Listen to the Wind
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Listen to the Wind
Game
Game2009
Osmos
Developer Hemisphere Games
Osmos is a 2009 puzzle video game developed by Canadian developer Hemisphere Games for various systems such as Microsoft Windows, Mac OS X, Linux, OnLive, iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch and Android. It was designed by Eddy Boxerman, founder of Hemisphere and a former developer at Ubisoft Montreal. From Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)
191 reactions from 3 sources (Steam reviews, Bluesky, Mastodon) · newest Nov 4, 2026 · last updated Nov 5, 2026 · How this works
Audience score
82
LovedLoved
137 positive · 30 negative
95% range 76–87%
| Source | + | − | = |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steam reviews | 137 | 30 | 0 |
| Bluesky * | 5 | 1 | 16 |
| Mastodon * | 0 | 0 | 2 |
* shown, not counted in the score (label accuracy below our 85% bar or not yet audited).
Steam's own rating
Very Positive
845 of 979 reviews positive (all languages, per Valve)
What players are saying
82% recommend · 139 yes, 30 no
Counted from the reviewers’ own thumbs up/down on the 169 English Steam reviews we collected, not by the AI. Valve’s all-language rating: Very Positive (1,244 of 1,446 positive).
Some reviewers note the game becomes tedious and unfun in later levels, especially with orbital mechanics. [1][2][3][4] Several players compare it favorably to the early cell stage of Spore, calling it a full game based on that concept. [5][6][7]
Liked
Representative posts
- [1]
Grow your cell by absorbing smaller cells. Sloppy controls. Gets repetitive very quickly. After completing the game there's not much to it thus no reason to come back. If you like these type of games play something multiplayer based like agar.io which was the king in this genre.
- [5]
What Indie games were used to be When you thought of an indie game, you used to think about interesting ideas, charming presentation, clever stories. If you look at what quality early indie games were on Steam, you will quickly realise that modern indie scene has nothing on it. Osmos is one great example how original and unmatched this game is in its own niche. 🌌What Osmos is?🌌 At first, I thought that it is a …
- [17]
Hell, this is a great little arcade game. Nice to have it on PC now, rather than the tiny iPhone 4 screen I had it on years back. No narrative whatsoever of course - but then you're just a mindless blob who knows only it must eat, or be eaten. Good play variation that ranges from microscopic cell wars, to planetary engulfment. The orbital stuff was my favourite, with it's mind bending gravity physics sim. Sure, the …
- [12]
Osmos is a wonderful and calm experience - as long as you have a lot of patience. You play as a little mote absorbing other motes to become the biggest in most levels, or aiming to absorb specific motes in others. You expel a bit of your mass in order to move, so much of the game is based around trying to be very specific with where you move without expelling too much of your own mass. The game has a very zen-like …
- [6]
If you remember the microbe soup in the beginning of the old game Spore; this is it. If you liked that first part of the game the best; this will be a new love for you.
Summarised from 34 of the 193 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
Osmos sits at 82% positive across 167 opinionated reactions from 3 sources. Fresh or rotten — where do you land?
Critics, per Wikipedia
The iPhone version received "universal acclaim", while the PC and iPad versions received "generally favourable reviews", according to the review aggregation website Metacritic. At IndieCade in 2009, the PC version was named "Best in Show" and won the Fun/Compelling award. Apple Inc. selected the game as the iPad game of the year for 2010. It also won many other awards that year. IGN awarded the iOS version its best video game soundtrack of 2010.
From the “Reception” section of Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Critic context only — not part of the audience score.
Reactions
60 of 191 · most liked firstGrow your cell by absorbing smaller cells. Sloppy controls. Gets repetitive very quickly. After completing the game there's not much to it thus no reason to come back. If you like these type of games play something multiplayer based like agar.io which was the king in this genre.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →TL:DR - Fun early, drags and is unfun mid / late levels. The early levels are fun osmosis centered, semi-puzzle related levels. Once the game shifts to the orbital mechanics the enjoyment takes a nose dive, and you easily spend hours just waiting for two sphere's orbits to line up enough to make an adjustment. There is a reason we had teams of people doing these calculations in the early days, and now let computers do them.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →What Indie games were used to be When you thought of an indie game, you used to think about interesting ideas, charming presentation, clever stories. If you look at what quality early indie games were on Steam, you will quickly realise that modern indie scene has nothing on it. Osmos is one great example how original and unmatched this game is in its own niche. 🌌What Osmos is?🌌 At first, I thought that it is a micro organism eating others, something like in Spore. Then I came to properly play…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →OSMOS everything i had hoped for....i had been wanting/looking for a microverse game of this sort for years...it seemed like such an obvious idea...and yet i kept running into games like genome guardian, survivor cells and microcosmum...which are cool but not quite the itch i was hoping to scratch...too shooty-shoot-shot-pew-pew for any kind of realistic take on the microverse...microcosmum is close...but still too game-y (as andrew zimmern would say)...osmos, conversely, is exactly the kind…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Sooo many people saying this game was relaxing, and to be fair, the music was. Game game play is not, more challenging than expected. Felt more frustrated than relaxed trying to complete some of these levels. Would not recommend if you are looking to turn your brain off.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →He created a game called Osmos forever ago so if you know that game, he is the dude behind it.
