SILT

About

SILT is a single player platformer game with horror, fantasy and dark fantasy themes. It was developed by Spiral Circus Games and was released on June 1, 2022. It received mostly positive reviews from both critics and players.

An underwater exploration game: Explore the depths of a surreal, hand-drawn abyss. Possess sea creatures and make use of their unique abilities to solve environmental puzzles, traveling ever deeper into the void…

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78%

Audience ScoreBased on 406 reviews

gameplay38 positive mentions

grinding9 negative mentions

Stunning and unique black-and-white art style with beautifully hand-drawn underwater environments that create a haunting and immersive atmosphere.
Innovative possession mechanic allows control of various sea creatures to solve puzzles, adding variety and originality to the gameplay.
Strong, eerie sound design and minimal soundtrack effectively enhance the sense of isolation and mystery in the deep ocean setting.

Gameplay can feel slow and clunky due to imprecise, floaty controls and occasionally frustrating timing sections.
The puzzles are generally simple, sometimes repetitive or obscure, with limited difficulty and a lack of rewarding challenge.
Very short game length with minimal narrative or story clarity, leading to a feeling of incompleteness and low replayability.

gameplay
148 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
26%
63%
11%
Silt’s gameplay centers around its unique possession mechanic, allowing players to control various sea creatures to solve environmental puzzles, offering a fresh but simple puzzle-adventure experience. While the gameplay is praised for its originality, atmosphere, and artistic design, many find it slow-paced, occasionally clunky, repetitive, and lacking depth or challenge, with some frustration due to poor implementation and limited content. Overall, the gameplay is more a vehicle for the game’s haunting ambiance and art style than a robust or engaging puzzle-platforming experience.
- “A haunting underwater puzzle‑adventure that stands out for its artstyle, its clever creature‑possession gameplay, and its eerie sense of atmosphere, feeling like a darker, straightforward cousin to Limbo and some vibes of Abzû; where Limbo is minimalist and Abzû is serene, Silt blends their strengths into a surreal, ink-world that’s both beautiful and unsettling.”
- “Silt’s central gameplay mechanic is its possession system, which allows the diver to take control of nearby sea creatures in order to solve environmental puzzles. This mechanic is both the game’s defining feature and its source of most of its puzzles.”
- “Pros: the gameplay strikes an impressive balance between a deceptive simplicity that won't scare away even fairly casual gamers and yet over the course of this leads to a reasonable level of complexity for what it is.”
- “If it was only about mechanics, gameplay, puzzles and so on, I would hit "not recommend".”
- “Game ruined by annoyingly designed game mechanics.”
- “The gameplay loop and puzzles are bad.”
atmosphere
141 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
31%
2%
Silt is widely praised for its haunting, immersive underwater atmosphere characterized by striking black-and-white art, eerie sound design, and a surreal, Lovecraftian vibe reminiscent of Limbo and Abzû. The game’s strong focus on mood and visual storytelling creates a chilling yet beautiful experience, though some find the slow pacing, repetitive elements, and clunky gameplay detract from the overall impact. Overall, Silt stands out as an atmospheric art piece that excels in evoking mystery and dread beneath the ocean depths.
- “A haunting underwater puzzle-adventure that stands out for its art style, clever creature-possession gameplay, and eerie sense of atmosphere, feeling like a darker, straightforward cousin to Limbo and some vibes of Abzû; where Limbo is minimalist and Abzû is serene, Silt blends their strengths into a surreal, ink-world that’s both beautiful and unsettling.”
- “Every moment feels handcrafted, with a clear focus on maintaining atmosphere rather than padding the experience with filler.”
- “The setting of a dark submerged ancient alien world, populated by marine creatures, some resembling real creatures while others being completely alien, a few of them being quite deadly to the player, does a very good job at painting the atmosphere and surrealism.”
- “The puzzles were easy and the atmosphere was not phobophobic as promised; the level and atmosphere became very boring and repetitive with not much variation.”
- “While creepy, the environments and storytelling made me feel like the game was trying too hard, and both the gameplay and atmosphere provided by the sound design and music were lacking.”
- “In the end, all this does is have you keep dying fruitlessly, which sucks you out of the mood the atmosphere and great visuals try to immerse you in.”
graphics
138 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
31%
2%
Silt is widely praised for its haunting, monochromatic art style that blends eerie, surreal underwater visuals with carefully crafted atmospheric sound design, creating a deeply immersive and unique aesthetic reminiscent of titles like Limbo and Inside. The graphics are described as stunning, minimalistic yet richly detailed, and integral to the game's mood and storytelling, making the visuals the standout aspect despite some critique of short length and uneven gameplay execution. Overall, the game's art and ambiance are highly recommended for those who value mood and artistic presentation in their gaming experience.
- “A haunting underwater puzzle-adventure that stands out for its artstyle, its clever creature-possession gameplay, and its eerie sense of atmosphere, feeling like a darker, straightforward cousin to Limbo and some vibes of Abzû; where Limbo is minimalist and Abzû is serene, Silt blends their strengths into a surreal, ink-world that’s both beautiful and unsettling.”
- “The graphics in the game are absolutely stunning and completely unique.”
- “From the artstyle looking like pencil drawings, to the dark and gloomy atmosphere as well as the soft music floating in the background... this game is a piece of art, no doubt.”
- “But the art style leaves something to be desired, and the structure of the gameplay feels formulaic.”
- “Despite the graphics, there's not really any suspense, much less horror.”
- “Sad puzzles, meh dark lazy art style that uses almost no detail, not hard, not relaxing, just all around meh.”
