The Witness

About

The Witness is a first-person puzzle adventure game set on a mysterious, abandoned island. players explore the island and solve puzzles to uncover its secrets. With over 500 puzzles, the game offers a challenging and immersive experience that tests player's problem-solving skills and creativity.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

+12

83%

Audience ScoreBased on 15,479 reviews

gameplay491 positive mentions

story433 negative mentions

gameplay
2,828 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
17%
78%
5%
The gameplay of "The Witness" revolves around solving intricate line puzzles that evolve through various mechanics introduced gradually throughout the game. Players appreciate the game's ability to teach mechanics through exploration and experimentation rather than explicit tutorials, leading to rewarding "aha" moments. However, some find the gameplay repetitive and frustrating, particularly when encountering puzzles that require knowledge of mechanics not yet learned, which can detract from the overall experience.
- “The game teaches you the mechanics and rules of the world in a really interesting way.”
- “The way it teaches you its mechanics through carefully crafted puzzles and without a word of tutorial is simply stunning.”
- “The witness smoothly teaches its mechanics to the player, and without needing words it does this teaching in a way that makes it feel like a discovery that the player made, not something explicitly authored by the developer.”
- “The gameplay is a slog.”
- “The core gameplay consists of solving the line maze puzzles that you see in screenshots of the game, and that's it.”
- “The game is colorful and beautiful, but the mechanic is overwhelming and repetitive.”
story
2,426 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
13%
69%
18%
The story in "The Witness" is largely considered minimal and abstract, with many players expressing disappointment over its lack of a coherent narrative. While some elements hint at a deeper story through environmental storytelling and scattered audio logs featuring philosophical quotes, the overall experience is more focused on puzzle-solving than on delivering a traditional plot. As a result, those seeking a rich narrative may find the game lacking, while others appreciate the freedom to interpret the story in their own way.
- “The game's story unfolds through scattered audio logs across the island.”
- “The story is subtle but an amazing path of discovery with some of the most satisfying puzzles I've ever solved.”
- “The witness is a puzzle game with a minimal amount of story but an absolutely beautiful world to explore, with an excellent merging of the puzzles you solve and the environment you're in.”
- “Beautiful locations that suggest some kind of story behind them but never really tell or even hint at the story - that was probably the most disappointing to me.”
- “There's no story/lore, just hundreds and hundreds of puzzles.”
- “The story is very 'philosophy 101,' which I understand will appeal to some people, but it's not my cup of tea.”
graphics
1,667 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
61%
37%
2%
The graphics of "The Witness" are widely praised for their stunning beauty and unique art style, characterized by vibrant colors and a minimalist aesthetic that immerses players in a serene environment. Many reviewers highlight the game's ability to create a captivating atmosphere, with visuals that enhance the puzzle-solving experience, although some note that the lack of detailed textures and limited graphical settings can detract from the overall experience. Overall, the visuals are considered one of the game's strongest aspects, making it a visually appealing journey despite some gameplay criticisms.
- “The graphics are absolutely gorgeous.”
- “The visuals are absolutely stunning, feels a little bit cartoonish, reminding you of 'the long dark' or 'firewatch', two awesome games with that same graphical impact.”
- “From the very first moments, as you step onto the mysterious and beautifully crafted island, the game captivates with its stunning aesthetics and meticulously designed structure.”
- “Boring, samey puzzles, non-sensical and overly pretentious story and bland visuals.”
- “This game addresses all of these problems, there's just one problem: the game is boring, the graphics are ugly, and I wish there were at least some environmental sounds.”
- “The graphics are basic and dated.”
atmosphere
585 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
65%
33%
2%
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its beauty and immersive quality, creating a serene and sometimes eerie environment that enhances the puzzle-solving experience. Players appreciate the stunning visuals and ambient sound design, which contribute to a relaxing yet thought-provoking atmosphere, reminiscent of classic titles like "Myst" and "Portal." However, some critiques mention that the lack of music and narrative depth can lead to feelings of isolation or monotony over time.
- “The atmosphere of this game is unmatched.”
- “The atmosphere is gorgeous, maybe one of the prettiest games I've played, it's very immersive.”
- “The game has an incredible atmosphere, with gorgeous visuals and ambient sounds immersing you into this island world.”
