Dead Synchronicity: Tomorrow Comes Today
Dead Synchronicity: Tomorrow Comes Today
Game
Game2018
Orwell: Ignorance is Strength
Developer Osmotic Studios
Step into the shoes of a government official in a top-secret department of the Orwell surveillance program. Given the power to both uncover and fabricate "the truth", how far will you go in the service of your country? Season 2 of Orwell, the award-winning surveillance thriller. From the Steam store page
299 reactions from 4 sources (Steam reviews, Bluesky, Lemmy, Mastodon) · newest Nov 4, 2026 · last updated Nov 5, 2026 · How this works
Audience score
72
Fresh
128 positive · 51 negative
95% range 64–78%
| Source | + | − | = |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steam reviews | 128 | 51 | 0 |
| Bluesky * | 18 | 1 | 97 |
| Lemmy * | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Mastodon * | 0 | 0 | 2 |
* shown, not counted in the score (label accuracy below our 85% bar or not yet audited).
Steam's own rating
Mostly Positive
1,062 of 1,412 reviews positive (all languages, per Valve)
What players are saying
71% recommend · 127 yes, 51 no
Counted from the reviewers’ own thumbs up/down on the 178 English Steam reviews we collected, not by the AI. Valve’s all-language rating: Mostly Positive (1,457 of 1,924 positive).
Many players find it a step down from the first game, with shorter length and less engaging story. [1][2][3] Some reviewers appreciate the new mechanics like social media and voice acting, but find them poorly implemented. [1][4][5] A few players note the game feels more like DLC than a full sequel. [6][7]
Liked
Representative posts
- [5]
I'm writing this review at 4am because I finished the first Orwell game around midnight and adored it so much that I simply couldn't go to sleep without playing the sequel. Unfortunately, it was a total disappointment and definitely not worth ruining my sleeping pattern for. There is voice acting now which is of good quality but that's the only improvement here. I was initially excited about a new mechanic which …
- [1]
In my view this is a step down from the first game. I think that the concepts they implemented were interesting, but ultimately overcomplicated things to a point where you, as the player, become overly confused as to what to do. As well, it seems like the order of operations you need to accomplish certain things by certain times is extremely difficult to figure out in a first playthrough, requiring multiples …
- [2]
Reviewing (mostly) every game (or DLC) in my library, part 332: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️☆☆☆ (7/10) Orwell: Ignorance is Strength is a follow-up that unfortunately fails to capture the punch of the original. While it experiments with new mechanics and a more politically-charged premise, the result is a shorter, less engaging, and less impactful experience. I liked it, but I can’t say it ever came close to the highs of the …
- [6]
Checking that I recommend the game because there isn't a neutral option. I love the Orwell games, but this sequel doesn't really expand on the last in any capacity. The story happens simultaneously to the story from the last game, but the crossovers honestly leading the game towards feeling more like a DLC than a sequel. That being said, it was still largely enjoyable! It is also exceedingly short, I would suggest …
- [3]
I enjoyed it but it really isn't as interesting as the first one. But i still think it's a good game and i recommend it.
Summarised from 34 of the 273 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
Orwell: Ignorance is Strength sits at 72% positive across 179 opinionated reactions from 4 sources. Fresh or rotten — where do you land?
Reactions
60 of 299 · most liked first"Heavy physical work, the care of home and children, petty quarrels with neighbors, films, football, beer and above all, gambling filled up the horizon of their minds. To keep them in control was not difficult.” ― George Orwell, 1984 and now even the Refs're (likely) Betting on the Game$.
neutral · AI labelView post →Wow, I woke up to a ton of new followers! Great to meet y'all! 😊 I'm Daniel, CEO and Game Director at Osmotic Studios. We made the digital surveillance games "Orwell" and most recently the life-sim "Closer the Distance". I'd be happy if you checked them out! store.steampowered.com/app/1991300/...
