Outer Wilds

Outer Wilds is an exploration space mystery about a solar system trapped in an endless time loop. After twenty minutes of game time, you must start again - but each loop brings a new opportunity to learn how you ended up on the planet and discover its secrets. It stands out for its invitation to slowly learn about the strange galaxy you find yourself in and solve its mysteries.

CONTENT RATING

PEGI 7

Fear,

Violence

PLATFORMS

PlayStation 4
Xbox One
PC
Nintendo Switch
PlayStation 5
Xbox Series X|S

POSITIVE GAMEPLAY

Comprehension
Emotions
Empathy
Exploration
Identity
Non-Violent
Note-Taking
Problem Solving

PLAY STYLE

Player vs Game World

It's a game that looks relatively predictable, but with each loop the game grows both in complexity and ambition of its theme. What starts as a game about mystery and survival grows to steadily shed light on life, death and what it means to be human.

Play is a matter of stepping out into the world, talking to the people you meet and carefully observing what you find. Everything is open from the start but you need to comprehend how the different moving parts fit together to discover more. It's as much about being in the right place at the right time as it is your ability to pilot spacecraft or efficiently move through the world.

The result is a game that you investigate as much as you play. It's a fascinating and elegant puzzle but in solving this, you uncover a story about the vastness of space and the human instinct to strive for more.

Good to know

Insights to ensure your child's gaming experience remains safe and enjoyable

Internet Matters Recommends

Consider time investment

Adventure games often take a long time to finish. Encourage regular breaks to get moving, rest their eyes and balance their time with other activities.

Nurture key skills

Many adventure games incorporate problem solving and critical thinking, important skills for school, work and more offline. Talk to them about their game to see how it supports them and their goals.

Build resilience

Encourage children to take risks with their characters in-game to safely learn potential consequences. Talk about what might happen outside of the game and why it's important to keep those risks in-game only. While playing, encourage them to think about innovative risks their character can take.

Skill level age

Suggested by Family Gaming Database

11+

You can't tell from the look of it, but this is a game that needs a large amount of lateral thinking. You need to closely observe what's happening in the world and then use each of your loops to inch towards where you need to go. Patience, planning, leaps of faith and problem-solving are all important. More mature players get more from the moving story.

Content rating

PEGI 7
Fear
Violence

Rated PEGI 7 for Fear and Violence. The DLC content features sequences in which the player's character is chased by owl-like creatures which want to grab you and blow out the light you're carrying. These sequences create a feeling of dread while moving through dark environments. There is also the use of creepy music and sound effects. The game also features numerous lethal environmental hazards that can crush, suffocate and burn the player's character.

The original Outer Wilds game is rated PEGI 7 for mild violence that lacks any apparent harm or injury to human-like characters and pictures or sounds likely to be scary to young children. The game features numerous lethal environmental hazards that can crush, suffocate and burn the player's character. There are various dark and eerie settings throughout the game, including a scary encounter with a menacing angler fish. This can be scary for young children.

Accessibility

There are 28 accessibility features for
Outer Wilds

Balance Audio Levels
Play Without Hearing

Adjust Mouse/Stick/Touch Sensitivity, Deadzones and Thresholds
Informative Vibration
Invert X/Y Axis
Keyboard Alone
Mouse and Keys
Multiple Buttons & Single Stick
Multiple Buttons & Two Sticks
Remap Buttons
Remap Extra Mouse Buttons
Remap Mouse and Keyboard
Remap Sticks
Vibration Optional

No Jump Scares
Practice Area
Tutorials
View Control Mapping

Digital Menu Navigation
Game Map
Head-Up Display Navigation
Menu Audio Cues
Remap Game Menu Access
Visual Directional Cues

All Speech Subtitled (Or No Speech In Game)
High Contrast Text
Moderate Reading
Speaker Indicator

Data by Family Gaming Database

Game details

Platforms

PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S

Release date

December 11, 2018, updated in 2023

No. of players

This is a single-player game.

Genre

Adventure | Brain Game

In-game purchases

Yes

More information: Family Gaming Database

POWER UP YOUR PRESENTS

EE can help you get everything you need from consoles, to games, to connectivity.

Go to the EE Game Store

Other games like Outer Wilds