- “I expected a rich ambient sound design to go with the lush visuals to set the atmosphere for puzzle solving but got almost complete silence.”
- “There is no atmosphere, tone, or story.”
- “It's visually well-presented and the atmosphere is... well, kind of non-existent.”
music
567 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
15%
75%
10%
The game's music aspect is characterized by a notable absence of a traditional soundtrack, which has elicited mixed reactions from players. While some appreciate the serene ambiance created by environmental sounds, others find the lack of music to be isolating and detrimental to the overall experience, often opting to play their own music to fill the silence. The minimalist approach to sound design emphasizes puzzle-solving but leaves many players wishing for a more engaging auditory backdrop.
- “The ambient soundtrack adds another layer of immersion, whisking you away on an introspective journey as you unravel the island's secrets.”
- “The sound design is also noteworthy, with a hauntingly beautiful soundtrack that adds to the atmosphere of the game.”
- “The game's beautiful visuals and haunting soundtrack create a truly immersive experience.”
- “There's not even music.”
- “The game lacks any music, which does get on my nerves because solving puzzles on end does get grating and some form of ambience may have helped, but I also can't say much as I put my own background audio on.”
- “The lack of a soundtrack bothered me greatly.”
grinding
408 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
1%
1%
99%
The reviews highlight a pervasive sense of tedium associated with the game's puzzle-solving mechanics, with many players finding the repetitive nature of the puzzles and the navigation to be frustrating and unengaging. While some appreciate the initial challenge and cleverness of the puzzles, the overwhelming quantity and similarity of tasks lead to a grinding experience that detracts from overall enjoyment. Ultimately, the game is described as visually appealing but marred by its tedious gameplay, making it a mixed experience for players who may struggle with the lack of variety and direction.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “Medium level of grinding.”
- “Though a lot of effort has gone into making the puzzles fair, in that players could figure out solutions without resorting to trickery or brute force, it does not follow that solutions are not tedious.”
- “You essentially just wander around solving the same puzzles to open doors, and it can get very tedious and boring really quick.”
- “The puzzles are tedious, in many cases the solution is placed entirely outside of the player's frame of reference, and the reward for completing a devious challenge never feels personal or particularly rewarding - there is a hint of malice and contempt for the player and continuing on to the summit is an act of spite, not joy.”
- “This game is mind-numbingly boring and excruciatingly tedious.”
emotional
132 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional responses to the game "The Witness" are highly varied, with players expressing feelings of both triumph and frustration as they navigate its challenging puzzles. Many found moments of awe and introspection through the game's thought-provoking audio and visual elements, while others criticized its lack of emotional depth and storytelling, describing it as cold and lifeless. Overall, the game elicits a complex mix of emotions, from feelings of genius upon solving puzzles to moments of self-doubt and annoyance.
- “I get emotional thinking about how amazing this game is.”
- “Well, I have to say this game made me cry out of wonder and awe at the ending.”
- “I also found the movies you find in the game both touching and fascinating, as well as all the random audio logs scattered about from great thinkers to be worth pondering.”
humor
107 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is often described as clever and self-aware, with players finding themselves laughing at both the absurdity of certain puzzles and the game's subtle jabs at the player. Many reviewers noted moments of unexpected hilarity, particularly in the design choices and environmental details, which contribute to a playful atmosphere. While some felt it lacked the comedic depth of titles like Portal, the overall sentiment is that the game successfully incorporates humor into its puzzle-solving experience, making it enjoyable and engaging.
- “I found myself laughing sometimes when I realized what clever tricks the developers had led me to discover all on my own!”
- “I had so many 'ah ha' moments, where I couldn't stop myself from smiling or laughing out loud at the solution.”
- “The visual style is incredibly well executed and you are going to need a folder for how many screenshots you take of beautiful vistas, hilarious statues, and atmospheric caverns.”
replayability
80 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
60%
15%
