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Look Outside

Look Outside is a wonderfully eerie adventure with some of the most unique scenarios and sights I’ve seen in a horror game in years. While it makes a strong first impression, though, as time went on, I sometimes wondered if I’d be better off just looking outside. However, there are still enough strong moments to make it worth checking out for those who love horror games and RPGs.
Look Outside Game Cover
94%Game Brain Score
Most mentioned positive aspects:story, music
Most mentioned negative aspects:grinding, stability
98% User Score Based on 8,914 reviews
Critic Score 80%Based on 2 reviews

Platforms

PCWindows
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Look Outside Game Cover

About Look Outside

Look Outside is a single player survival role playing game with horror, mystery, thriller and violence themes. It was developed by FrankieSmileShow and was released on March 21, 2025. It received mostly positive reviews from critics and overwhelmingly positive reviews from players.

Look Outside is a survival horror RPG set in a single apartment building. A mysterious event turns anyone who looks out the window into grotesque monsters, leaving the world in absolute chaos. Scavenge the building to seek food, supplies, and weapons while encountering strange characters.

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Reviews

98%Audience ScoreBased on 8,914 reviews
story800 positive mentions
grinding59 negative mentions
  • Exceptional art style combining grotesque body horror with charming pixel graphics.
  • Strong narrative depth with multiple endings, rich character interactions, and meaningful player choices.
  • Engaging turn-based combat and survival mechanics creating an immersive and tense atmosphere.
  • Outstanding soundtrack that enhances both horror and emotional moments.
  • High replayability due to vast content, secrets, random events, recruitable party members, and branching story paths.
  • Balance of horror, humor, and heartwarming elements making for a unique tone and experience.
  • Some difficulty spikes and RNG elements may frustrate players, especially on higher difficulties.
  • Strict saving system requiring backtracking to save points can lead to lost progress and tedium.
  • Lack of some quality-of-life features like instant saving on all modes, limited UI options, and occasional obscure quest requirements.
  • Certain areas like sewers and mazelike dungeons can feel tedious or confusing to navigate.
  • Early game can be punishing and slow without gaining companions, leading to repeated deaths or grinding.
  • Combat can feel bland and weapon durability system annoying to some players.

  • story

    1,597 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    50% positive mentions, 49% neutral mentions, 1% negative mentions

    The story of "Look Outside" is widely praised for its unique blend of cosmic horror, body horror, and heartfelt themes of friendship, hope, and perseverance amidst an eldritch apocalypse. It features rich worldbuilding, memorable characters with deep backstories, and multiple branching paths and endings that encourage exploration and replayability. While some players note occasional quest bugs and a steep learning curve, the narrative's emotional depth, atmospheric storytelling, and clever integration with gameplay make it a standout and deeply engaging experience.

    • “Look outside is a masterpiece with excellent sound design, amazing pixel art that blends the line between grotesque and beautiful, and a truly unforgettable and uniquely crafted story.”
    • “This game is an absolute storytelling masterpiece, in my completely honest opinion a GOTY candidate.”
    • “The story is a carefully woven masterpiece with many different characters, locations and more.”
    • “There is one softlock in particular which I found especially egregious, involving the resolution of the central plot, which ultimately led me to quit my attempts at alternate endings and just watch them on YouTube, after painstakingly avoiding spoilers for 60 hours of wandering around trying to solve what is effectively a very elaborate puzzle you can unknowingly softlock yourself out of ever solving. The player is totally unaware they have been locked out of progressing the main storyline. Softlock the other side quests and easter eggs, fine, but this was the main story, the central plot point of a character you see from the very beginning to the very end of the game.”
    • “The quests and 'dungeons' constantly catch you off guard. The gameplay and combat systems get a bit repetitive at times, but the story and overall lore of the game more than make up for it. However, the 'main' quest and the endgame can be frustrating. The most clarifying endings are only earned by doing everything perfectly - even in the original Resident Evil, you couldn't apply key items towards quests incorrectly. I think this game would benefit from some change to the quest structure, as it's a pretty dissatisfying ending if you execute anything wrong.”
    • “Look outside has something that can appeal to everyone, with replayability given the multiple endings, achievement grinding (if that's your thing) and lore from both the story and characters, but a lot of available companions and completable quests can become unobtainable through no fault of the player because of RNG, and the sewer and war sections are more frustrating and boring than fun or scary. The sewer is just one big maze with boring enemies and a random boss that wipes out your party, and the quest inside it can take quite long due to the spread out nature of objectives.”

  • music

    1,359 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    60% positive mentions, 39% neutral mentions, 1% negative mentions

    The music in this game is frequently praised as phenomenal, atmospheric, and perfectly fitting the game's dark, cosmic horror tone, with many tracks described as catchy, immersive, and emotionally impactful. Several reviewers highlight the soundtrack as a standout feature, often comparing it to 80s/90s synthwave and horror movie themes, and many have purchased or frequently listen to the OST outside the game. While a few note minor issues with repetition or occasional mismatches in tone, the vast majority acclaim the music for greatly enhancing the atmosphere, immersion, and overall experience.

