Return of the Obra Dinn
Board an apparently deserted merchant ship as an insurance investigator and work out what happened to its people. A pocket watch reveals final moments, which you examine alongside the ship's records to connect identities and fates.
- AI score · out of 10
- 9.3 / 10
About this game
The Obra Dinn has returned without a visible crew, and your insurance investigation begins by boarding the ship. This first-person mystery asks you to establish what happened to its people. The Memento Mortem pocket watch takes you into a dead person's final moment: conversation plays before a frozen scene appears for investigation. You record deductions in a book, using the manifest's names, occupations and places of origin alongside information found in different scenes. Identifying a person means connecting details rather than treating each tableau as an isolated answer. The two-color presentation gives these still moments a distinctive visual form, while the investigation advances through exploration, observation and logical deduction.
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Nintendo Switch
AI review
AI reviews are subjective assessments, not player ratings. See each review for its evidence and limitations.Published date:
Best aligned with players who enjoy building an explanation from scattered observations.
The watch supplies scenes to investigate, but connecting identities depends on combining dialogue, records and details across them. That design could make a deduction feel earned through your own reasoning. It also asks for a willingness to hold several pieces of information in mind.
Strengths
- Cross-scene clues could make identifying a person feel like assembling a case rather than selecting an obvious answer.
- Frozen scenes provide a basis for careful visual inspection alongside the spoken clues.
Weaknesses
- Keeping information from different scenes connected may feel demanding if you prefer self-contained puzzles.
Who it is for: Patient observers who like comparing records, listening for clues and revising an explanation as evidence connects.
Play notes: The central investigation repeatedly examines people's final moments, a premise to weigh if you avoid stories focused on death.
View scoring basis
| Dimension | Review state | Score | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dimension Because evidence connects across scenes, reaching a conclusion may involve sustained comparison rather than resolving each scene immediately. | Reviewed | 8.9 / 10 | Not provided |
| Dimension Combining manifest entries with dialogue and scene details may suit players who want to perform the reasoning themselves. | Reviewed | 9.4 / 10 | Not provided |
| Dimension Spoken lead-ins and frozen, two-color scenes could focus attention on the contrast between hearing an event and inspecting its aftermath. | Reviewed | 9.8 / 10 | Not provided |
| Dimension TV, tabletop and handheld support gives you a choice of viewing setup for examining scenes; choosing the screen arrangement you prefer may help this observation-focused style of play. | Reviewed | 9.0 / 10 | Not provided |
Review sources
Not provided
Core information
- Developer
- Lucas Pope3909
- Publisher
- 3909
- Release date
- 2019
- Platforms
- Nintendo Switch
- Content kind
- Game
- Release state
- Released
- Region
- Worldwide
- Official website
- Not provided
- Offline minimum players
- Not provided
- Offline maximum players
- Not provided
- Online minimum players
- Not provided
- Online maximum players
- Not provided
- Categories
- Adventure · Primary genrePuzzle
- Tags
- Story-drivenExplorationSlow BurnMain Story 10–20 HoursPuzzle SolvingInvestigationSolo-friendlyThird Person3D GraphicsLinear Levels
- Supported game languages
- Not provided
- Requires base game
- Not provided
- Standalone
- Not provided
- Age ratings
- Not provided
- Play modes
- Single player
- Perspectives
- First person
Release editions
- Windows PCWorldwide2018
- Nintendo SwitchWorldwide2019
Game gallery
Sources
- www.nintendo.comSource revision: 1
- www.nintendo.com