Stories Untold
Stories Untold
Game
Game2020
Observation
Developer Screen Burn
Observation is an adventure video game developed by No Code and published by Devolver Digital. The game, described as sci-fi thriller, puts the player in control of a space station AI in order to recover from the sudden, mysterious loss of its crew. Observation was released for Windows and PlayStation 4 on 21 May 2019 and for Xbox One on 25 June 2020. From Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)
277 reactions from 3 sources (Steam reviews, Bluesky, Mastodon) · newest Nov 5, 2026 · last updated Nov 5, 2026 · How this works
Audience score
75
LovedLoved
175 positive · 59 negative
95% range 69–80%
| Source | + | − | = |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steam reviews | 175 | 59 | 0 |
| Bluesky * | 9 | 2 | 31 |
| Mastodon * | 0 | 0 | 1 |
* shown, not counted in the score (label accuracy below our 85% bar or not yet audited).
Steam's own rating
Mostly Positive
2,289 of 2,922 reviews positive (all languages, per Valve)
What players are saying
77% recommend · 161 yes, 47 no
Counted from the reviewers’ own thumbs up/down on the 208 English Steam reviews we collected, not by the AI. Valve’s all-language rating: Mostly Positive (4,125 of 5,270 positive).
Players praise the unique concept of controlling a spaceship AI and the gripping sci-fi story. [1][2][3] Some reviewers find the gameplay repetitive, with clunky controls and confusing puzzles. [4][5][6] Technical issues like bugs and softlocks frustrate several players. [7][8][9]
Liked
Representative posts
- [8]
I am so pissed that I am litterally going to write my review right now, this game had SO MUCH and I mean ABSOLUTELY TOO MUCH potential to go that way. this game was so amazing at the start, I loved the systems, hell even till the end the minigames felt absolutly amazing, very analog and technical, its exactly what I wanted from this game but omg the story???? absolutely boofed, and the bugs are downright horendous, …
- [1]
A Sphere Odyssey Yeah look, not bad for what it was. + Cool conceit operating the entire game from the perspective of the on-board computer AI. + Graphics great, voice acting good enough, little bits of lore sprinkled throughout to find through hacking etc. Cool. - Story was a bit on the nose with some obvious twists + However, I found its last act tied things up quite nicely. Overall, B-. Not behd!
- [2]
If you can push through some slow and repetitive gameplay, Observation is absolutely worth it. The story is genuinely gripping and the kind that sticks with you long after the credits roll. It's a unique experience that you won't find anywhere else. The game puts you in a perspective you've never played from before, and it uses that concept in a really clever way. It's more of an interactive story than a traditional …
- [4]
Kinda torn on this one. The experience of playing as a ship AI is very unique and can probably only be done through the medium of video games, but the moment to moment gameplay became repetitive and pixel-hunty super quickly and navigating the ship and outer space with the sphere was especially disorienting especially when you don't have access to the map. The animations were also pretty jank in some sequences and …
- [3]
A great story reminiscent of the 2001/2010 movies. Fantastic visually and unique in gameplay style, I can't recommend this enough to sci-fi fans.
Summarised from 34 of the 238 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 10, 2026. How summaries are made
RottenBot@rottenbot · automated account
Players who liked Observation talk about unique perspective as a ship AI is immersive; those who didn't talk about gameplay can be slow and repetitive. Which matters more to you?
Critics, per Wikipedia
Observation received "generally favorable" reviews from critics, according to review aggregator website Metacritic. Destructoid called the game "expertly paced" but also complained of occasional hiccups when some of the puzzles became "a point-and-click-adventure-style wild goose chase." GameSpot praised the games visuals, saying "Observation absolutely nails its distinct lo-fi, sci-fi aesthetic," and concluding that it "is a wonderful example of how to do focused, self-contained science-fiction storytelling in a game." Several outlets praised the game's storytelling and plot, which was described as "gripping" by Game Informer and IGN, with PC Gamer stating "[it] kept me hooked from…
From the “Reception” section of Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Critic context only — not part of the audience score.
