Limbo

Sometimes a title card can tell you everything. Limbo’s white text is presented in large, blocky font, looking as if it were cut from cardboard, offset by a pure-black background — nothing else is on the screen. The game’s intentions are pretty clear: It wants to pretend video games existed during German Expressionism and that this is the gem we all missed.

The game itself, a 2-D puzzle platformer, keeps things as minimalistic as its black-and-white presentation. Limbo throws one trap or puzzle at a time, often driving you into lunacy because of the simplicity of it all. Sometimes it’s because of a puzzle that feels impossible, but most of the time it’s because of the game’s frequent deathtraps that serve only to ruin the pace and frustrate players. One can imagine they are an attempt at dark humor, with how violent the death animations are for what is ostensibly a prepubescent boy.

While the pacing and visual style might turn away most players, it’s hard not to admire the dedication to a unique vision that Playdead have brought with its debut game. At its best, Limbo casts a spell on you with its surreal ambiance and haunting setting.