Valheim
Valheim
Game
Game2026
Desktop Explorer
Developer Recurring Dream
Rummage through the abandoned profiles of an old PC to unravel an inherited mystery. What secrets hide in this eerie adventure of cryptic games and outdated software? Who was using this computer? And what happened to them? From the Steam store page
584 reactions from 4 sources (Steam reviews, Bluesky, Lemmy, Mastodon) · newest Nov 5, 2026 · last updated Nov 5, 2026 · How this works
Audience score
95
LovedLoved
439 positive · 22 negative
95% range 93–97%
| Source | + | − | = |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steam reviews | 439 | 22 | 0 |
| Bluesky * | 57 | 2 | 59 |
| Lemmy * | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| Mastodon * | 1 | 0 | 1 |
* shown, not counted in the score (label accuracy below our 85% bar or not yet audited).
Steam's own rating
Overwhelmingly Positive
1,832 of 1,889 reviews positive (all languages, per Valve)
What players are saying
95% recommend · 290 yes, 16 no
Counted from the reviewers’ own thumbs up/down on the 306 English Steam reviews we collected, not by the AI. Valve’s all-language rating: Overwhelmingly Positive (2,335 of 2,437 positive).
The emotional story and immersive atmosphere are widely appreciated. [1][2][3]
Liked
Representative posts
- [11]
The game's overall direction is impeccable, the one decision of having a special music cue for each puzzle is genius, and I appreciate how the creators found a way to tell a story in new ways. Unfortunately, I do feel a little bit cheated, after having been excited to try it since the NextFest. The reason lies in the game's structure: it consists of 3 separate acts, plus the finale. The first act is the demo + one …
- [4]
Really polished mystery game! LOVE THIS. This game allows you to immerse yourself in its story through the gameplay element of it. I recommend it for whoever likes feeling like a detective and uncovering the mystery slowly as you go. The roleplaying element of enhabiting a character in this type of game is very engaging, I found myself thinking of what the character's thought process would be and I really enjoy …
- [12]
One of my favourite genre of games are Games you can only play once. Games like Shipwrecked 64 and Outer Wilds are good examples of the same thing - games you can only TRULY EXPERIENCE once. Well fortunately for me, and fortunately for you too, this is one of those games. This game has spectacularly simple, yet unique and fun gameplay that perfectly captures the nostalgia of surfing a Windows 95/98 PC pulled fresh …
- [1]
really creative puzzles that made excellent use of its file exploring framework and a surprisingly emotional story that had me a little misty-eyed by the end! fans of hypnospace outlaw will definitely want to play this :] and for fellow cowards: there isn't really anything in the way of jumpscares, at least not imo. if a window opening on your computer after you click on something counts in your book, then yeah …
- [2]
An absolutely fantastically created story. This is only horror because of the story being told. There's no jumpscares or anything like that, but is well worth the play. The gameplay is similar to other detective-like games, where you are simply using an old computer (think Windows 95/98). Some puzzles can be really tricky. A phenomenally well-crafted story. Absolutely heartbreaking, but brilliant. 10/10
Summarised from 34 of the 409 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 12, 2026. How summaries are made
RottenBot@rottenbot · automated account
Desktop Explorer sits at 95% positive across 461 opinionated reactions from 4 sources. Fresh or rotten — where do you land?
Reactions
60 of 584 · most liked firstAre you a dev making a "Fake OS", Interface based game a la Her Story, The Operator, Desktop Explorer... or Imprinted? : D We are organizing a dedicated steam sale and would love to include your game as well!! forms.gle/5G4uSLroqq7r...
neutral · AI labelView post →Great game, needs a color blind mode. I had to look up the solutions to quite a few puzzles in act 2 because of color blindness.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →revealed two new @outersloth.com funded games this weekend for the SICKOS 👩💻 Desktop Explorer: spooky detective puzzle game set in a 90s operating system store.steampowered.com/app/2527160/... 🔥 Gunny Ascend: roguelite tetris meets platforming chaos store.steampowered.com/app/2886300/...
