User Score
8.4

Generally favorable reviews- based on 547 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Negative: 31 out of 547

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  1. Jan 29, 2023
    8
    Over rated.

    Just finished this up with near completed gamer scrore. The puzzles and platforming in this game are indeed brilliant. The atmosphere is absolutely engaging and the story is haunting, but the gameplay, button input, and controls in general are pretty rough. I think it is worth playing but I would say Inside and Somerville are better by a landslide. You will get frustrated
    Over rated.

    Just finished this up with near completed gamer scrore. The puzzles and platforming in this game are indeed brilliant. The atmosphere is absolutely engaging and the story is haunting, but the gameplay, button input, and controls in general are pretty rough. I think it is worth playing but I would say Inside and Somerville are better by a landslide. You will get frustrated playing this game. And the hardest achievement is really annoying and honestly not worth trying for. Don’t get me wrong I see the. Brilliance of this game, it just is a little rough around the edges. It’s not a masterpiece but it was the step needed to make the masterpiece called Inside!
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  2. Dec 16, 2022
    6
    i dont usually like side scrollers at all but this was ok game not bad for an indie title
  3. Aug 8, 2022
    7
    A young boy awakens in the middle and is immediately forced to fight for his life when a giant spider tries to kill him. #

    Limbo combines solid, if unremarkable, platforming action with some of the most striking visuals seen on the console to make yet another Xbox Live title more than worth the price of a download.
  4. Feb 27, 2022
    9
    great game good gameplay good graphics interesting story i want see more limbo games
  5. Feb 3, 2022
    9
    A really unique and good indie game. Super puzzle-ish good tones and vibes, very misterious cant really describe it that detailed, but it s really fun and engaging
    8,8/10
  6. Dec 5, 2021
    9
    Dark, haunting, unforgettable. A real eye-opener for what videogames could be when I first played it.
  7. Nov 4, 2021
    10
    Jogo simples e muito bem feito, sensacional, desafiador, um jogo para relembrar como o bom pode ser simples.
  8. Aug 23, 2021
    10
    I loved everything about Limbo so much that I went ahead and got it on next gen consoles as well.
  9. Sep 10, 2020
    8
    O jogo é bem simples mas é muito bom. Tem puzzles bem legais e assim como Inside, tem uma história "oculta" e por isso é interpretativa.
  10. Aug 10, 2017
    8
    LIMBO
    A dark story and challenging puzzles
    Uncertain of his sisters fate, a boy enters limbo. Limbo is a puzzle platformer where you play as this boy searching for his little sister The entire game aside from a few exceptions is black and white, this makes for some really great moments in the beginning of limbo as its hard to tell whats a trap or enemy and what isn’t.. this keeps you
    LIMBO
    A dark story and challenging puzzles
    Uncertain of his sisters fate, a boy enters limbo.
    Limbo is a puzzle platformer where you play as this boy searching for his little sister
    The entire game aside from a few exceptions is black and white, this makes for some really great moments in the beginning of limbo as its hard to tell whats a trap or enemy and what isn’t..
    this keeps you on your toes and suspicious of everything…
    These initial moments of this little less than 4 hour journey for me was my favorite..
    The game is very much a game of trial and error, and the game is generous with its checkpoints being nearly instantaneous.. knowing where youre going to mess up and most of the time having an instant spot for you to try again keeping this games momentum steady…
    After these initial moments of dealing with traps and a giant spider, the game slowly starts to be more puzzle focused and this is where I started to fall out of love with this game…
    Not that the puzzles are bad, im just not a huge fan of problem solving while im platforming and looking out for suspicious shadows..
    Youll be pulling boxes, throwing switches, and timing jumps and other buttons to progress through the game..
    I found a lot of these puzzles to be decently challenging, though none too complicated or having too many steps… but a few definitely did come close… and I may or may not have had to look the answer up for a couple..
    with so many limbo clones out there now, going back to play limbo and playing through these puzzles is a bit of a drag because ive seen them so many times now…
    I would’ve preferred if the whole game was like the first few chapters of deception…
    I felt there was something really special there. It kept me hooked and intrigued hoping for more moments like this later on, but sadly they never came
    Personal preferences aside, limbo is a very erie and dark game, youll die gruesome deaths,
    the game will disturb you and turn your stomach at times…
    and it will get your mind going…
    both for the puzzles and trying to figure out just exactly whats going on with the story…
    even with the dozens of clones out there, limbo stands out as something special and unique..
    one of the most enjoyable and unsettling puzzle platforming games ive played
    I give limbo
    an 8/10
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  11. Mar 28, 2017
    0
    Un jeu Télérama, c'est "frais", c'est "indé", ça fait trop "rebelle" : regarde, moi j'aime pas les Triple A, moi j'aime le jeu frais, indé, anti-corporatiste roulé sous les aisselles par un plouc dans son garage. Le jeu José Bové, bio, le jeu d'auteur, c'est "de l'art" tu comprends. En l'occurrence, de la 2D comme on en faisait en 1990 ou 1985 (?) en 2 couleurs : noir et blanc. Et grisUn jeu Télérama, c'est "frais", c'est "indé", ça fait trop "rebelle" : regarde, moi j'aime pas les Triple A, moi j'aime le jeu frais, indé, anti-corporatiste roulé sous les aisselles par un plouc dans son garage. Le jeu José Bové, bio, le jeu d'auteur, c'est "de l'art" tu comprends. En l'occurrence, de la 2D comme on en faisait en 1990 ou 1985 (?) en 2 couleurs : noir et blanc. Et gris aussi, ça fait 3. Pong dans les cordes ! (1972).