    • “Look outside truly is a masterpiece: both the writing and soundtrack are amazing, the monster designs are flawless and cool, the world is interesting and fun to explore, the story is captivating, etc.”
    • “The soundtrack is phenomenal too!!!”
    • “The music is absolutely s-tier.”
    • “The in-game music often feels out of place and ruins the atmosphere; there are too many upbeat themes for an eldritch horror.”
    • “Some of the bosses have music that fades out if you take too long, indicating there's another phase coming, which is a little jarring.”
    • “There's barely any notable music, and it also appears to be bugged, as many times the boss theme wouldn't play during the fights.”

  • gameplay

    1,159 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    39% positive mentions, 58% neutral mentions, 3% negative mentions

    The gameplay in "Look Outside" is a solid blend of turn-based RPG combat and survival horror mechanics, offering engaging resource management, party member variety, and strategic combat that rewards experimentation and careful planning. While some players find the steep learning curve, limited save system, and RNG-based weapon durability frustrating, the overall experience is praised for its challenging yet fair difficulty, immersive atmosphere, and replayability with multiple endings. The game's unique mechanics and strong integration with its narrative and art elevate it beyond typical RPG Maker titles, making it a compelling and memorable gameplay experience for fans of the genre.

    • “Look outside combines traditional turn-based RPG mechanics with survival horror mechanics, featuring a time limit and additional realistic gameplay elements.”
    • “The gameplay is a genuinely fantastic mix of classic turn-based JRPG and survival horror, making every fight lethal, unique, and full of uncertainty.”
    • “The gameplay loop is very fun and addictive, with multiple choices and meaningful consequences; the combat and survival mechanics blend seamlessly to create a tense and rewarding experience.”
    • “The weapon breaking mechanic is awful. It's entirely RNG-based and can break a good weapon after a single use, which leads to frustration.”
    • “The saving mechanic is the one aspect that truly shows no mercy; it's possible to lose a lot of progress because of a seemingly innocuous decision. Forced to constantly return to the apartment to save and do chores is annoying.”
    • “Some mechanics are never introduced or explained properly and quality of life is generally lacking. The opacity of the RPG mechanics is frustrating, as horror is about braving the unknown but a good RPG should lay out its mechanics clearly.”

  • graphics

    798 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    53% positive mentions, 46% neutral mentions, 1% negative mentions

    The graphics in "Look Outside" are widely praised for their unique, grotesque, and beautifully detailed pixel art style that masterfully blends horror, cosmic themes, and dark humor. Reviewers highlight the striking monster and character designs, the evocative atmospheric visuals, and the nostalgic yet fresh 90s-inspired aesthetic that deeply enhances the game's unsettling mood. Despite the retro pixel format, the artwork stands out as a major selling point, creating a compelling and memorable visual experience that complements the narrative and soundtrack superbly.

    • “The art style is great, the gameplay is fun without being too repetitive or slow.”
    • “The pixel art style is very skillfully made, and the art style rides a fine line between goofy and grotesque.”
    • “The graphics in this game are beautiful, some of the most eyegasm-inducing pixel art I've ever seen.”
    • “While I appreciate the aesthetic this game is aiming for, I regret selecting the default mode instead of explorer.”
    • “The graphics are not too nauseating to look at, the music is passable, but the characters...this writing is the best I've seen in a while.”
    • “The pixel art style game the game a lot of memorability and charm but to be honest I think I would've liked this game more if the graphics were higher.”

  • humor

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

    The game expertly blends dark, macabre humor with cosmic and body horror, delivering moments that are simultaneously terrifying, funny, and emotionally impactful. Its witty, often absurd dialogue and quirky characters provide levity amidst intense and grotesque themes, creating a unique tone that balances horror with charm and heart. This humor enhances the experience without undermining the tension, making for an original and engaging blend of scares and laughs.

    • “It's a truly engrossing cosmic horror old-school turnbased RPG with gorgeous art, a completely unique setting, great character writing and is completely horrifying, often hilarious, and occasionally very heartfelt.”
    • “The dialogue is realistic and super good and sometimes really funny or witty; the game itself can be super scary but goofy when it chooses to.”
    • “Manages to walk humor and horror hand-in-hand effortlessly but never letting one act at the expense of the other, while also managing to be genuinely thought-provoking and poignant.”

  • atmosphere

    445 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    63% positive mentions, 36% neutral mentions, 1% negative mentions

    The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its immersive, tense, and creepy qualities, masterfully blending cosmic and body horror with moments of dark humor and emotional depth. Stunning pixel art, a haunting and often synth-driven soundtrack, and richly developed characters all contribute to an unsettling yet captivating environment that deeply engrosses players. While some note occasional tonal clashes or gameplay friction, overall the atmosphere stands out as the game's defining and most memorable strength.

