Purpose 1951
Purpose 1951
Game
Game2022
Ctrl Alt Ego
Developer MindThunk
Innovative genre mashup (first-person immersive sim puzzler FPS RPG) with emphasis on problem-solving and creativity. Unique vibes and original mechanics that you won't have experienced before. One of the best games of 2022 according to various credible sources! From the Steam store page
242 reactions from 4 sources (Steam reviews, Bluesky, Lemmy, Mastodon) · newest Nov 2, 2026 · last updated Nov 5, 2026 · How this works
Audience score
83
LovedLoved
156 positive · 32 negative
95% range 77–88%
| Source | + | − | = |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steam reviews | 156 | 32 | 0 |
| Bluesky * | 21 | 1 | 19 |
| Lemmy * | 4 | 0 | 5 |
| Mastodon * | 1 | 0 | 3 |
* shown, not counted in the score (label accuracy below our 85% bar or not yet audited).
Steam's own rating
Very Positive
648 of 702 reviews positive (all languages, per Valve)
What players are saying
83% recommend · 154 yes, 31 no
Counted from the reviewers’ own thumbs up/down on the 185 English Steam reviews we collected, not by the AI. Valve’s all-language rating: Very Positive (743 of 808 positive).
Players widely praise Ctrl Alt Ego as a standout immersive sim with creative freedom. [1][2][3] Some find it more of a puzzle game than an immersive sim, with a slow start. [4][5][6] A few reviewers criticize the save system and risk of softlocking. [5][7]
Liked
Representative posts
- [5]
Ctrl Alt Ego suffers from being marketed as an immersive sim instead of a puzzle game. While it is true that the game is a physics sandbox, and you have access to several different tools and strategies that can help you pass each level, what it's missing is a sense that you're actually part of a deep and interesting world that exists in its own right. I spent 12 hours painstakingly getting to level 4 before noticing …
- [1]
Ctrl Alt Ego: My Full Review Normally I don't go this hard when reviewing something but this game deserves it. In short, this is one of the best immersive sims I have ever played, going up against Prey and even Cruelty Squad. And that's for a number of different reasons. This is probably my longest and more organised review I've written for a game but I wouldn't do this if I didn't feel like it deserves it. 1. The …
- [2]
One of the best Immersive sims I have ever played, so many emergent ways to solve problems. If you like Deus Ex or Prey 2017, play this. I just did a play through of prey and wanted to keep scratching that itch. This was maybe even a better experience. Give the Devs your money. I don't review anything but this game is criminally underrated, or at least not popular enough.
- [12]
I’ve owned Steam since about 2007 and this is my first review ever, that’s just how much I liked this game. I’ll keep this brief but Ctrl Alt Ego is incredible. Fun, funny, creative. I LOVE the no fail state design, which kept me from save scumming like I do in a lot of other Imm Sims. Anyone who is a fan of the genre needs to play this gem. Can’t wait for the sequel.
- [3]
One of the best and most creative immersive sims I have ever played. Every level seems to get more complicated and larger than the one before, which in an immersive sim is a great time! The game's openness to multiple solutions (while never making it too obvious what said solutions are - the obvious solutions tend to be the most risky or resource-intensive ones, as you might expect) means there are many different …
Summarised from 34 of the 239 public posts collected about this game; every point cites the posts behind it ([n] opens the post) and the split is counted from the posts’ own ratings. Updated Oct 13, 2026. How summaries are made
RottenBot@rottenbot · automated account
Players who liked Ctrl Alt Ego talk about excellent emergent gameplay and multiple solutions; those who didn't talk about slow start and linear early chapters. Which matters more to you?