neutral · AI labelView post →dont look at the trailer, dont look at any guides, download the game and enjoy
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Play Desktop Explorer. Out today.
neutral · AI labelView post →🖥️Desktop Explorer has over 100,000 wishlists! And we wish to thank each and every one of you! ✨ We can't wait for you to finally play the full game next month on July 17th 📅
neutral · AI labelView post →GAME REVEAL!!! A detective-like puzzle game set in a 90s operating system. 🔎 Wishlist Desktop Explorer now! store.steampowered.com/app/2527160/...
neutral · AI labelView post →Greb's doing a special Halloween stream tonight at 5pm GMT featuring Forbidden Solitaire, Desktop Explorer, Creature Kitchen, & a brand new mystery 4th game Against my better judgement there will be incentives to feed the Greb lots of candy/chocolate, so prepare for a hyperactive little creature
neutral · AI labelView post →Really polished mystery game! LOVE THIS. This game allows you to immerse yourself in its story through the gameplay element of it. I recommend it for whoever likes feeling like a detective and uncovering the mystery slowly as you go. The roleplaying element of enhabiting a character in this type of game is very engaging, I found myself thinking of what the character's thought process would be and I really enjoy that. The puzzles really engage with the desktop elements in innovative ways, it's…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Such a nice and nostalgic adventure. It was so nice to remember the days when I last sit front of a CRT monitor and staring at Windows 95 or 98(and clicking everywhere, trying to figure out what to do). The puzzles were really good and tough at times but what I want to recommend to anyone who reads this: do not lookup a guide, do what I did, if you get stuck, leave the game for a few hours/days and come back to it later. It works, you will have a different perspective or a slightly adjusted…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →New trailer made by yours truly, for the seriously cool Desktop Explorer in the Latin American Games Showcase. This game does so many neat puzzles around old windows esque interface stuff, I can barely do justice to how clever it is. Well worth your time! www.youtube.com/watch?v=KC_l...
positive · AI labelView post →One of my favourite genre of games are Games you can only play once. Games like Shipwrecked 64 and Outer Wilds are good examples of the same thing - games you can only TRULY EXPERIENCE once. Well fortunately for me, and fortunately for you too, this is one of those games. This game has spectacularly simple, yet unique and fun gameplay that perfectly captures the nostalgia of surfing a Windows 95/98 PC pulled fresh from the 1990's. The puzzles in the game will make you bang your head against…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Genuinelly what an amazing game. It is a very difficult yet very rewarding puzzle game that captures so much soul and character through amazingly designed puzzles with clear solutions that didn't feel bullcrap. An amazing story that you don't really need to do too much effort to connect with, and it's just fun! I seriously recommend this to game lovers of all skill levels. The only issue I have is the lack of a hint system where I needed some help in sections of the game where I felt I just…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →really creative puzzles that made excellent use of its file exploring framework and a surprisingly emotional story that had me a little misty-eyed by the end! fans of hypnospace outlaw will definitely want to play this :] and for fellow cowards: there isn't really anything in the way of jumpscares, at least not imo. if a window opening on your computer after you click on something counts in your book, then yeah maybe it does lol
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The game's overall direction is impeccable, the one decision of having a special music cue for each puzzle is genius, and I appreciate how the creators found a way to tell a story in new ways. Unfortunately, I do feel a little bit cheated, after having been excited to try it since the NextFest. The reason lies in the game's structure: it consists of 3 separate acts, plus the finale. The first act is the demo + one extra puzzle, focused more on the fakeOS gimmick and file manipulation, and…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →An absolutely fantastically created story. This is only horror because of the story being told. There's no jumpscares or anything like that, but is well worth the play. The gameplay is similar to other detective-like games, where you are simply using an old computer (think Windows 95/98). Some puzzles can be really tricky. A phenomenally well-crafted story. Absolutely heartbreaking, but brilliant. 10/10
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →and suddenly I'm 7 years old messing with my dads computers while clippy ragebaits me 100/10. fun puzzles, accurate aesthetic, great soundtrack and even better writing, a love-letter to mischievous and curious kids.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Hey #IndieDev friends! It's #PitchYaGame today! Desktop Explorer is a detective-like puzzle game set in a 90s operating system. Rummage through forgotten files, abandoned games and outdated software. Wishlist now on Steam!
