LIMBO

Overview

Limbo is a puzzle-platform video game with horror elements developed by independent studio Playdead and originally published by Microsoft Game Studios for the Xbox 360. The game was released in July 2010 on Xbox Live Arcade, and it has since been ported by Playdead to several other systems, including the PlayStation 3, Linux, Android and Microsoft Windows. Limbo is a 2D side-scroller, incorporating a physics system that governs environmental objects and the player character. The player guides an unnamed boy through dangerous environments and traps as he searches for his sister. The developer built the game's puzzles expecting the player to fail before finding the correct solution. Playdead called the style of play "trial and death" and used gruesome imagery for the boy's deaths to steer the player from unworkable solutions.

The game is presented in monochromatic tones, using lighting, film grain effects and minimal ambient sounds to create an eerie atmosphere often associated with the horror genre. Journalists praised the dark presentation, describing the work as comparable to film noir and German Expressionism. Based on its aesthetics, reviewers classified Limbo as an example of video games as an art form.

Limbo received critical acclaim, but its minimal story polarised critics; some critics found the open-ended work to have deeper meaning that tied well with the game's mechanics, while others believed the lack of a significant plot and abrupt ending detracted from the game. A common point of criticism from reviewers was that the high cost of the game relative to its short length might deter players from purchasing the title, but some reviews proposed that Limbo had an ideal length. The game has been listed among the greatest games of all time.

Official trailer

Trailer. Watch on YouTube

Screenshots

Game details

Genres

Platform, Puzzle, Adventure, Indie

Developer

Playdead

Publisher

Microsoft Game Studios, Playdead

Engine

Custom Engine

Platforms

PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Windows, PlayStation Vita, Xbox 360, Xbox One

Age rating

ESRB T

Modes

Single player

Yes

Local multiplayer

No

Online multiplayer

No

Co op

No

Age ratings

PEGI

16

GRAC

15+

ESRB

T

ACB

MA 15+

CLASS IND

14

CERO

D

USK

16

Release dates

Trophies

Trophies13

Platinum possibleNo platinum

Platinum

0

Gold

1

Silver

3

Bronze

9

Total

13

Points

315

100% time

10 hours

Difficulty

5 out of 10

Playthroughs for 100%

3

Online trophies

0

DLC has trophies

No

Missable trophies

0

• Wrong Way That's not right Bronze 47.8% of players
• Altitude is Attitude Exploration off the ground Bronze 48.2% of players
• It's Stuck Prepare a dry landing Bronze 11% of players
• Urban Exploration Involves heavy lifting Bronze 23.2% of players
• Alone in the Dark Beneath the arthropod Bronze 30.3% of players
• Climbing the Cog Don't pull the lever just because you can Bronze 10.5% of players
• Backtracking Ride the crates Bronze 21.4% of players
• Guided by Sparks The crate is key Bronze 24.3% of players
• Under Ground Vertical passageway Bronze 13.8% of players
• Going Up Don't let gravity keep you down Silver 11.6% of players
• Where Credit is Due Perseverance has its own reward Silver 39.3% of players
• No Point in Dying Complete the game in one sitting with five or less deaths Silver 2% of players
• DING! Running off will get you nowhere Gold 6.9% of players

Space and patches

Space neededAbout 94 MB

Playable today

Playable offline todayYes

Single-player only, with no online features.

Online

Plays offlineYes

Staff and cast

Studio

Playdead

Publisher

Microsoft Game Studios, Playdead

Director

Arnt Jensen

Producer

Dino Patti, Mads Wibroe

Designers

Jeppe Carlsen

Programmer

Thomas Krog

Composer

Martin Stig Andersen

Artists

Morten Christian Bramsen, Stine Sørensen

Credits

Publisher

Microsoft Game Studios, Playdead

Developer

Playdead

Released

2011-07-19

Age rating

ESRB T

Region

US

Time to beat

about 3.6 hours