The game's replayability is a mixed bag; while some players find it surprisingly high due to the depth and variety of puzzles, others feel it lacks replay value once the puzzles are solved. Many appreciate the beautiful environment and hidden content that encourage revisits, but the inherent nature of puzzle games often limits replayability, leading to a consensus that it may not be as engaging on subsequent playthroughs. Overall, players suggest that while it offers some replay potential, especially after a break, it may not sustain long-term interest for everyone.
- “I've played it like an addiction the last two weeks and there's so much extra content and add-on puzzles; this game has a surprising amount of depth and replayability.”
- “One of the best puzzle games in existence, and it has great replay value. I forgot most of the puzzles after a year or two, so it was just as pleasant, if not more, to revisit after a while.”
- “It's surprisingly replayable despite being a puzzle game, and the landscape is absolutely gorgeous.”
- “The game doesn't have much replayability due to its set amount of puzzles and their gimmicks, hence why many people would love to re-experience the game blind, myself included.”
- “This was a tedious slog that honestly holds zero replay value for me.”
- “The only real problem with this game could be that there isn't much in the way of replayability.”
optimization
36 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
22%
61%
17%
The game's optimization is a mixed bag; while some players report smooth performance and no bugs, others experience significant issues, particularly on older hardware or Mac systems, leading to low framerates and rough graphics. The lack of customizable graphics settings further complicates performance for those with less powerful setups. Overall, while the game is well-crafted in terms of design and puzzles, its optimization may not meet the expectations of all players.
- “It is very well optimized, has zero bugs (in the 60+ hours that I played).”
- “Nonetheless, because the game is so skillfully crafted with smooth, high-quality interface performance, I recommend it if you enjoy solving a multitude of maze puzzles.”
- “Insofar as objective criteria exist for judging the quality of a video game, the game runs smoothly, the team has been timely about patching bugs, the visuals (gorgeous and stylized) and audio (understated and lacking music) are expertly executed, and the design of the world and puzzles is meticulous (and ambitious).”
- “Long story short, I lost interest in this game almost immediately after purchase because of the repetitive puzzle mechanic and the poor performance on Mac.”
- “It ran The Talos Principle just fine, and The Witness was also playable, but the framerate was often annoyingly low and the graphics looked rather rough, giving the feel of a rather poorly optimized game. I realize now that the nature of many of the puzzles probably makes the game harder to optimize than Portal 2/Talos.”
- “The game doesn't have any graphics settings (only preset options of low, medium, and high to choose from), so unless you have a GTX 770 and above, I reckon you shouldn't get the game if you're particular about graphics/performance.”
stability
22 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
14%
14%
73%
The stability of the game has received mixed reviews, with some players experiencing significant bugs and freezing issues, particularly after extended playtime. However, others have reported a polished experience with no game-breaking glitches, praising the overall design and graphics. Visual glitches in puzzle-solving areas have been noted, which can detract from the gameplay experience.
- “The game is incredibly polished, with beautiful watercolor graphics and literally no glitches.”
- “Riddles make sense and the game was bug free.”
- “The game is incredibly polished, with beautiful watercolor graphics and literally no glitches.”
- “Game is buggy, won't load after playing for a total of 36 hours.”
- “In the last area of the game, you need to solve puzzles that are easy to solve by themselves, but which have visual glitches or other 'features' that do not make it harder to solve the puzzle, but make it harder to enter the solution.”
- “Instantly freezes my computer.”
monetization
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
17%
17%
67%
The monetization strategy for the game has been criticized, with users suggesting it could function equally as a low-cost title or a free mobile game supported by ads. Many feel that the game's enticing visuals and marketing do not deliver meaningful content, and there is speculation that a free version with in-game purchases for solutions could be more profitable.
- “The upcoming iOS version of this game will earn more if offered for free with in-game purchases for solutions.”
- “They could be a $5 game or a free mobile game with ads and it wouldn't have changed anything.”
- “The witness lures you in with its advertising and colorful visuals, only to give you nothing meaningful.”
- “The upcoming iOS version of this game will earn more if offered free with in-game purchases for solutions.”
character development
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Character development in the game is largely criticized, with users expressing disappointment over the lack of meaningful plot progression and character growth. Many feel that the narrative fails to provide depth or purpose, leaving players unsatisfied.