The Witness Reviews

The Witness is ranked in the 95th percentile of games scored on OpenCritic.
95 / 100
Feb 1, 2016

The developers have managed to impart the rules of the game without a single bit of text other than the controls for interacting with the mazes and how to sprint.

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9.5 / 10.0
Sep 23, 2016

They really don't make 'em like this any more. The Witness is an amazing game that you'll love to hate for its challenge, cursing it, wondering why you made the purchase, and then something will click for you, and it'll become one of the best games you've ever played.

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9.5 / 10.0
Feb 2, 2016

This review is slightly vague, but that's for the reader's benefit. "The Witness" is at its best when it's discovered within an isolation chamber. It's not going to be a game for everyone. For those who are impatient or who are unwilling to test your mental moxie, then steer clear of "The Witness." If you're looking for a beautiful brain teaser that rewards as well as it punishes, this should be the next game you play. It's unlike anything else out there.

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9.5 / 10.0
Feb 8, 2016

The Witness is a masterpiece of game design and an early contender for one of the best titles of the year. Boiled down to the basics, it's just a series of increasingly complex puzzle-mazes, but the presentation and execution are stellar, and the sense of exploration really adds to the game. It captures just the right sense of maddening and enticing to keep you moving forward. Its high price might scare off some gamers, but those who give it a shot will find it to be a worthwhile experience.

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9.5 / 10.0
Feb 17, 2017

The Witness is as devious as it is brilliant and not for the easily distracted.

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95 / 100
Sep 15, 2016

The Witness is a fantastic experience that everyone should play and love. Great looking graphics are walking hand in hand with fun and challenging puzzle gameplay.

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9.3 / 10.0
Jan 25, 2016

Fun and inventive challenges wait around every corner. If you want something more than a barrage of thoughtful puzzles (like a story), you should look elsewhere

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9.3 / 10.0
Feb 4, 2016

Somehow Jonathan Blow has once again managed to prove that his elevated opinion of his own abilities is 1000% justified. Though I am admittedly well within his target demographic, it is hard to shake the feeling that The Witness was a game that was made specifically for me.

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9.2 / 10.0
Feb 6, 2016

The Witness is an excellent puzzle game, featuring many complex yet fair puzzles, a great atmosphere, an interesting narrative method and a lot of content. With no handholding whatsoever, The Witness certainly is not a game for everyone, but those who are up to the challenge will feel enriched once they solve most of the puzzles included in the game. After all the delays, Jonathan Blow and his crew fully delivered.

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9 / 10
Jan 25, 2016

In both structure and detail, The Witness is an original, difficult, and ultimately rewarding puzzle game.

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90 / 100
Feb 9, 2016

The Witness is a profound experience, unlike any other and certainly intimidating in its refusal to give away its secrets for free. However, those with the inclination to buy-in and delve deep will find a trove of excellence, in the way it utilizes simple mechanics to convey greater themes. One of the most cohesive and intricate releases you can find, but not for the faint of heart.

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9 / 10
Feb 27, 2019

The Witness is an intelligent, expertly crafted puzzle game with ceaselessly satisfying gameplay. It becomes bafflingly complex, yet the free-roaming nature of the island means that you'll never be stuck for long. In addition, the way in which it communicates new elements is nothing short of masterful. All in all, Jonathan Blow's latest is an enormous triumph.

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Ken McKown
Top Critic
9 / 10.0
Sep 16, 2016

The Witness is an example of superlative game design. Carefully crafted and mentally challenging. Everyone should dive into this world, it is the perfect game for several players to sit on a couch and solve. It will make your head hurt, it will tease your brain more than any game before it, but it also delivers satisfaction in solution better than anything else before, and perhaps after it. Play this game.

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Drew Leachman
Top Critic
9 / 10.0
Feb 3, 2016

If you have any interest in logic puzzles and want to explore a pretty interesting world, the Witness is a must own.

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9 / 10.0
Sep 19, 2016

Brennan Dyal lives in Baltimore, and actually likes it. When he's not playing games, he's disappointing his teammates on the basketball court, or going to Popeye's in disguise so they don't ask "Weren't you just here yesterday?"

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Jan 25, 2016

The Witness is one of the best exploration puzzle games since Myst.

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Feb 1, 2016

The game allows players to learn and wonder at all the symbolism at their own pace, to draw their own conclusions.

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9 / 10.0
Feb 4, 2016

The Witness is an expansive and wickedly smart follow-up to Braid, with puzzles to test even the brightest minds. Its mental gymnastics are well worth the occasional frustration, and you'll come out feeling like a genius.

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Jan 27, 2016

Break it down and The Witness is nothing more than variations of the same simple maze puzzle, spread across a gorgeous island setting.

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9 / 10.0
Jan 25, 2016

It's a brilliant, beautiful, masterfully crafted work, and the more you discover, the more apparent it is.

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