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But Why?

But Why? Game Cover
91%Game Brain Score
Most mentioned positive aspects:music, graphics
Most mentioned negative aspects:gameplay, story
91% User Score Based on 193 reviews

Platforms

PCWindows
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But Why? Game Cover

About But Why?

But Why? is a single player and multiplayer casual platformer game with mystery and comedy themes. It was developed by Perspektik and was released on February 19, 2026. It received very positive reviews from players.

An atmospheric climbing experience for solo players or up to 4 in co-op. A short, minimalist platformer about the cold, isolation, and quiet persistence.

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But Why? screenshot
But Why? screenshot
But Why? screenshot
But Why? screenshot
But Why? screenshot
But Why? screenshot
But Why? screenshot
But Why? screenshot
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Reviews

91%Audience ScoreBased on 193 reviews
music10 positive mentions
optimization3 negative mentions
  • The game offers a beautiful, atmospheric, and emotional journey with charming visuals and an impactful soundtrack.
  • Playing cooperatively with friends enhances the experience, providing memorable moments full of laughter, challenge, and bonding.
  • The narrative and symbolism of perseverance, companionship, and self-discovery resonate deeply with players, making it a life-affirming experience.
  • Platforming sections are often frustrating due to awkward controls, inconsistent hitboxes, and poorly playtested design that cause player deaths and retries.
  • The lack of a proper save or checkpoint system forces players to restart long sections upon quitting or crashes, leading to frustration.
  • Bugs and glitches, including collision issues, broken multiplayer checkpoints, and resource mechanics bugs, detract from the gameplay experience.

  • music

    20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    50% positive mentions, 35% neutral mentions, 15% negative mentions

    The music in the game is widely praised for its emotional impact, inspirational quality, and perfect fit with the atmosphere, enhancing the overall journey and breathtaking moments. While some users mention minor issues with volume control, the soundtrack is consistently described as a standout feature that makes the experience memorable and relaxing.

    • “Awesome music accompanied by a breathtaking ending that couldn't help but make me smile.”
    • “The music is a masterpiece, learning to play the game with limited help was great and just in general, even the annoyance of certain parts and beating them was amazing.”
    • “The visuals are bright and cozy, the music is perfect for this game and makes you feel like 'you' are taking this amazing journey up the mountain.”
    • “The music not being allowed to decrease at the end ruined the experience.”
    • “The soundtrack was very aimless at first with no direction.”
    • “The music relies on a sparse score that only swells at the most breathtaking moments, which may feel lacking.”

  • gameplay

    9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    33% positive mentions, 34% neutral mentions, 33% negative mentions

    The gameplay offers enjoyable parkour and charming penguin-themed action, but is marred by several frustrating bugs, lack of reliable checkpoints, and occasional unclear objectives that can hinder progress and immersion. While some players find it fun and rewarding, others experience repetitive platforming and technical issues that impact the overall experience.

    • “You play as some cute gentoo penguins, and it's a great almost 2 hours of parkour gameplay, played as a trio and enjoyed it!”
    • “The music, the gameplay, the scenery, and the penguin larping.”
    • “Peak story, peak gameplay, peak everything.”
    • “There are many faulty mechanics within the game, such as needing to respawn to reset hunger near the end, unsafe spots to stay 'alive' from the orcas in the water, the music volume not being adjustable at the end, and the path being very aimless at first with no direction, including an impossible 15-minute climb against an incline.”
    • “The survival and checkpoint mechanics were a bit buggy.”
    • “This game is not about gameplay; it will be hard but it's all worth it in the end.”

  • story

    8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    38% positive mentions, 24% neutral mentions, 38% negative mentions

    The story is widely praised for its emotional depth and symbolic narrative, with the mountain evolving into a central character that enhances the experience. However, some users note that immersion can be disrupted by minor design issues, though these do not significantly detract from the story's impact. Overall, the storytelling is considered a standout aspect of the game.

    • “The experience was magnificent, the game is a prime example of how a story should be told and the feelings along the way are just... touching.”
    • “Peak story, peak gameplay, peak everything.”
    • “The mountain has slowly transformed from a backdrop into the central character of the story, and the penguin’s struggle begins to feel symbolic.”
    • “If that story ends with you reaching the very top and seeing the beautiful scenery, I'll roast you and feed you to a killer whale.”
    • “☐ no story”
    • “---{ story }---”

  • graphics

    5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    60% positive mentions, 40% neutral mentions, 0% negative mentions

    The graphics are generally praised for being bright, cozy, and visually appealing, providing an immersive and smooth experience even at low settings. However, some users find the visuals cold and less engaging. Overall, the visuals effectively complement the game's atmosphere and journey.

