Limbo
Review

Limbo (2013) is a narrative traversal game where you control a small boy as he runs, jumps and climbs through a dark, silhouetted forest that clanks and hums with foreboding. As the age rating suggests, he is killed in all manner of gruesome ways. But this is not without reason. Rather than violent indulgence, the repeated downfall of the child builds a protective relationship between the player and their charge. He needs protection, but he also needs meaning. His willing march into the unknown at your command shows great courage and the need to reach his sister.

The wordless interactions with the boy create a powerful parental relationship to get him where he needs to be, whether that’s to safety or being reunited with his own family.

Our examiner, Jo Robertson, first checked Limbo 3 years ago. It was re-examined by Andy Robertson and updated 3 months ago.