neutral · AI labelView post →#originstory drinking game. Whisky every time Liberalism, George Orwell are mentioned, or Churchill is spoken about unfavourably. or WWII splits an episode in half. Will my kidneys survive? @iandunt.bsky.social @dorianlynskey.bsky.social
neutral · AI labelView post →I want an FPS video game where you play as George Orwell but you get to win the Spanish Civil War by shooting all the Falangists, level after level after level.
neutral · AI labelView post →For anyone who doesn't get this: I really recommend playing a narrative game called Orwell. In Orwell, you play as a government agent tasked with cross checking social media presence to find vague traces to incriminate people. It REALLY drives home how easy it is to learn about you in public
positive · AI labelView post →Unlike its predecessor, this game is a letdown. It's cool there have been a few tweaks to the gameplay and added social media. Sadly, the story is shorter and trash. On top of that, I was constantly getting stuck on the second chapter, not knowing what I missed or what to search for.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Hey all. I'm trying to be more active on here now that so many people have moved over from Twitter. Welcome! 🙂 I'm Daniel, Co-Founder and Game Director of Osmotic Studios. We made two "Orwell" games as well as "Closer the Distance": store.steampowered.com/app/1991300/...
neutral · AI labelView post →“It reminded me of the quote that is often attribute to George Orwell that states, 'Keep out of the black and in the red; nothing in this game for two in a bed.'”
neutral · AI labelView post →The Flock uprising is just the beginning - Salon.com. salon.com The Flock uprising is just the beginning Amanda Marcotte 11–14 minutes commentary People are sick of tech billionaires trying to control our lives Senior Writer Published August 14, 2026 6:45AM (EDT) Flock Safety cameras have many Americans seeing red. (Illustration by Salon / Getty Images / The Washington Post / SOPA Images) Flock Safety cameras have many Americans seeing red. (Illustration by Salon / Getty Images / The…
neutral · AI labelView post →I'm writing this review at 4am because I finished the first Orwell game around midnight and adored it so much that I simply couldn't go to sleep without playing the sequel. Unfortunately, it was a total disappointment and definitely not worth ruining my sleeping pattern for. There is voice acting now which is of good quality but that's the only improvement here. I was initially excited about a new mechanic which causes time to pass each time you upload a data chunk into Orwell, so…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The fact that Elon Musk wore a fucking Orwell shirt is just so…he’s fifty years old and he dresses like a Game Stop employee, but clearly doesn’t understand any of the pieces of media he purports to love. Not any of it. But they’re so central to his personality. Okay.
neutral · AI labelView post →Here's some indie games I like! Orwell - social media-ish investigation, choice and consequence game Oxenfree - atmospheric creepy game with a unique story Turnip Boy - ITS SO FUNNY JUST PLAY IT Death's Door - it could be a good intro to soulslike games, it's not too difficult!
positive · AI labelView post →The hilarious thing about that Orwell quote is that these chuds think they're playing some innovative, never before thought of game of information warfare and we're all like, "Bro, we read books. We know what you're doing."
neutral · AI labelView post →The Roottrees Are Dead's gameplay feels like Obra Dinn meets Orwell. Piecing together the family tree was a fun bit of detective work. And the new game plus basically opens another unique chapter to play!
neutral · AI labelView post →"Orwellian" gets overused a lot, but what you're calling a game of deranged improv is one of the features of Stalinism that Orwell was honing in on when fictionalizing it in 1984. The current GOP feels downright Soviet an awful lot, and this is one of the ways it does so.
