For more on Limbo, check out our full Limbo review. Or, for more of the best Xbox 360 games for a 10 year old, why not try our Family Game Finder
Limbo is an art house style puzzle platformer that puts you in the role of a young boy exploring a dangerous forest. With nothing in the way or writing, storytelling, or tutorials, this can be a very tricky game for younger players to get into, as not once does the game give you even the slightest hint of what you're supposed to be doing.
Set in a black and white silhouette world, it's up to you to solve a variety of obscure puzzles in order to progress through the forest. Whether you're shuffling mine-carts around, making use of a rope's momentum, or running away from a boulder, as you're forced to think on your feet about how to dodge it, the puzzles here are anything but forgiving. Near the start of the game, you'll come across what appears to be some sort of corpse hanging from a tree. The way to solve the puzzle is to find the bear trap that's been hidden nearby, pull that beneath the rope, and then jump onto the rope so the bear trap slices the corpse off, letting you swing freely on the rope. Obscure? Definitely - and that's one of the easier ones.
In fact, the whole game can be a frustrating experience for children, as it's been designed to make you die as many time as possible. The aforementioned bear traps hide amongst grass and are very hard to pick out, yet alone leap over, as your character's jump, even at full speed, will only just clear them, requiring some perfect timing. Meanwhile, with nothing in the way of tutorials, a hint system, or prompts, the game will be all but impossible for younger children to get into. One for the older, and more patient children only.
Despite its monochrome trappings, Limbo can actually be surprisingly violent at times. When your character dies, they give out large spurts of black blood (as everything is silhouetted), as you often end up impaled on a spike, flattened under a boulder, or generally mashed. The well hidden bear traps, which will snap shut tight on your character's body, beheading them in the process, are also fairly grizzly. It's also worth bearing in mind that the game's environment is designed to be imposing and threatening, with more than a hint of horror to it, which younger children may find unsettling.
Age Ratings
Format Reviewed: Xbox 360
