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Return of the Obra Dinn

Lucas Pope · Oct 18, 2018

PC · PS4 · Xbox One · Switch

Mature

About

In 1802, the merchant ship Obra Dinn set out from London for the Orient with over 200 tons of trade goods. Six months later it hadn't met its rendezvous point at the Cape of Good Hope and was declared lost at sea. Early this morning of October 14th, 1807, the Obra Dinn drifted into port at Falmouth with damaged sails and no visible crew. As insurance investigator for the East India Company's London Office, dispatch immediately to Falmouth, find means to board the ship, and prepare an assessment of damages.

Trailers & screenshots

Scores by platform

PC

Critic 9.0 (23 critics) · Gamer 9.6

9.0

PlayStation 4

No critic reviews yet · Gamer 9.5

Xbox One

Critic 8.9 (4 critics) · Gamer 9.8

8.5

Nintendo Switch

Critic 8.7 (7 critics) · Gamer 7.4

8.0

Critic reviews

  • Darkstation

    Lee Mehr · Jan 08, 2020

    10
    Return of the Obra Dinn is a rare example of art, sound, design, and story all intersecting and making for a game that wouldn't be the same without each special quality working in tandem. And it’s a game I can’t help but madly recommend to everyone who may wash up on this site’s shores. With gripping game design shored up by fantastic visuals and stimulating storytelling, Return of the Obra Dinn solidifies Lucas Pope as a game-craftsman of remarkable talent.
  • RPGFan

    Jonathan Logan · Nov 10, 2019

    8.7
    Return of the Obra Dinn might be one of the most successful and engaging mysteries in video game history, but there are better platforms to play it on.
    Read review
  • Thumbsticks

    Daniel New · Oct 28, 2019

    10
    Return of the Obra Dinn makes the journey to Nintendo Switch content and feature complete in a sparkling port from Warp Digital. The game is, simply put, one of the best ever made. It’s intricate, macabre, involving and essential. It’s aesthetically phenomenal and intellectually satisfying. Like the very best games, Return of the Obra Dinn is an experience that could only ever exist as a game. It’s’ a masterwork of narrative Sudoku and a recommended purchase on any platform.
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  • NintendoLife

    Ross Keniston · Oct 24, 2019

    9.0
    Return of the Obra Dinn lives up to the hype, and then some. It’s a beautifully crafted and intricately constructed detective mystery unlike anything you’ve played before with a harrowing narrative at its centre. Unravelling its secrets takes time and requires patience, but you’ll be glad you allowed the story to play out at its own pace. What we have here is a thoroughly unique experience that will stay with you, and is among best this genre has ever had to offer.
    Read review
  • Nintendo World Report

    Joe Devader · Oct 18, 2019

    8.5
    Overall, Return of the Obra Dinn is an incredibly compelling mystery that will constantly have you moving from clue to clue, itching to find that next bit of information that brings it all together. Making the correct deduction is difficult; the game doesn’t exactly hand you all the information you need on a silver platter and sometimes even expects you to work simply by process of elimination, but once you finally get it right there are few feelings more satisfying.
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  • Way Too Many Games

    Todd Eggleston · Apr 12, 2019

    9.0
    The Return of the Obra Dinn deserves all the talk and accolades it got last year. Each part moves between ingeniously minimalistic and incredibly detailed. It is my childhood boxed puzzle or board game. The one that is always ready to come off the shelf to be played. Just please, take it off the shelf much sooner than I did.
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Gamer reviews

  • Joy Boy

    Jan 27, 2023 · PC

    9.0

    A puzzling return.

    Time travelling game which you solve puzzle on how and what happened to all people on board. The creative design of this game is just unique. It tested my deductive skills as I move backwards in time while I slowly learned everyone's faith.

    Read review by Joy Boy
  • Kenzie

    Oct 6, 2020 · PC

    9.5

    This game is the logic puzzler of my dreams. I snapped it up on GOG as soon as it released. I love any game that doesn't hold your hand while you piece clues together and make sense of the world in front of you - that many so-called detective games would usually do. I love that it blends the clues in the game environment, as well as outside, real-world knowledge (thank my knowledge of accents) to help you make deductions. It's such a satisfying experience to get items right, too. A+ graphics, story, soundtrack, and overall execution. Lucas Pope is a genius.

    Read review by Kenzie

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