Outer Wilds Reviews

Outer Wilds is ranked in the 93rd percentile of games scored on OpenCritic.
Recommended
May 30, 2019

There's a twofold joy to Outer Wilds - the thrill of discovery itself, as you slowly decipher the variables that swirl around each not-so-distant world, and of seeing that thrill reflected in a phrase scribbled centuries ago by some castaway alien boffin.

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Mike Epstein
Top Critic
8.4 / 10.0
May 30, 2019

Exploring the uncharted worlds of Outer Wilds feels like a true adventure in ways most games never achieve.

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PC Gamer
Top Critic
89 / 100
May 29, 2019

Beneath its charming and inventive worlds, Outer Wilds hides a cleverly unfolding mystery.

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7.8 / 10.0
Jun 3, 2019

Outer Wilds offers an incredible world filled with memorable moments, but the experience is hamstrung by poorly implemented puzzles and wonky systems

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Unscored
Jul 11, 2019

I encounter other space explorers of my own kind. They are bizarre, likable clue-givers who provide moments of comic relief. I perpetrate no violence in this game. I am never required to fire a laser gun or grapple with enemies. (How few are the games, set in space, that absent themselves from combat.) Yet, the worlds I visit can be hostile, releasing their secrets with the greatest reluctance.

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9 / 10
Jun 9, 2019

Outer Wilds is a poignant space explorer with an emotionally engrossing tale set across a condensed but wildly surprising solar system.

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Kotaku
Top Critic
Unscored
Oct 15, 2019

Outer Wilds is not a power fantasy. It is a game about discovering how little power you have, and how maybe that isn’t as scary as you might initially have thought. The galaxy is huge, but you can still make your mark on a small part of it.

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Oct 5, 2022

Outer Wilds is an indie space exploration game, with a fascinating and deadly mystery to unravel at the heart of the universe. The experience is both addicting and charming.

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Unscored
May 29, 2019

Ultimately, it’s the planets that make this game what it is. Worlds full of mysteries and anomalies. To me they are proof that there is still no substitute for handcrafting your virtual realms.

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9 / 10
Dec 17, 2023

If you can overlook the technical challenges – and we could – Outer Wilds remains a wondrous experience on Switch. With almost no gating and a free rein to investigate a rich corner of the universe, it captures the quest for learning in the most direct way possible: the only reward for progress is knowledge. Starting with no information at all, you come to understand the intricacies of this little solar system better than its inhabitants. Having soared through such an epic, introspective, and existentially inquisitive adventure, we probably came to understand ourselves a little more, too.

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8 / 10.0
Jun 27, 2019

Outer Wilds is good-looking and quite unique in its subgenre, and there's a compelling, intriguing mystery to solve that will keep you guessing as you progress across the galaxy

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DualShockers
Ricky Frech
Top Critic
8.5 / 10.0
May 29, 2019

Outer Wilds takes you on a wonderful mystery through a hand-crafted solar system that is well worth a visit.

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Metro GameCentral
Top Critic
8 / 10
Oct 18, 2019

A fantastically imaginative, time-bending puzzle adventure that makes full use of one of the most enjoyably interactive game worlds in a long time.

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9 / 10
Jul 16, 2019

At its core, Outer Wilds is a game about exploration, knowledge and experimentation. It's the sum of all those parts and more, perfectly blending them together to create one of the most fascinating games of this generation. Outer Wilds proves a micro - as opposed to a macro - take on space exploration works just as well, if not better.

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9.2 / 10.0
Jun 17, 2019

Outer Wilds is one of the greatest surprises we have received. A game that mixes exploration with a Groundhog Day-like scheme and a charismatic narrative to give, as a result, something truly unique. A hidden gem that everyone should try.

Review in Spanish | Read full review

May 29, 2019

As someone who loves adventure and puzzle games, Outer Wilds was a match made in heaven.

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8.7 / 10.0
Jun 2, 2019

Outer Wild is a brilliant Sundance Sci-Fi experience, with a perfect balance between space exploration, mystery solving and storytelling. The solar system designed by Mobius Digital is an outstanding playground, full of odd surprises and unique events. Above all, is a place worth to explore and it's perfectly integrated into the time loop structure of the game. If you love to feel a genuine sense of discovery and adventure, it's definitely your game.

Review in Italian | Read full review

9 / 10.0
May 29, 2019

Outer Wilds proves there's still a sense of genuine adventure to be gained from games that commit to a set, fixed structure and design, rather than the kind of sprawling, endless expanses many contemporary titles set out to become. Playing it brought to mind my favorite bits of Dr. Seuss' Oh, The Places You'll Go...except with more of the sun exploding.

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70 / 100
Dec 11, 2023

Outer Wilds: Archeologist Edition on the Switch is obviously lacking in its graphical presentation and controls remain as trying as ever. But the call to explore, discover and find a story remains a solid call to take up the game. But for the best and most immersive experience, other consoles or PC are your best bet.

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9 / 10.0
Dec 11, 2023

Also on Nintendo Switch, just like on other gaming platforms, Outer Wilds is a visual and profound spectacle that goes far beyond expectations. It is a dense and emotionally charged journey, capable of bonding the player and showing how creativity can actually give an experience waiting to be discovered.

Review in Italian | Read full review