    • “The visuals are bright and cozy, the music is perfect for this game and makes you feel like 'you' are taking this amazing journey up the mountain, the movement feels smooth, and every step up the icy cliffs is satisfying.”
    • “Good visuals considering the price tag.”
    • “The game looks amazing even on the lowest graphics settings (I couldn't run it at anything higher).”

  • emotional

    4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    100% positive mentions, 0% neutral mentions, 0% negative mentions

    The game delivers a powerful and touching emotional experience, successfully evoking a wide range of feelings including laughter, tears, and anger. Players often find the story deeply moving, making it a memorable and impactful journey.

    • “The experience was magnificent; the game is a prime example of how a story should be told, and the feelings along the way are just touching.”
    • “I cried at the end, the most well-spent 2$ of my life.”
    • “If you ever want to cry, laugh, and boil in anger, this game is for you whether you intend on doing it solo or with a pal.”

  • humor

    4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    100% positive mentions, 0% neutral mentions, 0% negative mentions

    The game features a subtle yet warm humor, with brief, gentle dialogue that adds charm without disrupting its quiet tone. Players often find it surprisingly funny, especially when enjoyed with friends, leading to many shared laughs throughout the experience.

    • “My friends and I have played this game for 4 hours and I can confidently say that this is an absurdly funny, life-opening, and mind-changing ending to a game.”
    • “There is a small amount of dialogue, usually short exchanges between the penguin and Wilson that add gentle humor and warmth without breaking the quiet tone.”
    • “Played it with a couple of friends and we ended up laughing way more than we thought we would.”

  • atmosphere

    4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    75% positive mentions, 25% neutral mentions, 0% negative mentions

    The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its immersive landscapes, peaceful and quiet ambiance, and carefully crafted sound design, including subtle environmental sounds and a sparse, impactful musical score that enhances key moments. This combination creates a serene yet engaging experience that meets or exceeds player expectations.

    • “Great landscapes and atmosphere!”
    • “The music is incredible, the atmosphere is incredible. The game is literally exactly what I expected and even a little more.”
    • “Instead, the experience relies on atmosphere: the crunch of snow under flippers, the whistle of high-altitude wind, and a sparse musical score that swells only at the most breathtaking moments.”

  • optimization

    3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    67% positive mentions, -67% neutral mentions, 100% negative mentions

    The game offers an engaging experience but suffers from poor optimization, particularly on lower-end systems and GPUs, leading to crashes and performance issues. Despite these technical drawbacks, players remain hopeful for improvements in future updates.

    • “I love it, it's interesting and fun but my friends and my GPUs were absolutely hating this game. I think the main reason people are crashing it is because of GPU optimization. I didn't want to rate it low because it's a great concept and I'm hopeful for future content.”
    • “Although this game is not very optimized, a little unintuitive and slightly confusing, it is really amazing.”
    • “Definitely should get some better optimization for lower end systems though, all in all solid 8/10.”
    • “My GPU and my friends' GPUs were absolutely hating this game; I think the main reason people are crashing it is because of GPU optimization issues.”
    • “Although this game is not very optimized, it is really amazing.”

  • grinding

    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    0% positive mentions, 50% neutral mentions, 50% negative mentions

    Grinding in the game is challenging and often requires persistence, with some players encountering tough obstacles and repeated setbacks. It demands significant effort and sometimes multiple attempts, making progress feel like a test of endurance.

    • “You'll need a second life for grinding.”

  • stability

    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    0% positive mentions, 0% neutral mentions, 100% negative mentions

    The game offers an enjoyable penguin adventure but is hindered by numerous glitches and buggy landscapes, with survival and checkpoint mechanics often malfunctioning.

    • “A fun penguin journey with many glitches and bugged out landscape.”
    • “The survival and checkpoint mechanics were a bit buggy.”
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Play Times

2h Median play time
2h Average play time
2-2h Spent by most gamers
*Based on 1 analyzed playthroughs
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Frequently Asked Questions

But Why? is a casual platformer game with mystery and comedy themes. Common tags for But Why? include 3D, realistic, indie, exploration, family friendly and others.

But Why? is available on PC and Windows.

On average players spend around 2 hours playing But Why?.

But Why? was released on February 19, 2026.

But Why? was developed by Perspektik.

But Why? has received very positive reviews from players. Most players liked But Why? for its music but disliked it for its gameplay.

But Why? is a single player game with multiplayer and local co-op support.

Similar games include Cairn, Getting Over It with Bennett Foddy, Rat Quest, Spirit of the North, Only Up! and others.