    • “The developer has created a masterpiece and there is atmosphere dripping from every pixel in this game.”
    • “The atmosphere, the music, the dialogues, and the art are perfect.”
    • “The atmosphere is incredible, the gameplay loop is perfect, the story is phenomenal, the characters are stellar, and I haven't seen anything nail cosmic horror this well since Bloodborne.”
    • “The music often feels out of place compared to the game’s atmosphere, like when I'm fighting a horrifying looking boss and the music being played felt really upbeat.”
    • “Instead of enhancing the atmosphere, it actually made it worse for me, to the point where I turned it off.”
    • “A huge backtracking when you need to run around the entire hotel is tiring and ruins the atmosphere; the elevator doesn't really help because it's in the middle of nowhere and you still need to run through half of it through a million doors, each of which takes a couple of seconds, but overall it's noticeable.”

  • emotional

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

    The game masterfully blends cosmic and body horror with unexpectedly heartfelt, wholesome, and often humorous moments, creating a deeply emotional experience that resonates with players. Its storytelling, characters, and soundtrack evoke a wide range of emotions—from fear and dread to warmth, hope, and genuine attachment—making it both emotionally impactful and uniquely uplifting within the horror genre. Many reviewers highlight its surprising balance of grotesque imagery and touching narrative, resulting in a memorable, emotionally rich journey.

    • “Behind the initial body horror and cosmic horror lies a beautiful, heartfelt story about friendship, forgiveness, loss, and surviving through adversity.”
    • “The emotional core lands, the monster designs are unforgettable, and the freeform structure of exploration gives the game a pace that feels personal.”
    • “This game truly had made me feel fear.”

  • replayability

    290 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    47% positive mentions, 52% neutral mentions, 1% negative mentions

    The game boasts exceptional replayability, driven by multiple endings, varied party members, random events, and numerous secret discoveries that make each playthrough unique. Its combination of deep content, branching storylines, and challenging gameplay ensures players continuously find new experiences and reasons to return. Overall, it offers tremendous value with extensive replay value that appeals to fans of RPGs and horror alike.

    • “There's a substantial amount of content and achievements for those who love high replayability and want their money well spent.”
    • “With multiple endings, a great array of party members and choices, and a short run time (around 9 hours if you're taking your time to see most things), it has a ton of replayability.”
    • “No two playthroughs are going to be the same, and the sheer amount of meaningful RNG content and replayability can easily fill 40-70 hours of your life.”
    • “There was no replay value; the characters were rote, the endings were pretentious theorybait slop, and the tone was the dated, rote 'humans are the real bad guys!!!!' which anyone with a working TV is more than aware of.”
    • “But certain areas of the game get pretty tedious when you play it more than once and that decreases the replayability for me.”
    • “The idea that the most efficient way to start your game is to either rush the ground floor or to stay at home until you get 2-3 party members really takes away from the replayability of the game.”

  • character development

    94 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    61% positive mentions, 36% neutral mentions, 3% negative mentions

    Character development in "Look Outside" is widely praised for its imaginative, visually striking, and diverse character designs that effectively convey personality, horror themes, and emotional depth. The game offers well-written characters with engaging backstories and dialogue that foster player attachment, complemented by a consistent art style that blends body horror with quirky, memorable NPCs. Overall, the character development enhances the immersive storytelling and unique atmosphere, making it a standout feature of the game.

    • “If you're looking for strong character development, tons of quests with multiple choices and outcomes, varying insane endings, well-hidden secrets, and cosmic horror done right... then this is the game for you.”
    • “The character writing is lovely and I got really attached to almost all of the recruitable cast, the character designs and sprite work are outstanding, the monster designs are some of the most creative I’ve seen yet, and don’t get me started on the OST!”
    • “The character designs and backstories are really interesting, you can really tell that the creators have put a lot of thought into the story and designs.”
    • “The only thing is I wish the characters talked after certain boss fights, or during them, giving more character development like they did Papa.”
    • “When scrolling through the wiki to describe some of the character designs to my friends, I (willingly) spoilered myself.”
    • “Even if you're someone who doesn't prefer traditional RPGs, I really believe that the diversity in area and character design, robust animations and pervasive sense of tension can really propel a player to keep going despite the more repetitive aspects of battles.”

  • grinding

    65 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    6% positive mentions, 3% neutral mentions, 91% negative mentions

    Grinding in the game is minimal and generally not tedious, with enemies rarely respawning and combat designed to balance depth and fun without excessive repetition. However, some players find certain areas or backtracking sections, like sewers or apartment navigation, become tedious or confusing over time, especially due to limited save points and underleveled new characters. Overall, grinding is manageable and often offset by rewarding exploration and replayability, though a few design choices may lead to occasional frustration.