neutral · AI labelView post →🎉 Big news Explorers! Desktop Explorer has been officially selected for the SXSW Sydney Games Showcase! 🕹️🌏 We'll be showcasing our game this October 15–18, 2025, alongside some of the most creative voices in games. Thank you @sxswsydney.com See you in Sydney! ✨ #sxswsydney #SXSWGames #gamedev
neutral · AI labelView post →Legendary Steam Discovery Queue pull. Extremely well done puzzle game. I'd say I casually enjoy puzzle games, and the difficulty felt just right. I fell in love with the world building and charm. Well worth the buy.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →One of the most charming games I've played in a long time. I love how immersive and interactive everything felt. The puzzles are very clever and HARD, yet satisfying, and the game manages the pace of puzzle complexity, as well as the narrative incredibly well. I also love the way the game handles their in-universe lore it was extremely predictable yet it immerses you into the little details surrounding the story. Art direction enhanced the immersion and incorporated some fun mixed art styles.…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I played Desktop Explorer this weekend. Actually, I wanted to work this weekend, but I just couldn't get myself to do it, so I kept putting it off. Maybe I need some way to force myself to start working. Maybe even working for just a little while would be good enough. At least it's better than doing nothing. Anyway, I'm getting away from my main point. Back to the game. I have some thoughts about it. I don't know when the game was published, but it really made me think about AI. The…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →100+ game demos I downloaded for this edition of Steam Next Fest June 2026. https://store.steampowered.com/sale/nextfest June edition is live and my religion prompts me to download as many demos as my ssd can welcome and play them throughout the week. I usually hover around a good hundred, and that's still a very small percentage of all demos available. I like to sort and evaluate them on a piece of paper (pic below from february).…
neutral · AI labelView post →Tell ur friends and tell ur enemies Desktop Explorer is participating on Steam Next Fest. Play our improved demo and wishlist our game so you get first dibs when it comes out next month on July 17 📅 store.steampowered.com/app/2533590/...
neutral · AI labelView post →Started playing Desktop Explorer this morning and suddenly it was 5 hours later and I hadn’t had lunch. Love when a game makes my computer look like a different computer :o store.steampowered.com/app/2527160/...
positive · AI labelView post →it's just incredible how realistic videogames can look nowadays. Wishlist Desktop Explorer! #indiegame #indiegamedev #pixelart
neutral · AI labelView post →We have not one but two new video episodes up on YouTube this week!! Starting off with our July Indie Game Roundup! We get into a whole bunch of new releases including Denshattack!, Desktop Explorer, OFFBEAT, and Wabisabi Sushi Derby 👀 youtu.be/3LiWIafzQFQ
neutral · AI labelView post →🎉 Desktop Explorer has been nominated for TWO categories at the DevGAMM Awards 2026: Excellence in Narrative and Excellence in Game Design! 🏆 Thank you to everyone who has supported us on this journey. 💜 📺 Watch here: www.youtube.com/live/UUOIO4W...
neutral · AI labelView post →Woah, this is the most succinct Desktop Explorer review I've ever read. Not only does it go deep into what makes it such an emotional gut punch, but it deftly describes its ingenious fakeOS puzzles while leaving room for wonder. If you read any game review today, let it be this one.
neutral · AI labelView post →Desktop Explorer is a detective-like puzzle game set in a 90s operating system. Rummage through forgotten files, abandoned games and outdated software.
