Beholder Reviews

Beholder is ranked in the 63rd percentile of games scored on OpenCritic.
8 / 10.0
Nov 13, 2016

There were great levels of morality explored here and it's quite dark when the totalitarian government comes knocking.

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Geeks Under Grace
Sydney Stoddard
8.2 / 10.0
Jun 13, 2017

Beholder gives you scenarios in which you must choose what is truly right in contrast to what is lawful and is more than worthy of a playthrough. You will feel. You will think. You might just behold something worthwhile.

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7 / 10.0
Jan 16, 2018

'Beholder' effectively captures a dystopian society from the perspective of the middleman. The game is a welcomed addition to any indie library, despite the few flaws it contains. I highly recommend this game for anyone who enjoys dystopian and task-based adventure games.

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7 / 10.0
Feb 7, 2018

I’m not sure that I’ve ever played through a game before where my opinion changed so drastically or as often as it did while I was playing Beholder.

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90%
Jan 15, 2018

Every choice you make has a consequence and every consequence takes you to one of many conclusions. Great stuff!

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7.7 / 10.0
Feb 11, 2017

While its mechanics can be a little finicky, Beholder is a simple game that ends up immersing you in the life of an informant in a totalitarian state, and it’ll no doubt make you develop a fascination with the lives of others. As you juggle your desire to be a good person with your desire to stay out of prison or an early grave, Beholder will force you to make some heavy choices

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7.7 / 10.0
Apr 6, 2018

Beholder creates an interesting world and fills this world with weighty, morally-grey choices that actually matter. The feeling of actually having an influence on how events transpire is present here, a nice change from games that promise choice and deliver nothing of the sort.

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80 / 100
Jan 22, 2018

Beholder doesn't hold your hand and this can become an issue. It relies heavily on the player to self-teaching themselves about much of the game's mechanics.

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Cubed3
Top Critic
7 / 10
Dec 18, 2016

Beholder doesn't hold your hand, because the things you're doing could be considered heinous, or even uplifting; it's entirely up to you. This level of freedom is often teased, but not met. While there are issues that drag the game backwards, players should seek to overcome them, because this is a truly bleak world, and it has no problem letting you know it.

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Nov 7, 2016

When a game wants you to toss aside your morals for the greater good

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Dec 20, 2016

'Beholder' is a somber, harsh experience in terms of both its theme and its gameplay. The naggy and sometimes baffling routines of the residents can get in the way of a good story at times, and it's too short overall. Still, it's an interesting addition to the growing "authoritarian state" genre, and well worth its small asking price.

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Jan 31, 2017

Beholder is a deeply terrifying look at the concept of an Orwellian nightmare through the lens of a video game.

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9 / 10.0
Dec 6, 2016

With great cartoon graphics, brilliant game design, and an amazing soundtrack, Beholder is a gem that should be experienced by everyone.

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Game Debate
Ed SW
Top Critic
7.5 / 10.0
Jan 3, 2017

With a fantastically sombre and sinister art style, impeccable sound design and an innovative idea, if I were to have to describe this game on the fly I would say it’s a title somewhere between Papers, Please and The Sims, two games I have thoroughly enjoyed in the past. With the subtle application of moral choices of Papers, Please mixed with the sim management of The Sims I can wholeheartedly recommend Beholder as a quick pick me up this Christmas if you’ve got the rumblies only state intervention will satisfy.

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7.5 / 10.0
Dec 20, 2016

Beholder is a game where the simple mechanics are just the tip of the iceberg. The game bombards the player with hard moral choices in a world where every decision may have dire consequences.

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7.5 / 10.0
Dec 21, 2016

Beholder delivers a tough experience from the narrative standpoint, and a challenging gameplay. The player will face hard choices, and will have to live with the aftermath of its decisions every single time. The graphic is appealing, though sometimes it feels like the burden that the player has to carry - especially with the high number of quests given at the same time - can be a little discouraging. However, this is an original and suggested game.

Review in Italian | Read full review

7 / 10
Jan 10, 2017

Despite much of this review, Beholder is not a bad game and at the price asked, I think it is worth a buy. The criticisms only come because Beholder sets its sights at such lofty heights and complex issues but fails to reach them. And of course, it suffers by association with the ethically sensitive and artistically cohesive Papers Please. What it achieves, however, is an entertaining and challenging strategy game. It is just good, which is a shame because it could have been brilliant.

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8.9 / 10.0
Dec 26, 2018

Beholder 2 is an immersive dystopia RPG with a desperate story, interesting gameplay, and hard choices.

Review in Chinese | Read full review

3 / 5.0
Dec 19, 2016

It may not be beauty that lives in the eye of this one, but Beholder does have some intelligent moral conundrums to levy at you. Unfortunately, the repetition and dull play leave a big hole in the middle where the game’s heart should beat.

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70 / 100
Nov 20, 2016

Beholder does an excellent job of making you feel hopeless. I was immediately infected by the game’s clouded atmosphere.

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