/orwell-vigilancia-en-la-sociedad-del-siglo-xxi/    … Expand
  8. SimoneGhetto94
    May 6, 2021
    7
    Short game but pleasant overall that allows you to spend 5-6 hours in a very "light" way in terms of gameplay but committed in terms of "ethical" implications.
    The game looks like a normal "guided" detective game but then after the first few episodes its ethical and social implications emerge.
    I particularly enjoyed chapters 3-4. At times it may seem a bit too driven and even if there is    Short game but pleasant overall that allows you to spend 5-6 hours in a very "light" way in terms of gameplay but committed in terms of "ethical" implications.
    The game looks like a normal "guided" detective game but then after the first few episodes its ethical and social implications emerge.
    I particularly enjoyed chapters 3-4. At times it may seem a bit too driven and even if there is a sense of "freedom" in the investigative choices, the ending remains quite scripted on 2-3 different choices.
    Overall recommended.
    Gameplay: 6/10
    History: 8/10
    Duration: 4-6h    … Expand
  9. breakingb0x3s
    Aug 17, 2023
    5
    A pretty little waste of time.

    This is a story driven point and click adventure game. You play the role of one side of an investigative team. You act as an information provider of sorts using a government system to find "relevant" information on approved individuals. The art works is solid, and the music through the game matches the tones trying to be set, although the transitions    A pretty little waste of time.

    This is a story driven point and click adventure game. You play the role of one side of an investigative team. You act as an information provider of sorts using a government system to find "relevant" information on approved individuals. The art works is solid, and the music through the game matches the tones trying to be set, although the transitions for some of the music is abrupt and assumes you are reading as fast as the text is scrolling.

    The story can take a few different routes but is strongly set to specific story beats, which is fine, games like Disco Elysium do this as well and proves that concept can work. The big difference is, this game does not allow you to explore the themes, or characters any way you want. There's a huge lack of creative solutions, it's either provide the highlighted information you deem relevant or don't, unless the game stops until you provide something.

    There's no way to end a day early or even really make a "wrong" decision as the game will highlight conflicting data and while it is supposed to point out the contradictions, it does so in a very rigid and inconsistent way, which makes me believe the game would have benefited without having it in at all.

    With all that said you'd assume this is a bad story, and I think it's a mediocre one that takes a very hard stance. The characters presented are mostly believable, some are definitely written as extreme examples to get the story to flow the way the writer(s) wants things to go. However, instead of letting the player toy around with the system and experiment with different possible outcomes (as could be seen with games like Papers Please or even This War of Mine) you can make minor changes to a pretty set outcome.

    It has been stated before and I will agree, the game constantly feels like a tutorial. Instead of letting you just investigate, your assigned agent (handler if you will) constantly chimes in on what you submitted to sway you one way or another on each decision (that you can't change). This made me think less about what I was submitting and more trying to isolate what I needed to submit to get the next story beat. Earning achievements might be a reason to revisit if you aren't put off by the story, but those only seem available on Steam at the moment. (I received a free copy through Epic's weekly free games recently)

    I won't spoil details or twists, but there's little replay-ability as trying to load your finished profile only activates the closing cut scenes you earned through that play through. Meaning you'll have to start a new profile each play through. The game has it's moments and I don't think it's overpriced, currently at $10 on steam and $15 to get this and it's sequel Orwell Ignorance Is Strength. I think it is worth a play through and probably better experienced than watching a play through online, however, I will also point out for the same price you could get Papers, Please which while not having the same pretty graphics or modern feel, does a much better job at handling a "Big Brother" themes presented.

    Pros: Solid artwork, decent characters, decent music, short (story should only take a couple hours to complete once), interesting premise

    Cons: Lack of exploration, Overbearing at times, System and logic sometimes contradict themselves, overall poor execution.

    For those of you who may still be interested, the sequel states to have additional features that may address some of my criticisms in this review, I might even be willing to try that one out some time, however I will go in with much lower expectations.    … Expand

Awards & Rankings

80
#80 Most Discussed PC Game of 2016
41
#41 Most Shared PC Game of 2016

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
77

Generally favorable reviews - based on 17 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 14 out of 17
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 17
  3. Negative: 1 out of 17
  1. Games.cz
    Feb 14, 2017
    90
    Orwell is both minimalistic and generous piece. Try out the role of an official in a state that degenerated into ‘spy-o-cracy‘. You'll see how easy it is to control a society dependent on the Internet. The idea and gameplay are perfect.
  2. RPG Fan
    Jan 18, 2017
    86
    With such a compelling tale and well-crafted characters, it's easy to look past the fact that gameplay solely consists of absorbing information and choosing to pass certain things on. Though there are no random puzzles to solve, the main puzzle for the player is clear: are you willing to let a government do this to its citizens? Where are the boundaries of freedom of speech and privacy in such an interconnected world? Is it more important to guarantee the safety of all by being paranoid, or to ensure that everyone has the right to be innocent until proven guilty beyond reasonable doubt? If asking difficult questions and finding a way to your own answers sounds like a good time, Orwell is the game for you.
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  3. GameStar
    Jan 16, 2017
    85
    If you are willing to read a lot, Orwell can send shivers down your spine when working as a profiler.
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