Reactions
60 of 277 · most liked firstTHREAD: Observation that I was discussing with some friends about the current gaming environment: It feels like a larger % of gamers have a mindset of "I'm not succeeding therefore there's something wrong with the game." in contrast to "The game is doing this, what it is expecting of me?"
neutral · AI labelView post →No shortage of holiday helpers as Saffron joins in. Observation: We need a new game plan. #cats #blueskycats #catsofbluesky
neutral · AI labelView post →We have to postpone playing ROUTINE because Julia is feeling under the weather so instead we're playing a chiller game... OBSERVATION DUTY 8! Tonight at 830 et! twitch.tv/secretsleepoversociety
neutral · AI labelView post →there's a game mechanic where you have to go into Observation Mode and collect details on scenes and objects and people. anyways it's very important to the plot that the protagonist crouches down and looks at her thigh
neutral · AI labelView post →Keeping up with script/translation changes is a fun game of its own, just like "I'm on Observation Duty" but with words and sentences #translation
neutral · AI labelView post →I am a huge fan of this developer’s previous game Observation, a 2001-style creepy sci-fi puzzle game. And I am pleased to see that this one doesn’t just look like it’s set in the East Neuk: it really is set there. Silent Hill: Fife.
positive · AI labelView post →HEY. YOU. MY BIRTHDAY IS JANUARY 11TH. MY STREAM IS GOING TO LOOK COMPLETELY DIFFERENT AND YOU SHOULD BE THERE! I'LL BE PLAYING EVERY SINGLE IM ON OBSERVATION DUTY GAME. WITH FRIENDS. (hopefully!)
neutral · AI labelView post →New Youtube video out now! This was my first time playing Observation Duty and it was a wild time LOL youtu.be/G6i32PhNdZk #vtuber #observationduty #horror #cartoon
neutral · AI labelView post →hey heyhey, goodies here! Physical things including Kanina Coasters, Moon Observation Deck tarot-size cards, and survivial horror card game Data or Dea†h! #indiedev #gamedev #design aeriform.io
neutral · AI labelView post →OBSERVATION “Up to God” is often the excuse of people with no skin in the game. It’s easy to surrender someone else’s rights, safety, health or future to fate when you’re not the one paying the price. Faith shouldn’t be a substitute for responsibility Have you heard—"WE'LL PRAY FOR THE VICTIMS?"
neutral · AI labelView post →I'm On Observation Duty was the first Spot-the-Anomaly game, you say? Well you're a FOOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
neutral · AI labelView post →new I'm on Observation Duty style analog horror game idea where you find and report anomalous real estate listings
neutral · AI labelView post →Observation: They cut during every Ava game talk. #BB27
neutral · AI labelView post →I am so pissed that I am litterally going to write my review right now, this game had SO MUCH and I mean ABSOLUTELY TOO MUCH potential to go that way. this game was so amazing at the start, I loved the systems, hell even till the end the minigames felt absolutly amazing, very analog and technical, its exactly what I wanted from this game but omg the story???? absolutely boofed, and the bugs are downright horendous, I got soft locked 4 times, thats once every hour of playtime, and then if that…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Top 10 Video Game Series 1. Pikmin 2. Kirby 3. Resident Evil 4. Horizon 5. The Legend of Zelda 6. Pokemon 7. I'm on Observation Duty 8. Mario 9. DigDug 10. ClayFighter HMs: Kingdom Hearts, Sly Cooper, Disney, Katamari, LEGO, Endless Ocean, Half-Life
neutral · AI labelView post →“Observation” illustration created for Upper Deck’s Rush of Ikorr card game. Digital (ProCreate).
neutral · AI labelView post →A Sphere Odyssey Yeah look, not bad for what it was. + Cool conceit operating the entire game from the perspective of the on-board computer AI. + Graphics great, voice acting good enough, little bits of lore sprinkled throughout to find through hacking etc. Cool. - Story was a bit on the nose with some obvious twists + However, I found its last act tied things up quite nicely. Overall, B-. Not behd!