neutral · AI labelView post →Good if you have bad pain or something and need to focus without thinking to much hehe
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Very enjoyable little game. Simple but pleasant. Good for short sessions when you don't know what else to do.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Despite the in-game help and various "tricks" to help win the game, it's just so incredibly frustrating. Try (and fail, over and over again) to catch stuff, then restart the level and try again, because you missed it yet again! I seriously dislike simulation games because they're often too unforgiving, and this is yet another example of that.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →If you remember the microbe soup in the beginning of the old game Spore; this is it. If you liked that first part of the game the best; this will be a new love for you.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This game drove me insane, I haven't had a game piss me off as much as this game in a long time; that said, I somehow managed to complete it, mechanics aren't bad, but the levels can be VERY unforgiving depending on the seed (alt + Z is your friend). That said, it left me with a feeling of accomplishment, W game!
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →My first Steam game. Good times.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →One of the all time greats. Relaxing music but gameplay can be challenging.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Great game. I got it on mobile first then here. The simple take on the "eat smaller thing and become bigger" game loop popularized by a nearly infinite amount of browser game gets a simple and gameplay changing twist. You have to expel/spend your inner mass, making yourself smaller, in order to move. Genius. So much fun for a quick session in the morning to start the day.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I don't know what the developer was smoking on the last levels but they're too damn difficult they're virtually impossible to pass. After not playing it for 7 years I was able to get passed the 3rd and 2nd to last level... and but the very last level is just nightmarish and stress inducing. The physics just make no sense to me! Just avoid this game... it's not calming, it's not relaxing, it's not easy... it'll lure you into a false sense of relaxation and next thing you know your pounding…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Hell, this is a great little arcade game. Nice to have it on PC now, rather than the tiny iPhone 4 screen I had it on years back. No narrative whatsoever of course - but then you're just a mindless blob who knows only it must eat, or be eaten. Good play variation that ranges from microscopic cell wars, to planetary engulfment. The orbital stuff was my favourite, with it's mind bending gravity physics sim. Sure, the learning curve is a little steep. But just man-up like the blob survivor you…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Somehow, 17 years later, I'm drawn back to this game. A mixture of anxiety and calmness. A little bit of luck and planning, and the game isn't too terribly difficult. Excellent ambient soundtrack and just a good way to spend a few hours forgetting about the world around you.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →2, Osmos The rare game on my steam library where I... have no idea what the fuck this is. I've never seen this before in my life. This is a strange little curio.
neutral · AI labelView post →This game takes the very beginning of "Spore" and turns it into a full game with multiple modes and great gameplay. This is one of those games that I played on my phone first and then saw on PC. Its the same game either way and totally worth playing as a wind-down or Zen-type experience. Highly recommended if you enjoyed the opening sequence of "Spore" and want more of that.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →_-= The most negative thumbs-up review you'll ever read? =-_ I'm sticking to my "i won't thumbs down even tho i hate it", cuz I don't want to be quite that spiteful. ;P ... Been on my "play next" / "players like you, love..." shelf for a while. I eyeballed it, and kept my distance for a while (game-related pun not intended). Today on a bored whim I foolishly installed and started playing. I won't thumbs down though personally I find it loathsome. I _hate_ physics puzzle games, and also…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I've been playing this game every couple of years for ... decades, it seems? Short but lots of fun.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The soundtrack~!<3 But the game is cool too! Relaxing in a frustrating way sometimes and other times just comfortably hypnotic.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This game is used as a final exam by the buddhist monks
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Brilliant concept, terribly executed. The game cheats in exceptionally cruel ways, and unless you play pixel perfect, every time, you will struggle and fail. The music, graphics, and concept are all incredible, but it is mired in absolute **** gameplay and I cannot recommend it.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →At first the game game felt easy, then it got REALLY frustrating, then it clicked ...and then I tried to complete all Force stages... Patience is key. Use Z to change the seed if it's too difficult. That feature is your friend :) Only relaxing part about the game was the soundtrack and visuals.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →It's beautiful. Early levels are relaxing and then it becomes a fun but difficult puzzle.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Osmos is a wonderful and calm experience - as long as you have a lot of patience. You play as a little mote absorbing other motes to become the biggest in most levels, or aiming to absorb specific motes in others. You expel a bit of your mass in order to move, so much of the game is based around trying to be very specific with where you move without expelling too much of your own mass. The game has a very zen-like atmosphere, with ambient music and cool colors, so it's easy to assume the…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Excellent balls.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →played this back in the day, was thrilled to find it again. good to chill out to
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Simple and relaxing puzzle game.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →How did this game didn't get a sequel?