    Donc je saute, j'active des trucs et je passe à la suite : j'active un machin, je saute. Et je coure aussi hihihi. Regarde mon petit bonhomme avec ses yeux qui brillent, il est trop mignon. Je sais même pas pourquoi je joue à une merde pareille ?... ah oui c'est "hype" et branchouillemékouilles. C'est "in", c'est "tendance". Et je joue à ce truc sur une console à 300 ou 400 balles et je peux même y jouer sur mon PC de la mort à 2000 balles. Trop bien, trop frais.
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  12. Jan 7, 2017
    3
    I don't understand the high rating of this game. It's boring, repetitive, the puzzles are ok at best and it's way to short to be enjoyable. For me it's way overated.
  13. Dec 8, 2016
    9
    Limbo is one of the most beautiful, dark, and mesmerizing games i have played. The art direction is dark and gritty, the atmosphere is strong, the puzzles and encounters are fun and scary to traverse through, and the tension grabs you in the beginning and builds it up throughout the entire game, releasing in one big sigh at the climax. I'll be reviewing the follow up to this game, Inside,Limbo is one of the most beautiful, dark, and mesmerizing games i have played. The art direction is dark and gritty, the atmosphere is strong, the puzzles and encounters are fun and scary to traverse through, and the tension grabs you in the beginning and builds it up throughout the entire game, releasing in one big sigh at the climax. I'll be reviewing the follow up to this game, Inside, once I've completed it. Go out and buy this masterpiece Limbo ASAP. Expand
  14. Oct 11, 2016
    10
    One of the best indie games I played. I rate it for what it is - excellent puzzle platformer with unique graphics and atmosphere. Id love to see more games with so much soul as in this one.
  15. Sep 26, 2016
    9
    Beautifully haunting best describes this fairly low budget and short lived indie side scroll puzzler. A simple but artistic world shaded in only black and white might not sound too appealing but boy is this game gorgeous. The game is simple, start left and move right until the end is reached (which should take under 2 hours all in all). Along the way are puzzles, traps, swings, spikes,Beautifully haunting best describes this fairly low budget and short lived indie side scroll puzzler. A simple but artistic world shaded in only black and white might not sound too appealing but boy is this game gorgeous. The game is simple, start left and move right until the end is reached (which should take under 2 hours all in all). Along the way are puzzles, traps, swings, spikes, pits, boulders and giant spiders. Most of the time you will just die without realising you were in the middle of a puzzle but since the respawn points are every couple of minutes, you wont mind going back and using your new found knowledge to tackle the obstacle ahead. As for the ending, well its near enough the most perfect ending there is. You will definitely be straight on Google afterwards trying to understand your take on the situation. Fantastic game design. Expand
  16. Dec 26, 2015
    5
    Everything that all the highly positive reviews say about this game is true... Until about halfway through the game. It's an amazing game at first: artistic, eerie atmosphere; an intriguing story; and a variety of clever mini-puzzles.