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Good horror without jump scares still exists. It's indeed a (solid) 9/10 :) Actually works fine on Steam Deck too now! I tweaked the graphics settings a tiny bit, not sure that was necessary though.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Graphics are neat, but there are too many bad decisions to make it bearable. 6 hours in just to watch the end and I could not stomach another "Go to X room far away for the 844th time, Sam". Controls are clunky, station is too repetitive, too dark, too boring. Just tedious puzzles and actions. I cannot comprehend how they tested the controls with mouse and keyboard and decided "yep, that's good". Just a pity.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →If you can push through some slow and repetitive gameplay, Observation is absolutely worth it. The story is genuinely gripping and the kind that sticks with you long after the credits roll. It's a unique experience that you won't find anywhere else. The game puts you in a perspective you've never played from before, and it uses that concept in a really clever way. It's more of an interactive story than a traditional game, so if you're going in expecting fast-paced action, this isn't it. But if…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →TLDR: I was very excited to play this game, the trailer and the game itself had me completely intrigued by the story... I needed to know what happened - what is going on here... and in that regard - this game was very cool. The story kept my interest through completion at approx. 9.5 hours - taking my time going through each room and trying to recover lore. Let me just say right off the bat, this game is NOT worth $25 USD. Its hard to even recommend it on hard sale - but I will say, if you…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →the story is great but i was often just kinda stuck because i wasn't told things or had no guidence on where to go. i feel like this game would have been way better without the free roam in the drone. the story and its pacing were fun and creepy and the mystery there was very much enjoyable. like i said my main issue was direction and that some puzzles wern't communicated properly and just... pathfinding areas really took you out of the story.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This is the first game I bought with "Mixed" reviews. I don't understand why so many people have negative opinion about it. The story is tense, game is beautiful, voice over is solid. There are many routine puzzles that are not complicated. The gameplay is slow. I've finished it in about 8 hours (2 of which I spent on guessing what to do). It reminded me SOMA for some reason. Definitely recommended
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I wanted to have played this game before Silent Hill: Townfall releases later this month, so I powered through it and found that I'm unfortunately not so fond of this game as I wished I would be. It's a shame, because I know NoCode/ScreenBurn from Stories Untold, which I absolutely loved, so I thought I'd be jumping into a much richer experience, and while there are aspects that I enjoyed about Observation, the negatives unfortunately outweigh the positives here. Let me start off by saying…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I feel like most negative reviews are due to an unfortunate bug and a few poor design choices in the game. So let's get the worst out of the way: RUN THE GAME IN WINDOWS 8 COMPATIBILITY MODE, otherwise it probably won't launch. Yes, some controllers won't get recognized. Mouse and keyboard are fine. The only type of puzzles which might be a problem is easy once you understand what to do. Which brings me to the other point: the puzzles are not difficult, but some of the earlier ones really,…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →You're an observer. Control AI on space station and use camera feedback to help the crew or under mine them. Game offers complex controls where you have to follow the instructions to save everyone. Sometimes you have to find correct thing or access specific panels, doing right sequence while being under time pressure. Pretty cool game if you ask me. Definitely demand more attention to complete it. Some decisions can be made, so even that story goes linear it allow for some degree of choices…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Game looks amazing and story is good but dear god the gameplay ruined it for me
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The scariest thing of this game is the ambiguity and lack of a proper explanation of what is going on. I understand that many enjoy such open endings that almost everything is up to interpretation, but is not my cup of tea. I would give it a thumbs up if the gameplay and puzzles were more interesting.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →First off, this game is not for everyone. While I personally enjoyed it, I can understand why many might not. There are some issues that should be mentioned, that I will get back to. Observation is a game where you play as the system computer/AI on a spacestation. Think HAL from 2001: A Space Odyssey. Disaster has happend, and it is up to you, to help the crew survive. You achive this by connecting to, and controlling different systems around the station, and sometimes fly around i a…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →i LOVE the GUI, space station design, and story. but.. a couple of the puzzles aren't explained very well, and i had to look up a guide once or twice. also some of the cutscenes bugged out for me. might be a linux issue.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Kinda torn on this one. The experience of playing as a ship AI is very unique and can probably only be done through the medium of video games, but the moment to moment gameplay became repetitive and pixel-hunty super quickly and navigating the ship and outer space with the sphere was especially disorienting especially when you don't have access to the map. The animations were also pretty jank in some sequences and Emma was literally clipping into level geometry in every single room in one…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →ive never been more confused in my life, play it if you like hexagons