story
93 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
18%
71%
11%
The story in the game is highly ambiguous and minimal, conveyed almost exclusively through visual and environmental storytelling without dialogue, leaving much to player interpretation. While some appreciate its eerie, surreal atmosphere and cryptic narrative themes, many find the plot vague, fragmented, and lacking cohesion or depth, often feeling unsatisfying or inaccessible. Overall, the story serves more as an artistic backdrop than a clear or engaging narrative.
- “The story begins with a nameless diver awakening in the deep, chained to the ocean floor.”
- “The story is told entirely through imagery and environmental cues, leaving interpretation to the player.”
- “The ambiguity of the storytelling invites countless interpretations; some see it as a meditation on control and symbiosis, others as an allegory for descent into madness or death.”
- “There's not really any story to speak of and the puzzles do get a little repetitive, but for a two-hour experience, it was enjoyable.”
- “Just like what others say, it's a beautiful game but the gameplay is such a slog and there is no actual story behind the cryptic symbols and cutscenes.”
- “It tries leaving you with a story up for interpretation like Inside does for example, but the difference is that Inside gives you a lot to work with that you can puzzle together, while Silt just kinda throws a lot of stuff at you, with zero indication that anything could fit together.”
music
32 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
31%
60%
9%
The game's music is primarily atmospheric and eerie, effectively enhancing the immersive, dark underwater setting with minimalistic and haunting tones rather than a traditional soundtrack. While many praise how the music complements the mood and art style, some find it sparse or inconsistent, wishing for a more memorable or abundant score. Overall, the music significantly contributes to the game's mysterious and chilling ambiance.
- “The puzzles are simple but require some thought and some skill, the art is beautiful, the music is atmospheric and the general aesthetic of the game really draws you in.”
- “The music and atmosphere are breathtaking, and the overall experience feels so immersive.”
- “The art is wonderfully creepy, the music is eerie, and the minimalist plot is amazingly delivered through the gameplay.”
- “There's no music in the game, only the deep quietness in the darkness of the sea. Alone and cold, you're on your own.”
- “This game definitely has an original art style and interesting mechanics, plus good puzzles, but for some reason I found it fundamentally boring, maybe because movement is so slow, and there's no impressive music.”
- “The music is on/off and just straight up missing in some levels.”
grinding
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Grinding in the game is often described as tedious and repetitive, especially when players must redo lengthy puzzle sections due to errors or difficult controls. While some found the puzzles simple, the necessity of repeating similar mechanics and slow, unforgiving movement makes the experience feel frustrating and drawn-out, particularly for those aiming for 100% completion.
- “Some sections of the design can be a bit obscure at times, and the only flaws I encountered were related to having to redo the same puzzles over and over again for different reasons, which became really tedious, especially considering how unforgiving the underwater movement can be.”
- “I don't mind a little bit of trial and error when working on puzzles, but when I have to redo all the tedious parts just to make a second attempt, it gets old and unfun really fast.”
- “The puzzles are boring, tedious, long, and irritating to redo if you err and die.”
replayability
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
29%
28%
43%
The game offers limited replayability, primarily appealing to players interested in achievement hunting or specific challenges like no-death runs. Most of the enjoyment comes from initial discovery, making subsequent playthroughs less engaging. As a result, some may find its price high given the relatively low incentive to replay.
- “ Infinitely replayable.”
- “Replayability is fairly limited, with missing an achievement or going for a no death run being the drawing factors.”
- “Feel like $15 is a bit on the higher end for a quick 4 hour game that has minimal replayability.”
- “The replayability, however, is rather small so for some it may feel like an overpay.”
- “There's not much replayability though as the main joy comes from discovery, so keep that in mind as you judge whether or not the game is worth it for you.”
stability
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is highly detailed and unique but suffers from significant stability issues, including numerous bugs, glitches, and frequent soft locks that hinder precise gameplay and overall experience.
- “It's also extremely buggy at the moment, with over 4 soft locks happening to me in one hour.”
- “It’s the wonky controls and haphazard glitches that have soiled an otherwise gorgeous experience, as the puzzles require precision to complete and survive—especially if you aim to grab all the achievements.”
- “It's annoying, buggy, and unpolished.”
emotional
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's emotional impact is mixed, with some players finding its silent, interpretive storytelling deeply personal and resonant, while others feel it falls short emotionally due to underwhelming gameplay, atmosphere, and unsatisfying boss fights. Overall, it evokes sporadic emotional responses but may not fully engage all players on an emotional level.
- “This interpretive freedom gives Silt an emotional resonance that extends beyond its brief runtime, turning its quiet, wordless narrative into something deeply personal for each player.”
- “The boss fights feel unsatisfying - aside from the chapter 3 boss that was the only time the game sparked an emotional response from me aside from 'that's pretty!' or 'that's creepy.'”
optimization
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
33%
The game is generally well-optimized, running smoothly without major bugs and featuring an impressive art style. However, some users report occasional stuttering and issues with the possession mechanic starting from the third chapter.
- “Amazing art style, well-optimized.”
- “Runs smoothly; didn't experience any bugs.”