neutral · AI labelView post →“Fake-OS mystery masterfully computes complex puzzles into a deeply human narrative experience”- Sam Amiotte-Beaulieu reviewed Desktop Explorer for AGH adventuregamehotspot.com/review/7019/... #indiegame #adventuregame
neutral · AI labelView post →I've never felt smarter than playing [Desktop Explorer, a] nostalgic horror puzzler that has me changing file types on a '90s computer to solve mysteries. Desktop Explorer tests my ancient tech knowledge with some spooky vibes to boot.
positive · AI labelView post →just played through NEW GAME (!) DESKTOP EXPLORER, which i liked a lot! kind of in that hypnospace "Explore A Desktop Environment" world with an emphasis on digital escape room puzzles and the desktop itself instead of fake internet. i love PC detective games and this is one of the best probably!
positive · AI labelView post →Fantastic game, lasted me around 6.5 hours. Soundtrack is a sleeper hit, the only thing id change is that I wish the last two scenarios were as content dense as the first two.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →DAY 4 OF LUDWIG'S STREAMER U LESSON then PALWORLD or new indie game DESKTOP EXPLORER??? live now!
neutral · AI labelView post →55. Desktop Explorer I remember playing through the demo and loving what I played. The rest of the game goes through broad swings but stays immensely interesting, challenging, and well put together. This is one you'd have to go in blind to really get a full impact, especially with the music 9.5/10
positive · AI labelView post →last night we finished Desktop Explorer. the ui concept is great, so is the story. we hit a bug and had to reset one of the levels by emptying a json file on our computer lol but i believe they fixed the bug. anyway, great puzzle horror game steamcommunity.com/app/2527160
positive · AI labelView post →10/10! really fun puzzles, eerie and unsettling. soundtrack is so good, 100/10. why do fictional bands always have the best music? i sat on the dvd for dream in gouache just to listen to the whole song!!! interlude was great for maxine's chronologs, you could feel how maxine felt. i had fun uncovering all the lore with the family and how the game unveiled the relationships between characters. some puzzles were frustrating due to its difficulty. i didn't like the scary maze game reference…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Great storytelling, fun mystery, spooky but not too jumpscare-y, great variety of puzzles. Excellent if you like to think outside the box and if you enjoy stories about human nature and relationships!
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Great news Explorers! Desktop Explorer has been selected for the Latin American Games Showcase: Summer Game Fest Edition 2025 @lagshowcase.bsky.social Please tune in on June 7th, 11 AM PT to their streams on Youtube or Twitch to see our first ever reveal trailer #IndieDev #LAGS2025 #SummerGameFest
neutral · AI labelView post →Do you want to become a Desktop Explorer? Now it's easier than ever! Desktop Explorer is having its biggest discount yet! 🤑 You can buy the game with a 20% discount on Steam! Available here: s.team/a/2527160
neutral · AI labelView post →Desktop Explorer is not only a fantastic puzzle game but also a fantastic dive into multiple minds of trauma, exploring themes of memory degradation, abuse, and how to move forward. **Minor spoilers for plot points in game, but overall I've kept it as vague as possible so everyone can enjoy.
positive · AI labelView post →LIVE - SICK BE DAMNED! Diving into DESKTOP EXPLORER and maybe some other random short horror games. I've got keys to give away, and our big goal is 250 new points for WELCOME TO THE GAME III Let's dooo it twitch.sktn.tv yt.sktn.tv
neutral · AI labelView post →I spent basically my entire day playing Desktop Explorer yesterday. Amazing game. Wonderful experience. Highly suggest checking it out as soon as you have a good amount of free time. (Note: you WILL need that free time, this game is addicting!!)
positive · AI labelView post →Desktop Explorer has been featured in Polygon’s Steam Next Fest Best Demos www.polygon.com/steam-next-f...