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I love this game. It is easy to play... but don't be confused, does not mean it is damm easy. Some levels are tricky, and take time to finish
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →cool concept, lacks multiplayer..or does it?
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Beautiful game. The levels in the Demo are all great fun. The levels in the purchased game are difficult and frustrating.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →It's chill. I like it.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Not casual, not relaxing
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I usually really like these kinds of games. But after the initial introductory levels the difficulty spikes really hard. I love the amount of different settings and ideas, but they simply don't really work all too well. If you are looking for a casual puzzle to play through before bed, this is not it. Further levels will have you mash your mouse and R buttons, because most of the hunting levels are unbeatable is you won't rush a start, and even on slow-motion the movement is just too…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Looks like a game of Osmos
neutral · AI labelView post →An all-time classic.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Great atmosphere, good music, gameplay in some levels mid Relax, lay back, enjoy the game and maybe punch a hole in your monitor
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →if you're looking for a real low stakes non-narrative vibey game you might try Osmos
neutral · AI labelView post →Purchased for 2,45 euros. You can make this game either extremely relaxing or extremely challenging. On the one end you turn off the in-game music (fitting but very limited) and provide your own tracklist, and let the smallest movements guide you towards veeeeeery slowly becoming the biggest. Or don't and just float around endlessly forever while vibing to some good music. On the other end you turn off the in-game music (again, fitting but very limited) and provide your own tracklist, and…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The advanced orbit levels are ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ stupid
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Love this! Reminds me of that old iPad game Osmos (?).
neutral · AI labelView post →Osmos is a game where your objective is to grow by absorbing other motes. Propel yourself by ejecting matter behind you. But be wise: ejecting matter also shrinks you. Relax - good things come to those who wait. Check it out ON SALE on Steam: store.steampowered.com/app/29180/Os...
neutral · AI labelView post →A uniquely atmospheric physics puzzle game that felt ahead of it's time and hasn't aged a day. Great soundtrack, great vibes, great challenges
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →If you liked that, you might also like a game called Osmos. What was the old flash game called, if you recall? store.steampowered.com/app/29180/Os...
neutral · AI labelView post →Such a little gem of a game. Just a relaxing little puzzle game with nice music and a lovely atmosphere.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This game is really well made and in combination with its music it seems that it is most relaxing game ever made. Well, it actually is if you play only first levels. Later levels caused some serious butt clenching and I don't think I have ever been that close to table flipping because of a game... and I have never been that angry on bubbles in my life! Anyways joking aside this game is a masterpiece and I definitely recommend it. :D
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Aside from being a serene, (mostly) calming, and unique game, my main fascinations with Osmos is how much it can teach you about physics. You get an intuitive understanding of Newton's laws of motion, momentum, the first law of thermodynamics, gravity (to some extent) and orbital mechanics. All this (and probably more), despite its beautiful simplicity.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →(This is from the Osmos soundtrack, but I don't really vibe with all the tracks from that game, and some of them are very tricky to find, too.) BTW, prefer tracks that are available on YouTube Music or Apple Music. Would be open to SoundCloud, too.
neutral · AI labelView post →This is an indie game in the best sense of the word: it offers a unique core mechanic, builds the entire gameplay around it with a smooth learning curve, and wraps everything in visuals and a soundtrack that perfectly capture the game’s essence and tie the experience together. Problem is that initially it presents itself as calming and relaxing experience, but closer to the end it turns into hardcore trajectory calculator with zero margin for error. Yikes! And while I had enough patience to…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Osmos was great. Race for the galaxy is an awesome card game. The Netflix story games are fantastic if you haven't already gone through them
positive · AI labelView post →If anyone here loves games like Osmos or Snake_io, @linziofficial.itch.io is doing a playtest for Unicellular 3 right now. Most of my issues with the game so far have been presentation related but the actual gameplay is where it shines. It's simple but the upgrade system is solid so far. 😎
neutral · AI labelView post →Simple but addicting gameplay. Perfectly focused game that kills small amounts of time and rewards skill and planning. Not that deep but a classic
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →An absolutely unique game, unlike anything else. The only downside is the extremely difficult maps at the very end. But some levels are so good that I replayed them 10+ times.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Simple kinda-puzzle game. Pretty fun up until the difficulty gets ridiculous for achievement hunting. Then it gets a bit tedious and grindy.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →A simple concept, you're a blob, and your goal is to absorb smaller blobs. However, to move you have to discard some of your mass. This push and pull has a lot of fun consequences. Neat game.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Grow Expand Explode One of those games you just absorb other orbs trying to get big and bigger or you need to get smaller to get threw the puzzles.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →An #Osmos like game, but Conformal Cyclic Cosmology (Penrose, et al) https://ket.org/program/pbs-space-time/what-happens-after-the-universe-ends/ #GameIdeas #Cosmology
neutral · AI labelView post →
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