    Sadly, at about the halfway point it stops being about puzzles and starts being about running as fast as you can and perfect-timing every jump. Add to
    Everything that all the highly positive reviews say about this game is true... Until about halfway through the game. It's an amazing game at first: artistic, eerie atmosphere; an intriguing story; and a variety of clever mini-puzzles.

    Sadly, at about the halfway point it stops being about puzzles and starts being about running as fast as you can and perfect-timing every jump. Add to that the ending is a huge disappointment story wise (no real spoilers, but suffice to say: it ends like an Arthouse movie, not at all like a fantastic mystery).

    Thoroughly disappointing beyond the first half.
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  17. Jan 17, 2015
    10
    Sí, es corto...¿Y qué? Este juego está hecho como se deberían hacer todos; o sea, con una auténtica variedad en su desarrollo y no repitiendo esquemas jugables (así cualquiera hace un juego largo). Da sensación de aventura pero no tiene una sola línea de guión ¡ Así da gusto ! Y mantiene una mediana dificultad durante todo el juego ¡ Los de Playdead son unos maravillosos perfeccionistas !Sí, es corto...¿Y qué? Este juego está hecho como se deberían hacer todos; o sea, con una auténtica variedad en su desarrollo y no repitiendo esquemas jugables (así cualquiera hace un juego largo). Da sensación de aventura pero no tiene una sola línea de guión ¡ Así da gusto ! Y mantiene una mediana dificultad durante todo el juego ¡ Los de Playdead son unos maravillosos perfeccionistas ! Una superjoya indie a la que algunos memos se empeñan en no poner a la altura de las mejores. Expand
  18. Jan 7, 2015
    10
    Limbo exemplifies so much of what I value most in a successful videogame. Fundamentally a puzzle-platformer with really only two possible actions (jump and grab), the game is beautifully uncomplicated and uncluttered by extraneous nonsense.

    It's a design philosophy which extends to the plot. Open-ended and shrouded in mystery, the only official backstory given is the single sentence:
    Limbo exemplifies so much of what I value most in a successful videogame. Fundamentally a puzzle-platformer with really only two possible actions (jump and grab), the game is beautifully uncomplicated and uncluttered by extraneous nonsense.

    It's a design philosophy which extends to the plot. Open-ended and shrouded in mystery, the only official backstory given is the single sentence: "Uncertain of his sister's fate, a boy enters LIMBO". Yet, the experience is so much more compelling, memorable and moving than the vast majority of other games with their intricately thought-out and scripted stories. This is partly down to the monochrome art style and ambient sound design which define an atmosphere the likes of which you would never have imagined a 2D platformer would be able to foster, but also because it lets you, the player, fill in the blanks to let the game affect you in whatever way you interpret it. As a result, it's a deeply personal experience.

    The puzzles that the boy has to overcome are more cunning than you might expect for those that lie within the parameters of the game's elementary structure, and usually timing is of critical importance. This invariably means numerous deaths as you try to perfect your response to each situation. Far from being a flaw, this is intended design. Indeed, the creators have labelled Limbo as a "trial and death" game. The forgiving frequency of checkpoints and the delightfully gruesome nature of the boy's deaths are testament to this. The ultimate challenge offered is to finish the game without dying, thereby attaining the elusive 111% leaderboard score, and in order to get anywhere near accomplishing this feat you will need repeated playthroughs in a short space of time, reminiscent of the spirit of 2D shoot 'em ups.

