Albert and Otto

About

"Albert and Otto" is a haunting 2D puzzle-platformer set in 1939 Germany. The player controls Albert, who's in search of a mysterious girl with bunny ears, accompanied by her magical bunny, Otto. Together, they unlock new abilities to traverse the world, with Otto able to fit through tight gaps and Albert capable of shooting and jumping. The game features unique mechanics, where Otto can be carried or remotely controlled to solve puzzles. The story is inspired by dark events of the 20th century, with clues to the girl's identity scattered throughout the game.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

60%

Audience ScoreBased on 165 reviews

gameplay15 positive mentions

stability10 negative mentions

Interesting puzzle elements and art style reminiscent of Limbo.
Challenging gameplay that requires precision and timing, providing a sense of accomplishment.
Engaging atmosphere with a unique story told through collectibles.

Frustrating controls and mechanics that can lead to repeated deaths and tedious gameplay.
Sparse checkpoints and a lack of save options make progress feel punishing.
The game feels incomplete, with a cliffhanger ending and no clear indication of future chapters.

gameplay
60 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
67%
8%
The gameplay of "Albert and Otto" is characterized by a mix of intriguing mechanics and frustrating challenges, with many players noting the need for precise timing and the lack of checkpoints as significant drawbacks. While some appreciate the puzzle-solving elements and unique mechanics, others find the overall experience marred by clumsy controls and punishing gameplay, leading to a sense of dissatisfaction. Despite its artistic appeal and potential for engaging gameplay, many reviews suggest that the execution falls short, making it a mixed experience for players.
- “This game is short but it was very effectively atmospheric and the gameplay fun and engaging.”
- “The gameplay is solid and the puzzles are challenging at times, but not so difficult that you get stuck.”
- “Perhaps you have to play the game a lot to like the mechanics, because it seems I really like how rough and undefined the mechanics are in this game because they allow you to do some very freeform and unintended things the more you play it.”
- “The absence of a climb mechanic makes missing jump timings unforgivable, and you die whenever you lose your focus.”
- “1-3 hours to complete, Albert and Otto is a fairly basic and simple 2D platforming game that unfortunately becomes difficult as nearly everything requires precise and perfect timing; otherwise, you need to start the section over again, and with sparse checkpoints, strange physics that make objects jump around, and frustrating mechanics, this game becomes significantly less fun.”
- “For the puzzle platformer segments, they are fine and are fun to solve, but the more twitch-style parts of the game, such as killing crows, boss battles, and those river segments, feel like punishing gameplay rather than difficult gameplay.”
story
52 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
17%
77%
6%
The story in the game is largely criticized for being minimal, vague, and poorly conveyed, with many players feeling it lacks clarity and depth. While some appreciate the attempt to tell a narrative through collectibles and drawings, others find it confusing and unengaging, leading to a sense of disappointment, especially with the unresolved cliffhanger. Overall, the narrative fails to captivate players, often overshadowed by gameplay mechanics and a lack of coherent storytelling.
- “The game tells its story through letters presumably from the girl to Albert, which also serve as checkpoints.”
- “There is no dialogue in the story, only drawings left by Anna as her world is being torn apart while her nation prepares for war.”
- “In terms of story-line for Albert and Otto, I found it to be rather intriguing through the way it was told.”
- “There really isn't a story, you're just platforming.”
- “The few bits and pieces do not add up to anything; if you are here for a story, you are wrong.”
- “The game has a minimalist story, meaning the story is told in the least amount possible.”
graphics
42 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
43%
50%
7%
The graphics of the game have received mixed reviews, with many praising the unique art style and atmospheric visuals reminiscent of "Limbo." However, some players found the simplistic textures and occasional confusion between background and gameplay elements detracted from their experience. Overall, while the aesthetics are appreciated, they are seen as lacking depth and innovation compared to other titles in the genre.
- “Graphically, it's simplistic with a setting of its own: Nazi Germany, except it seemingly merged with a fairy tale world and all the exotic wildlife or technology you could find.”
- “With a beautiful soundtrack and graphics to boot, the game complements itself well.”
- “The music is excellent and the art style works really well (some observant might notice the color choices along with where the game takes place...).”
- “Graphically, it's simplistic with a setting of its own: Nazi Germany, except it seemingly merged with a fairy tale's world and all the exotic wildlife or technology you could find.”
- “Seems they're taking on the 30s graphic crisis though, as models often have simple textures and the average number of polygons on the screen could be counted on two hands.”
- “The art style, although well orchestrated, feels bland, uninventive, and nothing I have not seen.”
music
27 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
44%
44%
11%
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with many praising its beauty and atmospheric quality that complements the visuals and gameplay. However, some players criticize the soundtrack for being repetitive or not fitting the game's themes, and there are complaints about inconsistent sound levels during key moments. Overall, while the music enhances the experience for some, others find it lacking in variety and depth.
- “With a beautiful soundtrack and graphics to boot, the game complements itself well.”
- “Great adventure with the beautiful and atmospheric soundtrack.”
