Darwin's Paradox!

Steam Reviews

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• Recommended Posted April 2, 2026 on Steam Compared to many other cinematic platformers, the trial-and-error design here can be brutal, and the jerky camera tracking doesn't do it any favors. That's unfortunate, but the game is creative with its levels, rarely rehashing the same boring obstacles often seen in this genre. Aside from a handful of annoying sections, it's fun--as you'd hope from the cartoony presentation. Few cinematic platformers sport a lighthearted and comical tone (I can only think of Little Orpheus and American Arcadia), so it definitely stands out. Awesome environments with grand scope and detail, funny visual storytelling, and wonderful music that synchronizes to certain set pieces. For every sequence that pissed me off, there was another one that made me smile. My biggest complaint is how rushed the ending felt, the cutscene was too fast-paced and didn't really give me time to reflect. [spoiler]I was also hoping to hear that catchy song from the promotional music video. Unless it's hidden away somewhere?[/spoiler] Still a great debut title, I can't wait to see more from ZDT. Konami should keep publishing smaller games like this and Deliver At All Costs. Their reputation is being mended through nice legacy IP revivals so far, but by putting faith in original titles from burgeoning talents, it encourages players to put mutual faith in the brand.
• Recommended Posted April 4, 2026 on Steam 8.5/10 | Joyous / Hilariously Fun / Movie-like! Darwin's Paradox was nothing but absolutely incredible joy from the very start to finish. Adventure Platformers aren't anywhere near as often developed as the early 2000's like the various PS2 titles we used to play but this was a fantastic mix of that oldschool stance with Pixar-like cinematics & gameplay style. It was quite short at around 5.5 hours for an average playthrough BUT it also felt like one continuous experience without many pausing moments. Just great gameplay, joyous & comedic moments throughout & quirky abilities and some very amusing achievements/moments. The Konami Easter Egg's were perfectly fit in the game with multiple moments here & there that you could enjoy & acknowledge throwbacks and nostalgia whilst cruising your way through this movie-like game. Now I will be honest, if you're a FIRST time platformer player this game may prove a tiny bit difficult in a few sections here and there. It's not like this ridiculous tough game but there were a few moments that I most definitely died multiple times. :^) Maybe I'm just getting old though, ha. I waited over 3 years for this game and it did NOT disappoint. No bugs on release. No frame drops. No issues whatsoever on day one. That's what you want when you buy a game. I got exactly why I hoped and maybe one day down the line we'll get DLC/Extra content OR even a sequel. I'll keep my fingers crossed. Couldn't recommend this enough IF you enjoy action adventures & platformers combined. <3 (Check the demo out if you're unsure before buying - Happy gaming!)
• Recommended Posted April 3, 2026 on Steam Steam please add a mixed review option! Ok so this is a really fun game but the performance is absolutly shocking, I'm barely hitting 60FPS on high settings with a 9070XT lol, native FSR probably boosted it by about an extra 10FPS, setting FSR to balanced on medium/low quality gave me 120+FPS. Theres also no option to disable film grain, motion blur etc, if these things give you a bad headache then avoid until they add these options or play in little sessions.
• Recommended Posted April 16, 2026 on Steam Well, after playing the demo, I had high hopes for the game, particularly for its cinematic direction and how good it looked and I can say that I liked what I played in the full release as well. It’s not a long game, and considering the price some may find it hard to digest, but it is very well made with nice comedic elements embedded into it and incredible visuals. It plays like a side scroller where you are mostly moving to the right, jumping and progressing, so there aren’t many puzzle elements and you may want to try the demo first before deciding. One thing you can say, however, is that the performance is not good at all. You can see my specs, but even with DLSS on Quality at 4K, the game was struggling, which, considering the genre, might be an issue for some people. Still, it was an enjoyable short experience.
• Recommended Posted April 2, 2026 on Steam We don’t get enough puzzle platformers of this caliber anymore, and especially not ones this polished! [i]Darwin’s Paradox![/i] looks stunning and plays really well, with responsive movements and varied playstyles. The animation is world-class and frequently hilarious (I never knew an octopus could die in so many creative and comical ways). It perfectly captures the nostalgic charm of classic platformers while feeling fresh and modern thanks to its stunning visuals and immersive storytelling. You play as an octopus that gets his memory wiped by aliens and then has to rediscover his abilities one by one. The gameplay makes great use of all his unique abilities: sticking to almost any surface, grabbing objects with your tentacles, dash-swimming against strong currents, shooting ink to blind enemies, camouflaging to blend into the environment, and so on. These mechanics open up a wide range of creative puzzle solutions that never feel repetitive. It's also an action-adventure game with some really challenging sections, so don't expect just laid-back platforming. You [i]will[/i] die many, many times during your first playthrough. The levels, which themselves are often the main puzzles, are well designed and constantly mix up the gameplay. Some focus on stealth, others test your platforming skills, while many revolve around inventive puzzles or combine several playstyles at once. The variety is excellent, and the level design stays engaging and fresh. You’re never doing the same thing for long, which keeps you alert and entertained. The sound design fits perfectly with the art style; all the sounds the octopus's body makes are squishy and slimy in a funny way. The music always matches the intensity of the scenes in a cinematic way. If you’re a fan of puzzle-platformers in the framing of an action-adventure, [i]Darwin’s Paradox![/i] is an absolute must-play. It’s incredibly creative, lovingly crafted, and feels like an instant classic. It’s clear that the developers have a deep passion for the genre and made exactly the kind of game they would want to play themselves. ______________________________________________ EDIT: After achieving 100% completion and unlocking all achievements, everything I wrote above still stands. If anything, my appreciation has only grown. The game critics who complain about “unfair difficulty” clearly don’t understand the genre. While it can be demanding at times, every enemy and moving obstacle follows consistent, predictable patterns. Mastery comes through practice and observation, and that, to me, is the very definition of fair game design. You’re not [i]supposed[/i] to breeze through every challenge on your first attempt. It’s [i]meant[/i] to be a proper challenge! I must have died a hundred times on my first playthrough, and it was hilarious almost every single time. One thing I really appreciate is that you can freely select any chapter after your first playthrough. It makes hunting down missed collectibles and tackling the final achievements smooth and enjoyable. Any completionist will love this feature. The ending (no spoilers) perfectly sets up a DLC chapter or even a full sequel, and I’m absolutely here for it.
