I've Played and Reviewed Hundreds of Games, But Inside Is the Closest Thing to ‘Perfect’ I’ve Ever Played

August 14, 2026 - 18:12

After hundreds of games played and reviewed over the years, I have learned to spot the cracks in almost anything. Pacing issues, clunky controls, story holes, repetitive missions. There is always something. So when I say that Inside is the closest thing to a perfect game I have ever touched, I do not say it lightly.

This is not a game about doing a thousand things. It is about doing a few things with absolute precision. You guide a small boy through a dark, oppressive world. There is no text, no dialogue, no tutorial telling you what to do. The game simply trusts you to figure it out, and that trust is rewarded at every turn. The puzzles are never unfair. They are just clever enough to make you feel smart without ever making you feel stuck.

The atmosphere is what truly sets it apart. Every shadow, every sound, every subtle movement of the camera builds a sense of dread that never lets go. You are not fighting enemies in the traditional sense. You are running, hiding, and sometimes just surviving. The game does not explain its world, and that mystery is part of its power. You are left to fill in the gaps with your own imagination, and that is far more haunting than any cutscene could be.

The ending, without giving anything away, is one of the most memorable moments in gaming. It is strange, abrupt, and yet perfectly in line with everything that came before. It does not wrap things up neatly. It leaves you sitting there, staring at the screen, trying to process what you just saw.

Inside is short. You can finish it in one sitting if you want. But that brevity is a strength. It never overstays its welcome. Every second is purposeful. Every frame feels intentional. It is not a game that tries to do everything. It just does what it does, and it does it flawlessly. For me, that is as close to perfect as this medium gets.