neutral · AI labelView post →In my view this is a step down from the first game. I think that the concepts they implemented were interesting, but ultimately overcomplicated things to a point where you, as the player, become overly confused as to what to do. As well, it seems like the order of operations you need to accomplish certain things by certain times is extremely difficult to figure out in a first playthrough, requiring multiples playthroughs to really get a full sense of the game's content and alternate endings.…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This is Orwell. The hero of my game MKC. His a Mutant Karate Canary. He fights crime and will do anything for his friends. #indiegame #pixelart #gamedev #indiegamedev
neutral · AI labelView post →I really wanted to like this sequel, but, by the end of it, I stopped really caring about the story and just wanted it to be over. Unlocking access to additional info is often buggy and/or doesn't follow progression that makes logical sense. The addition of the time advancing 10 minutes every time you submit datachunks hurts the gameplay more than adds anything worthwhile to the feel of the game. I get the devs want you to feel the time crunch, but you often find yourself stuck, just adding…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I'm sorry... '...𝘢𝘯 𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘣𝘢𝘳𝘯𝘺𝘢𝘳𝘥-𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘥 𝘳𝘢𝘱' Sorry Orwell. All I can think of now is an opportunity for #FarmyardRap as a hashtag game
neutral · AI labelView post →Obvs this is a fake quote but one thing I thought about at the far right conference in Brussels - where an Orwell drinking game would have made me pissed after the first panel - is HOMAGE TO CATALONIA, ANYONE?
neutral · AI labelView post →Just a mess. It's been a while since I played the first one but I don't remember the document panel being this difficult to navigate. The story wasn't as interesting and was more about family drama. Doesn't feel like I'm investigating anything. It's basically a word search. You just scroll documents until you find a highlight phrase you drop into a profile. Whatever, putting too much into a review of a game I didn't like. Bye.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I enjoyed the first one so much, I was thrilled to find out about this one. Sadly, it was disappointing at best. The story seemed short and shallow. Mechanically/functionally, it was very clunky and buggy. I got stuck several times because things do not unfold in a logical way, and its unclear what the game is asking you for. There was a lot more information to sort through, but it didn't feel interesting, it felt like busywork in lieu of substance. By the end, it felt like a tiring puzzle…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Weaker than the first entry, way shorter and the stakes seems much less significant, feels more like a DLC than a full game. It builds on the first one and throws in a few elements like social media and fake news in a very clumsy way that feels like overkill; certain plotlines and consequences seem to lead nowhere, and ultimately, I don’t think it adds anything particularly innovative to the franchise.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →"The Portland Chicken Has a Degree in Game Theory" This is something George Orwell WOULD NEVER CONCEIVE or write in "Animal Farm"
neutral · AI labelView post →The second game in the Orwell universe. The premise remains the same - we need to search for relevant information on our targets through any means necessary. We will browse the internet and check out their social sites, work-related documents, medical records, etc., eavesdrop on their conversations, or take control of their private PC/phones. This time, though, we won't be doing it to stop some terrorists but to save the image of The Nation by discrediting our target, thus turning the public…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Hubs just asked if I was in the middle of anything, and I replied, "Just my twenty minutes of hate." He reminded me that it was TWO minutes of hate in 1984, and I guess I've upped the game. Orwell would be proud/dismayed.
neutral · AI labelView post →WTF is all this shit about dominating the western hemisphere lately? JFC!! Are they really hellbent on creating Oceania from 1984? I'm guessing Orwell is rolling over in his grave. 1984 was intended to be a cautionary tale, not a game plan.