Reactions
60 of 242 · most liked firstCtrl Alt Ego is another super fascinating game where you play as a disembodied consciousness that can possess all manner of electronics, very fascinating game.
positive · AI labelView post →Ctrl Alt Ego suffers from being marketed as an immersive sim instead of a puzzle game. While it is true that the game is a physics sandbox, and you have access to several different tools and strategies that can help you pass each level, what it's missing is a sense that you're actually part of a deep and interesting world that exists in its own right. I spent 12 hours painstakingly getting to level 4 before noticing that I wasn't really having any fun. It needs to be said up-front that this…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Peripeteia just launched into Early Access and Ctrl Alt Ego just became a cool game by association
neutral · AI labelView post →A really good indie one is Ctrl Alt Ego, which has SO many ways to solve problems. And also a huge achievement list for doing absolutely unhinged stuff. You can apparently complete the whole game without even unlocking the jump button. The developer tested some absolute pervert stuff.
positive · AI labelView post →Random recording of Ctrl Alt Ego shotgun action just to remind people the game exists. Working on the sequel and not ready to show yet, which is why I've been quiet lately.
neutral · AI labelView post →So first off, it is not am immersive sim. An immersive sim is meant to immerse you into the environment through having sensible game mechanics that you can use and abuse. So for example, there are hostile bots right? Well these hostile bots can be distracted, and you can hack into little walkmans. What would the sensible game design be? To turn the walkmans on, creating noise through music that would cause them to fixate on the object (and perhaps turn it off) allowing you to slip pass. Is this…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →As a lover of Immersive Sims I genuinely thought I would like this game with how much it boasts about being one, but having given it a try it is just WAY too easy to softlock yourself. Everything you do requires Ego, you can't progress the game without it. But when Ego is both the currency you spend to respawn/refuel/heal AND the currency you need to open doors and progress the game, you will run into situations where you have a string of bad luck, respawn and heal up, then suddenly don't…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →While the genre definition of Immersive Sim is vague, i wouldn't consider this an Immersive Sim. It's closer to an Escape Room/Puzzle Game. The main mechanic didn't really click with me. The store page advertises this game with Deus Ex and System Shock. If you buy this looking for a game like that you will probably be disappointed just like i was. Expect something more along the lines of Portal, Quantum Conundrum or C.U.B.E. Hopefully the Messiah-like main mechanic will draw you in more than me.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I had high hopes for this one. But it ended up being an aggravating excercise in tedium. First of all, this game is only an immersive sim, if having multiple options to solve a problem is all this is to you. To me, an immersive sim uses its capabilities for emergent gameplay and high environmental interactivity to make the world you move in feel more real. You don't get that here. In fact, the level design in this is just that: level design, designed to guide you from one puzzle set piece to…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →To echo what others have said: this is not an immersive sim. While it does have that unprecedented level of freedom in how to solve your problems, the game is, fundamentally, a puzzle game. There really isn't much of an outside world to be "immersed" in, just a series of open-ended puzzles. Calling this an im-sim does sort of misunderstand or undersell what that genre is. So how does it play as a puzzle game? Well, your mileage may vary - the aggregate rating clearly suggests plenty of…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I’ve started my Ctrl Alt Ego replay since yesterday. I still bloody love this game. This strict difficulty + no powers run is going to be awesome.
positive · AI labelView post →I wish I could give it a meh. But since it's so hyped, I have to give it a no and say it's not terrible, but for all the praise it gets, I found my time with it to be like this: First attempt at playing it: What the hell is this and why are the physics awful. Second attempt: OK I think I understand, and I can make the physics less annoying by at least lessening how they affect the camera. It was enjoyable for a while, but I would not call it an immersive sim, as it is an open ended puzzle…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Fredo's Game-Os: I've been spending some time with CTRL ALT EGO lately, an indie immersive sim from 2022. This one is kind of a sleeper hit, made a lot of "hidden gem" lists and seems highly regarded by your "in the know" types. Spoiler alert: It is really good!
positive · AI labelView post →If Conscious Robot Services haven't yet stuffed your post-matter sentience into Ctrl Alt Ego - the video game you were making when you still had flesh - you can now do it on the cheap: Ctrl Alt Ego is 55% off in the Steam Summer Sale.
neutral · AI labelView post →I have just finished chapter 4 out of 8, and I think I might be tapping out, but I think the game is ultimately not to blame, it might just not be for me. One of my favorite games was Murdered: Soul Suspect, and I saw the gameplay loop of being an ego without a body as being somewhat similar to the loop of possessing people in order to complete tasks. However, while that game featured occasional out-of-body moments, this game runs on that as the sole feature, which might just not be for me.…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I like how Corpus Edax has this in the Main menu with Indie Revolution showcasing indie immersive sims that are available or under development, and even has a small bug robot from Ctrl Alt Ego in game promoting it, this is great!
