INSIDE
INSIDE screenshot 1INSIDE screenshot 2
ActionAdventureIndie2.5DPuzzle PlatformerAtmosphericDarkHorror

135 playing

Peak in the last 24 hours: 276

Peak in the last 7 days: 331

INSIDE Steam store

Game description

Hunted and alone, a boy finds himself drawn into the center of a dark project. INSIDE is a dark, narrative-driven platformer combining intense action with challenging puzzles. It has been critically acclaimed for its moody art style, ambient soundtrack and unsettling atmosphere.

Basic info

DeveloperPlaydead
PublisherPlaydead
PlatformsWindows
Steam DeckVerified
Release dateJul 7, 2016
Price

Prices by IsThereAnyDeal

Minimum specs

OSWindows 10 (64-bit OS required)
ProcessorIntel Core 2 Quad Q6600 @ 2.4 GHz, AMD FX 8120 @ 3.1 GHz
Memory4 GB
GraphicsNVIDIA GT 630 / 650m, AMD Radeon HD6570 or equivalent
Storage3 GB
steamyze

Review Analysis Score

Based on 450 reviews from the past 1 year

91.7/ 100
Top 10%

Steam rating: Overwhelmingly Positive (97%)

Metacritic: 87 /100

Review analysis summary (Reviewed Oct 22, 2026)

Players rate INSIDE at 91.7, calling it a wordless, unsettling puzzle platformer that holds attention from start to finish.

👍 Strengths

Story & World appears in 85% of analyzed reviews and ranks 196th of 1096. 200 reviews praise the world and its oppressive atmosphere, built through minimalist environments, careful pacing and subtle sound with no dialogue at all. 74 call the visuals beautiful, singling out detailed animation and lighting, and Visuals & Sound ranks 47th of 1249. 43 say it is gripping and enjoyable, and some found replaying it just as satisfying. Gameplay ranks 98th of 1396, and a few praise puzzles that are clever without being frustrating.

👎 Where it falls short

49 reviews note that it is short, with some finishing in three or four hours and wishing it were longer, and a few mention limited replay value. 41 find the story too cryptic, leaving questions about the lore and an ending that some call confusing or a little disappointing. 14 raise difficulty points, with some finding the puzzles too easy and others frustrated by dying again and again in the underwater sections. Content Volume ranks 805th of 1351.

Representative reviews Original reviews ↗

“minimalist style and atmosphere creates curiosity and wrongness” · 200 reviews
“Beautiful graphics with eargasm audio” · 74 reviews
“short and fairly linear game with limited replay value” · 49 reviews

How it holds up

−50+5

Controls, difficulty, progression and depth
Mentioned in 48% of reviews · Top 10% of the games we've analyzed

Strategy +3.62 · Depth of builds, tactics, and meaningful choices
Positive “surprising puzzle mechanics for platformer” · 26 reviews
Negative “puzzle mechanics are the least attractive aspect” · 2 reviews

Progression 2% · Difficulty 21% · Onboarding 11% · Freedom 2% · Controls & feel 14%

Plot, characters and the world
Mentioned in 85% of reviews · Top 20% of the games we've analyzed

World +4.37 · Lore, atmosphere, and how immersive the setting is
Positive “minimalist style and atmosphere creates curiosity and wrongness” · 200 reviews
Negative “cruel and cynical experience that punishes empathy” · 2 reviews

Story 65% · Characters 2%

How much there is to do, variety and replay value
Mentioned in 39% of reviews · Bottom 50% of the games we've analyzed

Volume -0.62 · How much there is to play, including endgame, for the price
Negative “short and fairly linear game with limited replay value” · 49 reviews

Variety 4% · Replayability 7%

Graphics, art style, music and sound
Mentioned in 51% of reviews · Top 5% of the games we've analyzed

Visuals +4.38 · Graphics, art style, and animation
Positive “Beautiful graphics with eargasm audio” · 74 reviews
Negative “aesthetics less impressive than Limbo, muted colors lack magic” · 1 review

Audio 28%

Playing with others, the community and servers

Not enough data — only 0% of reviews mention this.

Community — · Who you play with — how many, and how friendly

Playing together 0% · Servers & Connection 0%

Pricing, cheaters, balance and matchmaking
Mentioned in 6% of reviews · Top 30% of the games we've analyzed

Pricing +0.02 · Whether the price, DLC and microtransactions are reasonable, and how much paying gives you an edge
Negative “full price of R$72.99 is too expensive despite frequent sales” · 4 reviews

Anti-cheat 0% · Balance 0% · Matchmaking 0%

Bugs, performance and developer support
Mentioned in 4% of reviews · Top 30% of the games we've analyzed

Performance +0.05 · Frame rate, optimization, and loading times
Positive “very smooth experience with coherent puzzle flow” · 1 review
Negative “stuttering on older hardware” · 1 review

Stability 2% · Developer support 0%

Grey means too few reviews mention it to trust. — means almost no reviews mention it.

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🎲 Fans of this game often get the title Mysterious Pilgrim. Which one is yours?