neutral · AI labelView post →Explain your username The account name came from my dad, it’s a name from one of his favourite books, 1984 by George Orwell (73 is from his birth year). When I discovered Minecraft around 2012, we used it as my name in the game, and from there I basically inherited it from him
neutral · AI labelView post →Reviewing (mostly) every game (or DLC) in my library, part 332: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️☆☆☆ (7/10) Orwell: Ignorance is Strength is a follow-up that unfortunately fails to capture the punch of the original. While it experiments with new mechanics and a more politically-charged premise, the result is a shorter, less engaging, and less impactful experience. I liked it, but I can’t say it ever came close to the highs of the first game. 🖱️ Pros: Stronger thematic focus on media manipulation. The sequel…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The only good thing is that there is voice-acting now, but honestly, I could also live without that. There's nothing memorable in the game and I was surprised when it was suddenly over after about 2h and 30mins. The first game was longer, and I only did one playthrough. Get it when it's on sale.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The main game might be better. This one is either rushed or plainly poorly written: your manager (spy executive) orders a suspect to be executed by special forces under surveilance cameras. The nation you serve is literally called The Nation. Your main antagonist is a blogger in a wheelchair with a grudge against the government and writes 3 paragraph articles in capslock. However, the stakes are somehow high in bringing him down. Seem like this story wasn't important to the developer either.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →1984 feels like it should be required reading before spending a summer in the Big Brother parking lot game, no? (My personal fave from Orwell is Animal Farm) #bb27
neutral · AI labelView post →FINISHED GAME: "Orwell: Keeping an Eye On You". It's a very good text-based political thriller about surveillance system that has to say a lot about current world and gives a very nuances conversation about security and freedom. Highly recommend. My score: 8/10
positive · AI labelView post →Story is filled with holes. Voice acting is AWFUL. Especially the woman boss of our investigator. When she is talking to the military guy, she sounds like she has no idea she's risking people's lives for what amounts to a hunch. And that woman terminating the target out of nowhere was ridiculous. Would they really terminate the target without even talking to him to find out what he knows? The whole thing was amateur hour by the writers and voice actors. But the game is still pretty fun. The…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Explain your @: The name came from my dad, it’s a name from one of his favourite books, 1984 by George Orwell (73 is from his birth year). When I discovered Minecraft around 2012, we used it as my name in the game, and from there I basically inherited it from him
neutral · AI labelView post →Amazingly, it's Sexy Orwell (I was looking up a puzzle game by that name). I reckon I could do this one.
neutral · AI labelView post →I liked the first game, but this one is much weaker. It felt shallow and boring. It's also much more restrictive and linear than the first game. You can't upload data while a call is running anymore. You have to wait long enough for something to happen so the story continues. You also have to wait for data to upload. This game just makes you sit around and wait. I also couldn't connect with the characters, so I didn't care about what happened to them. Can't really recommend this one.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Well, although I quite enjoyed the first game, this one fell a bit short. The premise remains interesting, but there were a few adjustments that in fact made the experience worse instead of better. Uploading a datachunk takes 10 in-game minutes, which is ok, I understand the concept, but now there's a loading bar. But this makes the screen inaccessible, even if for just a second or two. Considering that you end up uploading hundreds of datachunks, this translates to hundreds of seconds lost in…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Orwell: Ignorance is Strength is fine. The core mechanics are the highlight. Digging through data chunks and making choices is funbut those choices don’t always feel consistent. Sometimes the game make things go in a direction you didn’t really intend. The themes are interesting, but not groundbreaking for me. Episode format is great for replaying, but unskippable calls and loading data chunks get annoying fast. I replayed it for achievements and that was enough.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I'm not recommending this, not because it is bad, but because it is simply worse than its predecessor in almost every way. For one thing, they cut the gameplay basically in half, shortening the game from five "days" to only three. And the first two of those days play very similar to the first game. However, this game felt much more linear than the first game during those two days. Maybe there was similar impact your choices could make. Maybe choices mattered even more. But it wasn't really…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →A bit late with the review. Listening to the OST on YT sent me here. The original game was great in my opinion. The second game was, as people already mentioned, short but it had voice acting (phone calls) which made it even better. I still wish there'll be more games like Orwell in the future but it has been sort of 7 years now. I was inspired by the game and I started developing my own (Uplink was a key factor here as well). I can only recommend this game and the original game if you like to…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Anyways I bought 1bitheart, Emily Is Away <3 and both episodes of the Orwell game for less than $15
neutral · AI labelView post →🚨CALLING ALL HORROR/THRILLER GAME FANS🚨 This one is for you. Karma: The Dark World is coming March 27th - inspired by Orwell and David Lynch with the vibes to match. Play as Daniel McGovern, a ROAM agent tasked with diving into the brains of others to discover truth… youtu.be/mhM9jZnk42M
neutral · AI labelView post →mfw furry p0rn game is banned in my country, this is some 1984 George Orwell BULLSHIT
neutral · AI labelView post →Have you played Orwell? I think that's probably the closest we'll ever see to a game that teaches people about what *actual* cybersecurity risks look like (namely, ill-advised posts on social media)
positive · AI labelView post →Hey Gamers! We are awed to announce DOPROS, a dark Orwell-inspired interrogation experience with a branching plot wherein you play not as a detective or officer but as a regular folk. Check out the Trailer — youtu.be/UNbVmLb0vMw Wishlist the game now — t.co/CpAlrof4NE
neutral · AI labelView post →Their definition of victory is for "shitlibs" to be outraged, fuming, terrorized, and above all, helpless. They still have that. The actual geopolitical and economic consequences are irrelevant - it won't affect their meme game. It's PRECISELY what Orwell meant by "war is peace".