    • “Enemies also don't respawn, so there's no annoying random encounters and no grinding!”
    • “It's a great RPG for those who love the genre or just love horror and aren't even that into RPGs—there's no grinding!”
    • “No grinding or doing too many repetitive things.”
    • “For me it quickly became tedious and confusing at the same time.”
    • “The lack of an easy savepoint mixed with all the gruesome ways you could die instantly meant that you'd tediously re-walk the same areas over and over again, wasting 20-30 minutes per death.”
    • “Lastly, new characters you acquire show up underleveled, therefore disincentivizing their use, especially seeing as grinding is hard, because enemies don't respawn and you have limited time.”

  • stability

    34 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    12% positive mentions, 0% neutral mentions, 88% negative mentions

    The game is notably buggy with a mix of minor and occasional game-breaking glitches, including visual issues and control inconsistencies, which can sometimes disrupt gameplay and atmosphere. However, these bugs are often not severe enough to ruin the experience, and ongoing patches show active developer support. Overall, while stability issues exist, the game's compelling content and design still make it enjoyable for many players.

    • “Runs great on Steam Deck, providing a smooth and stable gaming experience.”
    • “No glitches encountered, ensuring consistent stability throughout gameplay.”
    • “Overall, had a great time with the game running excellently on the Steam Deck.”
    • “This game is riddled with bugs and glitches.”
    • “My only real complaint is the copious amounts of bugs and glitches, both minor and game-breaking.”
    • “[Spoiler] Like any other game, this one has visual glitches and game-breaking bugs. The problem is the bugs are unpredictable and numerous, making you question if a mechanic is broken every time something behaves unexpectedly, which ruins the horror experience significantly.”

  • optimization

    13 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    23% positive mentions, 54% neutral mentions, 23% negative mentions

    Optimization in the game is generally lightweight and suits devices like the Steam Deck well, with performance mostly above average. However, the combat system and UI could benefit from clearer design and better optimization, and while extensive build or path optimization isn't crucial for casual play, some users found the gameplay unbalanced or uninspired. Manual saving and occasional unforgiving mechanics also impact the overall experience.

    • “Optimization: lightweight and perfect for the Steam Deck.”
    • “Combat system and UI could be more optimized and clearer.”
    • “I spent hours trying to map out a route to do the achievements in as optimized a way and in as few runs as possible, until I finally gave up and just decided to try my best.”
    • “Warning: this game uses manual saving and at times is extremely unforgiving; there is some optimization I wish was here, small things though, me nitpicking.”
    • “Combat system/UI could be more optimized and clearer.”

  • monetization

    10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    20% positive mentions, 30% neutral mentions, 50% negative mentions

    The game offers a premium experience without intrusive microtransactions or cash grabs, earning praise for its value and replayability. Despite some criticism of its advertising, players agree it is well worth the purchase for survival horror fans. Additionally, ongoing updates continue to enhance the game by addressing initial oversights.

    • “Just play it guys, I would have paid 100 dollars for a game like this. No cash grabs, no gimmicks, just a straight up 10/10, 5/5 horror game. It's hard even on easy mode and do yourself a favor on the first playthrough: don't look anything up, it makes it 10x better and more insidious.”
    • “Microtransactions - in-game purchases.”
    • “[i]microtransactions - in-game purchases.”
    • “[i]microtransactions - in-game purchases.”
    • “But unlike a typical AAA release where you'd pay $70 or more to get a possibly incomplete experience that may also shove in other undesirables like microtransactions in your face, Look Outside's later updates are correcting the known oversights, slowly implementing the ideas and content that were missing, and adding to what is already a very strong experience.”
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Critic Reviews

80%Critics’ scoreBased on 2 critic reviews
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Play Times

14h Median play time
22h Average play time
9-21h Spent by most gamers
*Based on 46 analyzed playthroughs
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Game News

Horror RPG Look Outside's chunky new 2.3 update gives you even more reason to share soup with the cursed folk living in your basement

April 15 on rockpapershotgun.com
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Frequently Asked Questions

Look Outside is a survival role playing game with horror, mystery, thriller and violence themes. Common tags for Look Outside include turn-based, demons, indie, exploration, pixel graphics and others.

Look Outside is available on PC and Windows.

On average players spend around 22 hours playing Look Outside.

Look Outside was released on March 21, 2025.

Look Outside was developed by FrankieSmileShow.

Look Outside has received mostly positive reviews from players and mostly positive reviews from critics. Most players liked Look Outside for its story but disliked it for its grinding.

Look Outside is a single player game.

Similar games include Jimmy and the Pulsating Mass, NO-SKIN, Brutal Orchestra, Drova: Forsaken Kin, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 – Deluxe Edition and others.