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Whenever you see a game with a lot of "awards" surrounded by leaves on a branch, you know its going to be a seething pile of 💩 pewp. There are an absolute cargo ship sized pile of these complete BS awards you can get for a game. Ultra slow, tedious "puzzle" solving, etc are necessary noise to keep you from noticing how bad it actually is.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Very nice story, and I loved exploring a realistically-looking space station. Really nasty gameplay, though. Confusing tasks and VERY awkward traversal.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →A game that is better to watch someone play then to do it yourself
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →the pros: the start of the game is unnerving as ♥♥♥♥ as you slowly jet around the station with the expectation that you'll see something absolutely horrible the concept is good! the cons oh my word the gameplay is boring controlling the 3d movement is hell quite a few of the puzzles are vague and the game isn't exactly jumping to help you yea it's a space station that has gone some cosmic event I don't except it to be clean and tidy but it is a genuine nightmare to try to find where…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →A great story reminiscent of the 2001/2010 movies. Fantastic visually and unique in gameplay style, I can't recommend this enough to sci-fi fans.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Extremely interesting game, absolutely hooked on the intro and mystery it presents both in concept and the as of yet unexplained circumstance of the lady you're helping. However, the game is borderline unplayable for me. The sphere's camera sensitivity is so indescribably low that it legit takes 10 minutes to do a 180 turn and on top of that the FOV is also incredibly low, it feels like I'm viewing the station through tube of toilet paper. These two problems turn what would be an engaging…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I was very torn on this one. I quite liked this studio's last game, Stories Untold, despite that game having even simpler game mechanics. But unlike Observation, the gameplay elements of Stories Untold meshed so incredibly well with the story they were telling. Ultimately, I found the gameplay of Observation was just too clunky, and got in the way of its intriguing premise. The story starts out so interesting, and the end of the first act hooked me incredibly hard. The following acts didn't…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Can't say I enjoyed Observation. The premise is interesting, but wasted, in my view. Too quickly does it devolve into simple and repetative button-clicking where you just have to do everything three times in a row. There is practically nothing you could call a puzzle, so the game essentially becomes an interactive film or a sub-type of a walking simulator, one where you are particularly slow and clumsy. I suppose my main complaint is I got too bored too soon, and that's saying a lot about a 6…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Played this when it came out and it was the best introduction to eldritch horror that I could've wanted. Its on the shorter end but would absolutely recommended for anyone who liked Deliver Us the Moon or Tacoma as much as I did. Same director as Alien: Isolation too
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I bought this a while back but barely got around to playing it. I also got it because of a playthrough IGP did. What I like? I REALLY like this storyline. It is unusual and unexpected imo. I did find few parts to be a bit confusing, but just enough that it didn't lose me. I think that there is enough sci-fi to not make it cheesy and it really was enjoyable. I also really like the mini game/puzzles used to get various systems running or reset. I only had to look online for help on about…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →While nothing spectacular in terms of gameplay, Observation makes up for it in being one of the best story-driven indie games ever made. The writing is incredible and evokes sci-fi classics like "Solaris," "Interstellar," and "Sunshine," but with a bigger psychological-horror punch. Some of the visuals this game has are honestly unbelievable and put a lot of triple-A games to shame.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I was planning to stream a horror game for halloween. This game was truly horrific that it made it out of development. I was constantly plagued with glitches, phasing threw walls, camera angles that were terrible, a story not entertaining, and in game puzzles with vague instructions. I have seen AI slop more developed than this.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →- VRChat Travels - World: We're On Observation Duty By: Mega G Wolf Enjoy an older but good game with this oddity. Explore a old cabin and keep an eye out. Look for things that change. Might be small like an extra balloon appearing or a monster in the window! #vrchat #vrchat_world
neutral · AI labelView post →Really solid game, but kinda too short for the price. I loved the story and the twists!
