# Outer Wilds 65 Hacker News commenters recommended Outer Wilds and 7 criticized it, November 2025 to November 2026. It was recommended in 9 of 13 months. It meets the Hacker Approved badge rule. **Verdict:** Exploration puzzle game praised for its story, sense of wonder and discovery, best played blind. Critics find the controls fiddly and say some puzzles are hard to finish without spoilers. ## Why people recommend it - Mind-blowing story and universe design (7 comments): "The ending is mind-blowing, and, similar to Return of the Obra Dinn, the whole universe story is weaved perfectly" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47454128)) "If you liked The Last Question and can fit a video game into your life, you will probably like Outer Wilds." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47806093)) "All masterpieces that take various approaches to Diegetic, Non-Diegetic and meta-Diegetic storytelling" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46768140)) - Awe, wonder and strong emotion (5 comments): "Then I discovered Outer Wilds, went in completely blind, played in VR, and had one of the most engaging experiences of my life." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46821759)) "approximating a theme park ride that evokes the vastness of the universe can be breathtaking" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49629519)) "Falling into the black hole the first time was one of my most scared moments in gaming." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49064816)) - Real exploration and discovery (4 comments): "Outer Wilds is a much stronger fit for the category where the entire world is accessible from the start." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45962181)) "At it's core, it's a game about exploration to understand what's happening." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47806902)) "The thing they did really really well is that it's true exploration" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49634466)) - Ranks among favorite games ever (4 comments): "Outer Wilds, and imperatively its DLC, are transcendent gaming experiences." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46802062)) "I really didn't expect to get a new favourite game of all time in my 30s" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46821549)) "I would still rank Outer Wilds as one of my all-time top favorite games." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49246626)) ## What people warn about - Frustrating controls and movement (5 comments): "it had some surprisingly intensive dexterity requirements in sections of the game that make it impossible to progress without looking up spoilers" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46805944)) "The game still punishes you even if you try to feather the inputs with brief taps." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46820081)) "The movement mechanics are a sign of lack of respect for the player." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46813224)) - Story unclear or uncaptivating (4 comments): "didn't see whatever it is that people love about the story, and the game loop made me quit" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46804672)) "that was a bit unfortunate, because all the end-of-game exposition mostly confused me!" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47455065)) "I concluded I could not have completed the game at all without being nearly told." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46811151)) - Spoilers needed to progress (2 comments): "it had some surprisingly intensive dexterity requirements in sections of the game that make it impossible to progress without looking up spoilers" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46805944)) "I concluded I could not have completed the game at all without being nearly told." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46811151)) - Gameplay loop feels tedious (2 comments): "didn't see whatever it is that people love about the story, and the game loop made me quit" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46804672)) "didn't like the gameplay loop" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46805670)) ## Alternatives hackers recommend - [enclose.horse](https://hackerapproved.com/p/enclose-horse.md): 64 recommend - [The Witness](https://hackerapproved.com/p/witness.md): 60 recommend - [Braid](https://hackerapproved.com/p/braid.md): 36 recommend - [Blue Prince](https://hackerapproved.com/p/blue-prince.md): 30 recommend - [Baba Is You](https://hackerapproved.com/p/baba-is-you.md): 25 recommend ## Where to get it - [Visit the official site](https://www.outerwilds.com/) ## Cite as Hacker Approved, "Outer Wilds", https://hackerapproved.com/p/outer-wilds/ (counts from 1,795,640 Hacker News comments, November 2025 to November 2026).