• Recommended Posted May 11, 2026 on Steam Review by [url=https://store.steampowered.com/curator/34633003-Gaming-Masterpieces/lists/] Gaming Masterpieces [/url] - The greatest games of all time on Steam. Is this game a masterpiece? Well, it is a daring escape story of a small octopus who must flee from a deadly industrial facility. It certainly looks fantastic and promises exciting gameplay, but it is more like a decent cinematic platformer than an immortal masterpiece. The Japanese publisher Konami has released countless iconic games over the past 45 years, from Castlevania to Silent Hill to Metal Gear. Now they present Darwin’s Paradox!, a puzzle platformer by the French development team ZDT Studio. The Paris-based studio is home to several veteran developers who previously held leading positions at companies such as Focus Home Interactive and Arkane. With Mikael Tanguy, an experienced visual effects specialist from the film industry, also on board, it clearly shows: visually, Darwin’s Paradox! ranks among the top of its genre, drawing gameplay inspiration from classics like Another World and more recent titles like Little Nightmares. Octopuses are mollusks belonging to the order of octopods. They have eight arms with suction cups and use ink for defense. They’re considered highly intelligent. Properly prepared, they’re also delicious. And that is exactly how Darwin was supposed to end up. We play as Darwin the octopus, who was just having a pleasant time in the warm sea with his girlfriend, spraying ink to hide from hungry moray eels—when suddenly, both are abducted by a UFO into a fish factory (?!). For some reason, however, we aren’t chopped up but instead fall through a grate and now try to find our way back home. That’s easier said than done, because the industrial complex of UFOOD is enormous—and full of deadly dangers. It’s going to take a while to return to the sea. But soon Darwin realizes that something isn’t right… are there really humans working in this factory? Darwin can move gracefully both underwater and on land. In water, he can dash, spray ink to hide, or blend into the seabed by copying its color to become invisible to enemies. He can also hide in tall seaweed. On land, he can jump and, thanks to his suction cups, move along smooth surfaces—both vertically and across ceilings. However, this only works if he isn’t covered in oily residue; otherwise, he’ll slip. With his eight arms, he can operate levers and push crates or barrels around. Generally, you move from left to right—or sometimes right to left or top to bottom—progressing through the level from one checkpoint (and autosave) to the next. Dying isn’t a major issue, as you immediately respawn at the last checkpoint. And dying happens quickly: rats tear you apart (though they leave you alone if you’re covered in a glowing green—and definitely not toxic—liquid), albatrosses eat you, moray eels devour you, you burst on sharp spikes, or get fried on hot pipes… just to name a few possible fates. The game constantly introduces new environments with different challenges. Sometimes you navigate dark underwater caves, at other times you traverse the underground realm of rats, climb pipes, or jump across moving crates. At times it’s about dexterity, at others stealth or small puzzles. It never gets boring, and the individual sections aren’t too long. The graphics in Darwin’s Paradox! are highly detailed. Many animations make your screen look like a living aquarium—truly impressive. However, this comes at a cost: the game requires fairly capable hardware. I also tried Darwin’s Paradox! on a Lenovo Legion Go S handheld. At default settings, it was essentially an unplayable slideshow—even worse than when I tried running Red Baron (Dynamix, 1990) on an unupgraded Amiga 500 back in the day. Lowering the graphics settings to “low” made it playable, but still not ideal—partly due to lingering stutter, and partly because the game is simply too detailed for a small screen (8 inches on the Lenovo, compared to 7 inches on the Steam Deck). It’s much better to play Darwin’s Paradox! on a large display (and with a potent GPU) —even though it’s certified for the Steam Deck. A gamepad is also strongly recommended. Cloud saves are supported. [u][b] Conclusion:[/b][/u] Another “cinematic platformer”—a movie-like puzzle platformer. In this case, the term “cinematic” truly fits, as the visuals are exceptionally elaborate. The gameplay is also very varied: each section has a different theme and presents new challenges. Sometimes skill and timing are key, other times it requires careful thinking. If you enjoyed games like Flashback, Inside, Limbo, Neva, or Planet of Lana, then Darwin’s Paradox! might be exactly what you’re looking for.