    The game is short, but of perfect length - if it had been any longer it might have been in danger of outstaying its welcome. However, it concludes on a high, following the thrilling instability of an alternating gravity section, and in ending it at this point Playdead illustrated total mastery over their creation. In almost all aspects, Limbo is the videogame embodiment of "less is more".
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  19. Dec 9, 2014
    8
    X-Box One version: Awesome little platformer that tells its story in a unusual art-house way. The game has some challenging moments, but in general, it is balanced very well. The monotone nature blended with the soundtrack makes for a very immersive game; kind of a grim fairy-tale. Really was impressed with this, albeit a little short. Worthy 8/10 for me.
  20. May 9, 2014
    8
    Superb atmosphere. Creepier than any Resident Evil put out in the last decade, but so is Sim City and Nintendogs I guess. At any rate, I give this trial and error platforming puzzler a couple of thumbs up.
  21. Jul 28, 2013
    9
    Ever wondered what it be like to go through purgatory? The developers at Playdead do a very impressive job at making an eerie black-and-white visual design of what purgatory may very well be like. You play as a young boy, and what a very courageous little boy he is. With absolutely no way to defend yourself within this dreamland-like world, you face many opponents that are there to killEver wondered what it be like to go through purgatory? The developers at Playdead do a very impressive job at making an eerie black-and-white visual design of what purgatory may very well be like. You play as a young boy, and what a very courageous little boy he is. With absolutely no way to defend yourself within this dreamland-like world, you face many opponents that are there to kill you. With smarts and courage, that little boy can get away without one single scratch. You'll face hostile natives, an assortment of traps and other deadly creatures.

    The developers really suck you into this game. Between the gorgeous 2D side-scrolling black-and-white action, the sound effects, and an amazing sounding musical score, you just can't put down the game. There are a lot of puzzles, which will also get you real involved in the game. Some puzzles are really simple, but then later in the game you'll encounter harder and more complex puzzles. Some puzzles you can take your time on, but other are timed and everything must be done perfectly or you'll have to face the consequences.