neutral · AI labelView post →I think everybody should play the game Orwell at least once. It's incredible. Very important right now, with the massive data collection and the surveillance state. Costs a few bucks right now
positive · AI labelView post →These games are important now more than ever. As someone who has only read one Orwell novel (Animal Farm, thank god), these games were right up my alley, engaging, and thought provoking. In an age where people who are minorities, disabled, or socially disadvantaged in any way are whisked away to god knows where as a result of the new EO in America, well... I feel that we are inching closer and closer to the reality of this game. Esp w/ the TT ban and youtube age verification / google AI…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Day 8 shouting out fellow #indiegames in #Steam #VisualNovelFest Today's pick: "Orwell: Keeping an Eye on You" I'm partial to a good spy video game, and in this one, you're someone who sees everything in a surveillance state. But what will you do w/that info? Discounted to $2.50 for ~2 more hours
positive · AI labelView post →way too short really only 3-4 hours of gameplay. More like an ios app than actual game.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Getting to know me through media Game: Baldur's Gate 3 Book: 1984 by George Orwell Movie: John Wick Music: Lady Gaga
neutral · AI labelView post →Ministry of Truth: 1984 launches a new game trailer to support its playtest on February 16, 2026. 🫡Like and comment! Remember: Big Brother is watching you! youtu.be/FpA2W3fxDCk?... #orwell #1984 #indiegame
neutral · AI labelView post →I have to say im pretty disappointed in what happened to this game considering the first one was really good it had less chapters you didnt really connect with the characters it felt fake and just not as real, the uploading data was just annoying as there wasnt really a direction you could sort of go in and make sense of anything it was just sloppy and poorley written. I wanted to give up instantly as soon as i saw where the game was going in the first 30 mins but decided to stick through. I…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I, within good conscience, cannot recommend you purchase this game. The first Orwell wasn't revolutionary, but it was still an enjoyable time with a story that immediately hooks you in, the data chunks needed to proceed are not random pieces of one off information, doesn't lock you out of routes for missing random things, and everything comes together extremely nicely in the last few days. Within Ignorance is Strength, everything good about the first game is thrown out of the window almost…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Game softlocks you by Chapter 3 if you upload too many datachunks in the first two chapters
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →How come those incredible people don't have more followers😮They have a nomination in Games for Impact (The coolest category IMO - that we would be jelly if they were not soo amazing), and they are behind the game Orwell too🥰 Welcome them in on the Bsky and share some love if you have a minute😍
neutral · AI labelView post →Don't forget Alex Karp and Palantir. Orwell warned of the these video game killers
neutral · AI labelView post →You can softlock yourself in episode 2 and 3. The only way ouf of this is basically starting a new game. The mystery from the first game doesn't seem to be there anymore either. Grab it if you liked the first one and want more story, just don't expect it to be amazing.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →What do you mean I finished the game in 2 hours?
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
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