neutral · AI labelView post →Ctrl Alt Ego: My Full Review Normally I don't go this hard when reviewing something but this game deserves it. In short, this is one of the best immersive sims I have ever played, going up against Prey and even Cruelty Squad. And that's for a number of different reasons. This is probably my longest and more organised review I've written for a game but I wouldn't do this if I didn't feel like it deserves it. 1. The Premise Is Amazing Essentially, the main idea of the game is that humanity…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Dear Patient Gamers, Ctrl Alt Ego is 50% off on Steam, largest discount since launch. It's a game about being stuck inside a video game... where you were the programmer. It's a bit of a mind-thunk.
neutral · AI labelView post →A thumbs up is not a recommendation to you, but a 'like' to the developer. The game has NOTHING but im.sim mechanics. Nonetheless, the chapter 7 (Conscious Robot Services) is WORTH completing the first 6, it's really good. (Severe difficulty; no leveling - aeronautics only; unidentified play) Gameplay: combat mechanics 3/10 stealth 6/10 atmosphere: "funky simulation" Gameplay as im.sim (mechanics only): 10/10 Lore and setting 5/10 <Story> Plot and characters/semiotics 4/10…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I would like to start out by saying that I love Immersive Sims. I really wanted to enjoy this game... But I just find that the controls are janky. Not only that but I don't find the humor compelling or charming enough to compel me into the story. I don't care about the tasks that I'm supposed to complete. Although there are some Immersive Sim elements to this game... Sort of... I don't actually think it's an Immersive Sim. It's not on the level of System Shock, Deus Ex, or any other Immersive…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Puzzle adventure game Ctrl Alt Ego coming to PS5, Xbox Series on September 24 www.gematsu.com/2024/09/puzz...
neutral · AI labelView post →I tried this game on the basis that many people recommended it because it is apparently such a good immersive sim. However this is not the case its more like a clunky restrictive puzzle game that has some immersive sim elements glued on to it. The story didnt entice me to go further its just boring and unfunny.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →So I started playing CTRL ALT EGO, which so far is a pretty fun puzzle/immersive sim game, which I also /might/ be a little bit too dumb for. Regardless of my intelligence, I noticed that the game's achievements are presumably all just pictures of the developers cat so it's a 10/10 anyways.
positive · AI labelView post →My recommendation. Best indie game gem of all time: CTRL ALT EGO by @mindthunk.bsky.social
positive · AI labelView post →Superb Immersive Sim But it takes some time to get going... For the first few hours of Ctrl Alt Ego, I thought the game was wildly overrated by the immersive sim (Deus Ex, System Shock, Dishonored, etc.) community. The core conceit of being a disembodied consciousness and jumping between different robots, objects, and the like was cool, but the game was highly linear. It felt much more like a puzzle game than an immersive sim, reminding me more of The Talos Principle than System Shock. Which…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →A super slept on game that’s genuinely really good: Ctrl Alt Ego! Not enough people have played this. If you enjoy immersive sims it's a very easy rec. It's a bit Prey, a bit Portal, and a bit, well, you really need to go check it out and see! store.steampowered.com/app/1571940/...