    Limbo is a well-designed, visually astounding game with amazing sound and a down right impressive musical score. But sadly, however, as you get real into the game, it abruptly ends and all you can say is "I want more!" So hopefully the developers at Playdead hear our plea for another installment for this awesome and involving game.
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  22. Jul 18, 2013
    6
    Good concept and smooth gameplay. I enjoyed the secrets in the game and most of the puzzles. While it starts down a story path using environment and character elements, it nevers ventures past the superficial, missing out on something great. In the end, you might feel you traded places with your character.
  23. Jun 25, 2013
    10
    Simple yet challenging, immersive, beautiful, engaging, atmospheric. Limbo is a highly artistic, black and white, water color themed side scroller puzzle game. In essence Limbo is post modern, allowing the player to draw their own meaning upon completion. Extremely minimalistic, from gameplay mechanics to the soundtrack. In Limbo, less is more. The soundtrack, if you can call it that,Simple yet challenging, immersive, beautiful, engaging, atmospheric. Limbo is a highly artistic, black and white, water color themed side scroller puzzle game. In essence Limbo is post modern, allowing the player to draw their own meaning upon completion. Extremely minimalistic, from gameplay mechanics to the soundtrack. In Limbo, less is more. The soundtrack, if you can call it that, practically contains no "music" at all, more like ambient sounds and at certain parts, rising, edgy, huge, chords. If you can imagine what sound saturn emits or maybe mars or even a black hole, then you can imagine how this awesome soundtrack sounds at times. Be sure to play this one with the lights off in the dark with no distractions. A perfect game 10/10. Must play. Expand
  24. Feb 28, 2013
    9
    This is a fantastic first outing for Playdead. The world is dark and grisly and there is no dialogue and no story other than what is given you in the game's initial description--and yet it's been a long time since I've played a game that feels so alive. The runtime is regrettably short, however, and this causes the world of Limbo to leave much too soon. It will take many attempts on theseThis is a fantastic first outing for Playdead. The world is dark and grisly and there is no dialogue and no story other than what is given you in the game's initial description--and yet it's been a long time since I've played a game that feels so alive. The runtime is regrettably short, however, and this causes the world of Limbo to leave much too soon. It will take many attempts on these puzzles, but every success is a big one and by the game's finish, you feel like you've accomplished something of substance. This is a work of art. Expand
  25. Feb 8, 2013
    9
    This is a great game while it lasts. It was super fun to beat it with zero deaths. The hidden eggs are all really cool as well. I love the atmosphere of this game.
  26. Dec 11, 2012
    7
    Why!? I wanted to love limbo like I do so many games, and really like to art and style of it, But after beating it in under 4 hours couldn't help but feel I lost 15 bucks. Now had I only paid like 6-9 dollars I might have felt better, but this game is too short. It started off really good, and had some really neat ideas but in the end the game was too short which is the same complaint IWhy!? I wanted to love limbo like I do so many games, and really like to art and style of it, But after beating it in under 4 hours couldn't help but feel I lost 15 bucks. Now had I only paid like 6-9 dollars I might have felt better, but this game is too short. It started off really good, and had some really neat ideas but in the end the game was too short which is the same complaint I have for any other game like this, journey. Anyways there was one part were the puzzle seemed to not make any sense and it was almost frustrating but I figured it out, which didn't give me near the accomplishment that I felt with Braid and Portal. Don't know why that is? Good game, but if your price sensitive wait for a good deal to play it. Expand
  27. Dec 8, 2012
    9
    The game had a amazing art style and great puzzles which were hard however with regular check points i never got annoyed playing Limbo. The game was a bit short i managed to finish it is around 4-5 hours and i'm not very good at puzzle games however for the money it is wroth it!
  28. Nov 1, 2012
    10
    Limbo is an amazing game in both art and game play, the creative visual solutions and sound design makes for a wonderfully eerie atmosphere that most games fail at even coming close - Overall it's incredibly alluring for a game so void of dialogue and direct story, the visual storytelling is fantastic.
  29. Jul 13, 2012
    1
    Based on the reviews, I was sure I'd like this game, but I was wrong. The only way to figure out the puzzles is to die over and over and over. For me, at least, this makes it completely impossible to get immersed. I want to be scared for the kid, but I can't do it. I want to be curious about the place, but I can't do it. Without those elements, the non-obviousness of the game has theBased on the reviews, I was sure I'd like this game, but I was wrong. The only way to figure out the puzzles is to die over and over and over. For me, at least, this makes it completely impossible to get immersed. I want to be scared for the kid, but I can't do it. I want to be curious about the place, but I can't do it. Without those elements, the non-obviousness of the game has the frustrating part of "challenging" without any real reward. All these reviewers feel good about figuring out a puzzle by trying every possible thing in the world, and dying 20 times? Not me. Three times I quit, got talked into doing it more and then quit again. Expand
  30. Jun 16, 2012
    9
    A very beautiful game, with a hint of something very dark. Honestly, a lot of what I remember is the art direction. Probably not the most difficult game I've ever played, but it kept my interest and was almost like watching a slower art movie rather than playing a game--which was something I appreciated but might not have been for everyone.
Metascore
90

Universal acclaim - based on 89 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 88 out of 89
  2. Negative: 0 out of 89
  1. Jan 18, 2011
    90
    There is a wonderful minimalism about the whole experience, from start to finish, which includes the relatively abrupt ending after 3-4 hours of play.
  2. Jan 18, 2011
    90
    As one of the most unique puzzlers that I've played over the years, Limbo's chilling atmosphere is an example of an incredible gaming achievement.
  3. But that doesn't stop LIMBO being an entirely worthwhile experience, drenched in misery, pathos and loneliness. It's also really bloody scary.