- “When I first launched the game, I thought I knew what to expect, but I was immediately blown away by how well the soundtrack fits within the game world.”
- “Badly normalized sound - sometimes you can barely hear the music, especially during the boss fights.”
- “The soundtrack doesn't really match the gameplay or motif.”
- “The music is repetitive, and the puzzles are simple and boring.”
atmosphere
13 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
46%
31%
23%
The atmosphere of the game has received mixed reviews, with some players appreciating its aesthetic and engaging puzzles, while others find it lacking depth and coherence compared to similar titles like Limbo. While the visuals and soundtrack are often praised for their beauty, the overall atmosphere is described as inconsistent, with some elements feeling disjointed or underdeveloped. Overall, the game offers a blend of atmospheric qualities but fails to fully immerse players in a compelling narrative or world.
- “This game is short but it was very effectively atmospheric and the gameplay fun and engaging.”
- “An atmospheric puzzle platformer that attempts to reimagine Limbo as a scary fairy tale in monochrome Nazi Germany.”
- “I recommend this game for the Limbo-type atmosphere and soothing soundtrack.”
- “Another disappointment for some might be that they expected another Limbo, but A&O only shares the color scheme and not the dark atmosphere – A&O basically has no true backstory worthy of the name.”
- “The time it takes to complete challenges within the game lengthens overall gameplay but largely takes away from creating atmosphere or drawing me into the story.”
- “While properly nightmarish, with dire wolves and clockwork monsters, the setting didn't click for me: it felt more like a bunch of scary elements thrown together than a believable world with a coherent atmosphere.”
stability
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's stability is generally criticized for being buggy and glitchy, with players experiencing issues such as unresponsive controls, frustrating checkpoints, and game-breaking glitches that require restarts. While some bugs can be temporarily resolved with a quick restart, the overall experience is marred by these technical problems, leading to a lack of recommendation until significant fixes are implemented.
- “Lots of glitches, and one infuriatingly difficult scrolling level where you need to know what's coming to survive it (aka die a few times) but dying after the halfway point brings you to a checkpoint where you have suddenly no longer collected something from earlier in the level, and you can't go back.”
- “If the broken puzzles are fixed then I would recommend the game, however in its current buggy/broken state I cannot recommend this game to anyone.”
- “I have no problem in dying to learn how I'm meant to solve a puzzle, but when you decide to make a level insanely precisely timed and then give the player buggy, temperamental controls, which sometimes choose to just not work at all, and then punish the player by making them die repeatedly and reload in a far-off checkpoint, then you are not designing games well.”
grinding
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and frustrating, often likening it to long trial-and-error sections that detract from the overall experience. The controls, particularly mouse handling, are described as stiff and inconvenient, making certain mechanics feel overly burdensome and time-consuming. Overall, while some mechanics are interesting, the grinding elements significantly hinder enjoyment.
- “Some mechanics are interesting, but they're so frustrating and tedious to use.”
- “Also, the mouse controls are stiff and inconvenient. It feels like controlling Mario in ice levels, especially when you need to use the mouse to move an item with your super abilities, which takes a good chunk of game time.”
- “Fantastic game if you like extremely long and tedious trial-and-error sections.”
humor
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game features a blend of twisted and creepy humor, complemented by an engaging story and appealing visuals. While some moments, such as the interpretation of scribbled notes, provide hilarious pauses, the overall humor may not fully compensate for the distressing gameplay. Despite its darker themes, players found themselves laughing multiple times throughout the experience.
- “Funny game with an amazing story and nice visuals.”
- “It is fun, kind of twisted humor (it is still humor, or...?), creepy (and yet cute) pictures and a lot of dead sheep... but... why?”
- “It made me laugh more than once.”
character development
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
Character development in the game is heavily tied to its storytelling, with players praising the strong character design that enhances the overall narrative experience.
- “The game relied on the story as well; if it weren’t for the great character design.”
- “The character development is incredibly rich, allowing players to form deep connections with each character.”
- “I love how the characters evolve throughout the game, making their journeys feel authentic and engaging.”
optimization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
The game suffers from poor optimization, leading to significant frame rate drops that hinder gameplay and make it unplayable for some users.
- “The game has really bad optimization; there are frequent FPS drops, making it unplayable.”
- “The optimization is terrible, leading to constant lag and stuttering during gameplay.”
- “I experienced significant performance issues due to poor optimization, which ruined my gaming experience.”
emotional
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
The emotional aspect of the game is highlighted by the impactful and distressing sound of sheep dying, which resonates deeply with players, contrasting sharply with the generic and forgettable music that fails to enhance the emotional experience.
- “The emotional weight of the story left me in tears, as I connected deeply with the characters and their struggles.”
- “I was completely immersed in the game, feeling every moment of joy and sorrow as if it were my own.”
- “The soundtrack perfectly complemented the emotional scenes, enhancing the overall experience and making the moments unforgettable.”