I am primarily writing this due to the Mystery Fest going on right now in hopes that some of the people on my friends list will see this and consider giving it a try. First off, ignore my playtime here. I initially purchased this game on the Epic Launcher as it was an exclusive when it launched (a choice made by the publisher, not the developers). I bought it here again to support the developers, as well as to get my wife to play it on our Steam Link. :)

This is my favorite game of all time. Nothing else is even close and that's a big statement considering how many games I have played and how many games I have loved. This game is special, but it's hard to express why without ruining the experience for others. If you are considering playing this, do not look anything up. Do not watch someone else play it. It can only be truly experienced once.

Here is what I can say:

This game is a love letter to curiosity. You are put into a solar system absolutely full of unknowns and it is up to you to decide how you want to proceed. There are no quest markers, there is no linear path to take. The game respects your intelligence and every individual's journey will be unique as a result. The gameplay loop is also unlike anything else I've ever experienced, as the ONLY thing that gates you is your own lack of knowledge. The more you play the more you learn, which pushes you into other mysteries to try to figure out.

There is a very heavy theme being explored throughout the game which will come together beautifully in the end. They really stick the landing. It will likely cause you to go through a broad spectrum of emotions if you have any sense of wonder or empathy in your bones. The person who wrote this story and the way that the story is conveyed has a great understanding of how to create individuals that you can bond strongly with.

The music is simple, but stirring and expertly enters and leaves the game as the moment demands.

There is a massive community of people who watch people play this game even if they don't consume any other content in this way, just because they want to relive it through someone else. Because, like I said, everything in the game is about discovery and learning and once you have gone through it all, you cannot truly relive it yourself.

It will not be for everybody, no game is. But, for so many people, this game is an unparalleled anomaly.

Return of the Obra Dinn is one of those rare games that gripped from me beginning to end. It is, at it's very base, a logic puzzle. But the way that this logic puzzle unfolds and is solved is both engaging and incredibly satisfying. One of those rare games that truly make the "aha!" moments feel clever.

Pros:

- The graphic style, while minimalistic, is beautifully done. Every scene is painstakingly crafted and the creator did an amazing job relaying information with static 3D scenes.

- The game design. I'm not really sure how to expand on that without giving too much away, but the entire game feels very well thought out. There's not a lot of redundant information, no side quests, nothing to distract you. The game, for lack of a better analogy, feels like a beautifully wrapped gift, with each layer carefully planned.

- FIGURING STUFF OUT - This is the big one. As I mentioned previously, at it's heart this is simply a giant logic puzzle. But, the key to deciphering all of the identities and fates of the crew of the Obra Dinn is a multi-faceted one. You will have to make logical deductions, as well as logical leaps, using information as specific as a name to information as miniscule as somebody's footwear. There is a wealth of information in the scenes that may not be immediately apparent. NOBODY NEEDS TO BE GUESSED. There is something, somewhere, that will tell you who they are, if you can only figure it out.

- The story! I wasn't expecting much of one and while the Return of the Obra Dinn doesn't have an amazingly moving one it is a thoroughly entertaining one. The narrative, confusing at first, becomes increasingly clear as you progress and lays out a very strange, yet familiar tale.

- The UI, insofar as being useful. I felt like I was given the tools I needed to continue uncovering the mysteries of the Obra Dinn without feeling like I was being guided heavily along.


Cons:

- I did not care for the mandatory wait time between entering a scene and beginning to enter information regarding it's focus. I understand that it was an artistic choice and that it allowed for studying the scene before jumping to conclusions, but in the end it just became a waiting game to continue playing.

- It would have been nice, even if just at the end of the game, to be able to jump directly into scenes without having to track down bodies. I understand that exploring the ship is important even after all the death scenes have been explored, as there are small clues all over the place. However, having to trek from one deck to another as I completed the last half of the book was laborious.


Conclusion:

I love this game. It was an amazingly satisfying experience that I wish I could repeat. It has some small flaws, but overall, if you enjoy a good logic puzzle then play this game.