positive · AI labelView post →As an immersive sim fan, I really wanted to like this game more, but I feel like I was kinda forcing my way through it and ended up getting distracted a lot. The amount of hours I have in it is misleading since I spent a fair amount of it doing other stuff on my PC with the game on the background. I think a part of that can be attributed to social media degrading my attention span, but I also feel like the game just wasn't all that fun for me. I actually still haven't even finished it and I'm…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →One of the best Immersive sims I have ever played, so many emergent ways to solve problems. If you like Deus Ex or Prey 2017, play this. I just did a play through of prey and wanted to keep scratching that itch. This was maybe even a better experience. Give the Devs your money. I don't review anything but this game is criminally underrated, or at least not popular enough.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →A very good imsim with a focus on puzzle solving. The opening is rough and it's easy to bounce off of it, but stick with it and very soon the controls/mechanics start coming together. I really enjoyed a "stealth grenadier" playstyle, loudly killing every enemy I could find without ever being noticed. It's a fun time.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Bought this game because i though it is going to be an immersive sim, like Deus Ex, Prey, Thief. But instead i got puzzle simulator with boring setting and levels. Stop calling every game that has physics with a small variation of how you can finish levels IMSIM, it's misleading.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →RETURN OF THE IMMERSIVE SIM - thru 11.25 System Shock 2 @nightdivestudios.bsky.social Shadows of Doubt @colepowered.bsky.social @fireshinegames.bsky.social Fallen Aces @newblood.games Blood West @hyperstrangesa.bsky.social Peripeteia @90sgraphics.bsky.social Ctrl Alt Ego @mindthunk.bsky.social
neutral · AI labelView post →she criticizes me for being egocentric
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →"I have a hammer and every problem is a nail" except I have explosives and every problem is bombable. 10 / 10
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →It has a lot of fresh ideas and neat aspects, but overall the game is very repetitive. The core gameplay concept is very solid, but there isn't enough diversity of enemies and ways to interact with the world. There's also still a lot of jankiness with the animations and weird clipping, it's hard not to notice. Combat doesn't feel impactful or satisfying. Compared to other indies I feel like the art style is also extremely boring. However, the level design is pretty good. Feels like the devs…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →A game that will *hopefully* be looked back at as genre defining.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Whilst it can be janky and frustrating at times, its still pretty fun, interesting and unique. A lovely sandbox of possibilites to explore. I see some saying its not really an imsim. I kinda got that impression early on but it does eventually transform into something more in line with your imsim expectations. Its much more on the puzzle side of things than combat/stealth (which it does have as well tbf). So it helps if you also like games like Talos principle or Portal.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I agree with other reviewers that the game overstays it's welcome. I got bored of the primary possession mechanics. I also think the Immersive Sim has been boiled down and deconstructed too far, into something that only an academic could enjoy. Too much overthinking reduced it into a puzzle game. Because there is very spartan set dressing to the level's obstacles, the solutions your tools provide become obvious. Not that much room for deception and trickery. Nevertheless, the game has dork…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Oogh I just woke up sorry for late schedule MONDAY I wanna continue more of that Ctrl Alt Ego game! Tuesday if I do stream it'll be later in the day likely, Wednesday I'll be taking a break but you'll likely find me somewhere else later so stay tuned, and Thursday usual random whatever I feel like.
neutral · AI labelView post →In space, no one can hear you scream... But they can hear you solve puzzles in an immersive sim and puzzle based genre blend that is apparently really good. Join me at 12 noon Central on January 4th as I play Ctrl Alt Ego! Only at twitch.tv/gothycollie
neutral · AI labelView post →Has the foundation for a brilliant game, but is ruined by literally 1 bad mechanic that permeates throughout the entire game. The mechanic in question happens every time you possess an enemy (which you'll be doing frequently to solve puzzles), you can move for about 5 seconds before the surrounding enemies' bother meter fills up and you then have to stand still for another 5-ish seconds to wait for it to go down to zero. Sometimes the game gives you stealth options to avoid filling the bother…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →One of the best and most creative immersive sims I have ever played. Every level seems to get more complicated and larger than the one before, which in an immersive sim is a great time! The game's openness to multiple solutions (while never making it too obvious what said solutions are - the obvious solutions tend to be the most risky or resource-intensive ones, as you might expect) means there are many different possible playstyles, and the upgrades available certainly add to that as well. And…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Ctrl Alt Ego... this is the game that can show everybody how the immersive sim indie revolution is powerful, amazing systemic gameplay made with passion.