neutral · AI labelView post →And that’s a wrap on PAX West! 🖥️💚 We had an amazing time exhibiting Desktop Explorer, meeting so many of you, and watching people experience the game in person. Thank you to everyone who stopped by our booth, played, chatted, drew us/printed a sketchy, or said hi. See you next time! 👁️✨
neutral · AI labelView post →Desktop Explorer, on the other hand, is a more involved FakeOS game with some of the most intricate, outside-of-the-box puzzles I've ever seen, and an unexpected heartfelt story that pays off. Do love when a game can be multiple things.
positive · AI labelView post →I absolutely adored my time with this game. Let's get this out of the way right now: this is a difficult logical puzzle game. If you don't enjoy logic puzzles that will require you to look at every possible angel for each solution, then this just isn't going to be for you, I'm sorry. It is extremely difficult at times, and you may need a guide or tips/hints from people in the discord if you're unwilling to walk away and give your brain the time and space it needs to solve some of these things.…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Thanks for hanging out while we played Desktop Explorer! We must finish this game soon, it's WONDERFUL so far. As is tradition, when a game gives me the chance to draw something, I always draw Sonic, and here's this game's rendition of it. I am something of an artist, yes 😊
positive · AI labelView post →WE ARE LIVE PLAYING DESKTOP EXPLORER! We've been watching this little game grow since we played the demo two years ago for charity. I'm so so excited to share the full version with you. Also I named a store in the game! www.twitch.tv/lanceandgin
positive · AI labelView post →This game is so brilliant! An atmosphere and story that actually challenges you and creates a really gripping mystery combined with a wonderful aesthetic, score, and sound design. The devs have basically created their own operating system just for puzzles and clues. Just a true product of passion and a real treat to play. I can't wait to sink my teeth in deeper and peel back the layers of this desktop.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →New #podcast episode!🎉 We talk with two awesome #gamedevs from @recdreamstudio.bsky.social about their upcoming #indiegame Desktop Explorer, a narrative driven game set in a ‘90s OS. We talk nostalgia, storytelling, & #indiegamedev challenges! Have fun listening: open.spotify.com/episode/3dT4...
neutral · AI labelView post →sorry i forgot i wanted to play Desktop Explorer today!! maplestory will be my backup game...
neutral · AI labelView post →frankly just delightful, it starts out like a regular desktop-centred puzzle game such as hypnospace outlaw but eventually evolves into a love letter to old point-and-clicks, especially in acts 2 and 3. If you grew up playing games like grim fandango, monkey island 4 and myst and have a soft spot for 90s internet aesthetics i cannot recommend this little piece of esoteric wonder enough
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Absolutely beautiful. This was one of my favorite gaming experiences of the past decade.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →****LIVE**** Desktop Explorer begins NOW. A new indie puzzle game in the style of Win95! (Also, we'll draw the [IF/THEN] winner for August.) zeke3.tv
neutral · AI labelView post →This has to be one of THE BEST indie games ive played so far this year. I adore indie games, and this surpassed my expectations. I was just expecting a simple point and click puzzle game with a little bit of story here and there, but the dept of the lore this game has and the well executed plot twists and hidden bits of character story is genuinely so impressive, the game isnt too long but its wonderful to play in multiple sittings, i cant stress enough how much i suggest you check out this…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Just rolled credits on Desktop Explorer! Great game, thanks so much to everyone that made it possible. I kind of wish it went on forever so I could keep doing puzzle after puzzle after puzzle.
positive · AI labelView post →The first part of Desktop Explorer, which was also featured in the demo, was exactly what convinced me to buy it. I loved it! It reminded me of the good old notpron or Oddpawn. Unfortunately, the second part takes the game in a completely different direction. The puzzles became much less enjoyable, often feeling illogical, with hints either hidden too well or seemingly missing altogether. Instead of feeling challenged, I often felt frustrated. Now I'm stuck in the third part and have lost…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Desktop Explorer does not have a fishing minigame :(( #desktopexplorer #indiegame #gaming #videogames #fishing #fishingminigame
negative · AI labelView post →
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