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →good to play if you have a guide to refer to but is not designed to be easily navigable
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Just came here to say two things: 1. I played through this on Steamdeck without any problems 2. I liked it
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I loved this game. I love the concept and the design of the entire operation. There were certainly some times where I felt lost, but I quickly identified a mechanic or element to the interface that I simply hadn't noticed. Admittedly, the recordings and data logs don't flesh the world out very clearly, but I don't think that's the point. I think the point is to find how you fit into this world. And I certainly did that. I love 2001: A Space Odyssey (for those of you theorizing that this game…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Cool (but kinda confusing) sci-fi suspenseful story about space anomalies. You take control of a spaceship's AI and try to help the human survivor to navigate her way through the ship and discover the truth. The gameplay itself can be a bit confusing and even boring at times, but you're here for the story! Which is also confusing! The story feels great, the mysteries and reveals are awesome, but it's still not that easy to piece together. But yeah, it looks great, and sounds great! I recommend…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Wish I could recommend this one since I really like the atmosphere and playing from the POV of a spaceship's AI is certainly unique but the gameplay is tedious, the puzzles are rarely ever interesting, and the story was unsatisfying. If you enjoy space horror you might like this but I can't recommend it for anyone else.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Disjointed, poorly developed plot and characters. Absolutely not what I expected when I bought the game
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Excellent walking (floating?) simulator. Really liked it. Why am I not recommending it, you ask? Automatic saves with no back-ups simply do not mix with permanently missable logs that are, additionally, required for both 100% completion and all achievements. I am not starting a third new game just because one of the areas I entered locked the door behind me and the game auto-saves at a cutscene rendering an entire area inaccessiblie until the end. Screw that noise, that's grounds to uninstall…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →A puzzle game and a sci-fi art project packaged into one product. This game shows a number of fresh ideas ranging from gameplay mechanics to storytelling from an interesting angle that make it well worth playing. Does not take too much to finish it, it's the sort of compact game that you play only for a short time, but at the same time it does not get too boring or repetitive. Can heartily recommend it.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →this is THE hidden gem among hidden gems. never heard anyone talk about this game, there's barely anything about it on social media, and yet it's the best sci-fi experienced i could've hoped for. i've seen other reviewers say that the controls are hard to adjust to and yeah, kinda true, but consider that you literally play as technology. i think the way controls are made is perfect for immersion into a machine-like mindset. great depiction of aliens and non-linear time. this isn't a 10/10, it's…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Horrible gameplay. Just horrible. Introduction is very good, the rest is just a busywork.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Incredible world-building, probably one of my favourite games I've played recently. Took a bit to get used to the controls, but I had a fantastic time exploring every inch of the space station. The aliens hit that perfect blend of cosmic incomprehensible unease, and the story escalation was well paced. I loved this game and was sad to finish it!
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I love the idea of Observation. The look of the game is great. Sound design is very well done. The look of the space station is fantastic. The gameplay however is not good. There were puzzle in this that really made me scratch my head. I had no idea what some of the puzzles even wanted me to do. Not ashamed to admit I had to look up on how to solve four of them as they weren't explained at all. Direction is horrible. One very small tooltip is all you get. There's one part early on that you…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This game is a tiny masterpiece of storytelling and mechanics. Combined with the unique point of view of the protagonist, it is an absolute MUST to experience.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Not quite perfect, but a few adjustments away from it. I’ve long heard mixed opinions on Observation ever since it released, but they’ve often trended towards the negative. All I really knew going in was that you controlled the HAL 9000 on a spaceship and that people who played it didn’t especially love it. That might be the ideal way to experience anything: clean slate, low expectations. What’s fortunate for me, then, is the fact that I really enjoyed Observation. With some caveats, of…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
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