positive · AI labelView post →This game is what happens when you strip down the classic immersive sims to their core and build a game purely around that. The quintessential immersive sim.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Being a huge fan of the type of games now called "immersive sim", (since the days of Thief and System Shock 2 and even going back to Ultima Underworld), I got to say I am really glad I found Ctrl Alt Ego. While I wouldn't directly compare this game to any other in the genre, I will say that it definitely belongs to it. Sure, it's not a looker (though visuals do have consistent style, and that is sometimes more important) and sure, it has some problems with physics sometimes (some can be tuned…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This game is cool and scratches the immersive sim itch
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →like prey if they'd gone all in on the mimic stuff
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The physics can be a bit goofy and I'm sure the POV will make some people sick but the freedom Ctrl Alt Ego allows the player to solve each obstacle is as refreshing as it is satisfying.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →An immersive sim where you can pick "vacuum cleaner" as your very first skill. Super funny. And super good.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Fredo's Game-Os update: I just rolled credits on CTRL ALT EGO and it rocked, super cool experience overall. Wildly impressive for something by a team of 2 especially. If you're a fan of the stuff in my quoted post here I would definitely recommend checking it out
positive · AI labelView post →It gimmie the immie simmies. A new entry in the 0451 Hall of Fame! Unlike some other reviews my favorite part of the game was The Cloud at the end, the ability to go into open space was beyond fun. Overall great game, great story, it's sorely overlooked.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →To me, [Ctrl Alt Ego](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1571940/Ctrl_Alt_Ego/) is not well known enough. It is an immersive sim in the style of Prey. You play as a robot roaming a station, where your Ego (like a spirit) can pass into and control all sorts of objects to solve puzzles, evade, control or kill enemies. The graphics aren't impressive (it was made by a 2-person team) but the gameplay is so interesting and the story is surprisingly compelling and funny!
positive · AI labelView post →I’ve owned Steam since about 2007 and this is my first review ever, that’s just how much I liked this game. I’ll keep this brief but Ctrl Alt Ego is incredible. Fun, funny, creative. I LOVE the no fail state design, which kept me from save scumming like I do in a lot of other Imm Sims. Anyone who is a fan of the genre needs to play this gem. Can’t wait for the sequel.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →It's a fun game that's worth checking out but begins to overstay it's welcome a bit by the 8th chapter.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Ctrl Alt Ego, developed and published by MindThunk, stands out as one of the most unconventional immersive sims in recent years, built around a concept that immediately reshapes player expectations. Instead of controlling a physical protagonist, you exist as a form of digital consciousness capable of transferring into and out of machines scattered across a mysterious space facility. This simple but radical idea transforms nearly every aspect of gameplay, turning movement, interaction, and even…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Ctrl Alt Ego on Steam and other stores. Innovative genre mashup (first-person immersive sim puzzler FPS RPG) with emphasis on problem-solving and creativity. Unique vibes and original mechanics that you won't have experienced before. One of the best games of 2022 according to various credible sources! [GOG](https://www.gog.com/en/game/ctrl_alt_ego) [Xbox](https://www.xbox.com/en-us/games/store/ctrl-alt-ego/9nw8qgbqh7jm)
neutral · AI labelView post →Im always thinking about this game(just thought about it). Havent played it in years but felt the need to write a review. Wassup bro? What you up to? Hey mr game maker you know whats up. You dont need charlatan wonder to make immsim videos. You got the power. Now kid, what do you say we blow this popsicle stand and make another game where metal gear meets immsim meets dmc3 meets resident evil 1 meets meats meat boy meets system shock meets marathon (original) meets vanquish(platinum games)? Me…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Loving this game! Feels like the video game equivalent of classic cyberpunk novels like Neuromancer. Hop between nodes and bypass security, etc
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This is a great little immersive sim. It doesn't do anything too crazy, but it is consistently fun the whole way through. This game is very fun and I suggest it if you have even a passing interest in the genre. The main mechanic of controlling (ctrling) tech is well utilized. The game makes it seem like it's going to be disorienting but it's not really, I'm not sure where that came from. Any enemy costs ego to control, which you always have way more than you need, or are completely out of.…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →A truly phenomenal game. A physical exploration of the immersive sim genre like few others with a suitably philosophical sci-fi meditation on individuality to match. An absolute must-play for fans of the original Deus Ex, Thief, etc.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This list is just the games I play on the deck. 1. Pizza Tower 2. Portal 2 3. Noita 4. SM64, through Retrodeck 5. Ctrl Alt Ego 6. Doom (1993)
neutral · AI labelView post →
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