Darwin's Paradox! on Steam - User reviews, Price & Information
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Dive into the adventure with Darwin, an octopus as endearing as he is ingenious, torn from the ocean and trapped in a vast and mysterious industrial complex. Harness his unique talents and abilities to help him overcome the many dangers and traps in this captivating platformer and adventure game.
Darwin's Paradox! is a action, adventure and action-adventure game
developed by ZDT Studio
and published by KONAMI.
Released on April 02nd 2026 is available only on Windows
in 8 languages: English, French, Italian, German, Spanish - Spain, Japanese, Portuguese - Brazil and Simplified Chinese.
It has received 318 reviews of which 285 were positive and 33 were negative resulting in a rating of 8.3 out of 10. 😎
The game is currently priced at 24.99€ on Steam.
The Steam community has classified Darwin's Paradox! into these genres:
Media & Screenshots
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System requirements
These are the minimum specifications needed to play the game. For the best experience, we recommend that you verify them.
Windows
- Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system
- OS: Windows 10
- Processor: AMD or Intel quad-core CPU, 2.5GHz or faster
- Memory: 8 GB RAM
- Graphics: Nvidia GeForce RTX 2060 6GB | AMD Radeon RX-5600 XT 6GB
- DirectX: Version 12
- Network: Broadband Internet connection
- Storage: 10 GB available space
- Additional Notes: SSD recommended. Minimum Specifications allow for 720p resolution at 30 FPS in Low Quality settings
User reviews & Ratings
Explore reviews from Steam users sharing their experiences and what they love about the game.
Short answer: I wholeheartedly recommend this game – even at its original price point. This is a genuinely enjoyable platformer. While it’s not without its flaws, there’s a lot it gets right. It may not completely astonish seasoned platforming fans, but if you have a fondness for the genre, you’ll certainly find plenty to appreciate. What I liked: The world design is playful and engaging – I genuinely wished I could explore more, so it’s a slight shame that the game is quite linear. The collectables are a delight, and if you take the time to soak in your surroundings rather than simply rush through, the game’s whimsical world evokes the charm of classic cartoons I watched. The game’s shortness worked in its favour for me – I completed it in a single sitting, which says a lot about how much I enjoyed it. For those with limited spare time, this is a real bonus, and the price feels well justified given the experience and lack of replayability. The story, while not groundbreaking, was surprisingly enjoyable. I found the concept of a squid as the main character refreshingly fun. If a sequel were to be released, I’d be eager to play, just to see what chaos the squid would get up to next. A few aspects that didn’t quite hit the mark for me: Although the level design is straightforward, following a single path, I sometimes struggled to identify which elements were interactive or which areas I could move through. This was particularly noticeable during the water section, with tanks and a fish chasing me – it took me a while to realise which tanks were accessible, and that certain doors could actually be opened, which was a tad frustrating. The controls, for the most part, are smooth and responsive. However, in certain sections, there appeared to be a slight delay between pressing a button and the squid performing the action, which disrupted the otherwise fluid gameplay. Oddly, this lag only occurred in specific parts of the game and disappeared once I’d progressed past those sections. Final thoughts: All in all, this is a thoroughly enjoyable game from Konami – an unexpected delight. If you’re in the mood for a charming, quirky platformer, I’d say this is well worth your time.
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We don’t get enough puzzle platformers of this caliber anymore, and especially not ones this polished! Darwin’s Paradox! 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 will 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, Darwin’s Paradox! 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 supposed to breeze through every challenge on your first attempt. It’s meant 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.
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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!)
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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.
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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. I was also hoping to hear that catchy song from the promotional music video. Unless it's hidden away somewhere? 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.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Darwin's Paradox! is currently priced at 24.99€ on Steam.
Darwin's Paradox! is currently not on sale. You can purchase it for 24.99€ on Steam.
Darwin's Paradox! received 285 positive votes out of a total of 318 achieving a rating of 8.26.
😎
Darwin's Paradox! was developed by ZDT Studio and published by KONAMI.
Darwin's Paradox! is playable and fully supported on Windows.
Darwin's Paradox! is not playable on MacOS.
Darwin's Paradox! is not playable on Linux.
Darwin's Paradox! is a single-player game.
Darwin's Paradox! does not currently offer any DLC.
Darwin's Paradox! does not support mods via Steam Workshop.
Darwin's Paradox! does not support Steam Remote Play.
Darwin's Paradox! is enabled for Steam Family Sharing. This means you can share the game with authorized users from your Steam Library, allowing them to play it on their own accounts. For more details on how the feature works, you can read the original Steam Family Sharing announcement or visit the Steam Family Sharing user guide and FAQ page.
You can find solutions or submit a support ticket by visiting the Steam Support page for Darwin's Paradox!.
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Additionally, we incorporate data from the SteamSpy API, which offers insights into game sales and player statistics. This helps us present a comprehensive view of each game's popularity and performance within the gaming community.
Last Updates| Steam data | 07 April 2026 16:49 |
|---|---|
| SteamSpy data | 07 April 2026 12:45 |
| Steam price | 07 April 2026 13:01 |
| Steam reviews | 07 April 2026 15:45 |
If you'd like to dive deeper into the details about Darwin's Paradox!, we invite you to check out a few dedicated websites that offer extensive information and insights. These platforms provide valuable data, analysis, and user-generated reports to enhance your understanding of the game and its performance.
- SteamDB - A comprehensive database of everything on Steam about Darwin's Paradox!
- SteamCharts - Analysis of Darwin's Paradox! concurrent players on Steam
- ProtonDB - Crowdsourced reports on Linux and Steam Deck Darwin's Paradox! compatibility
Game modes
Features
Developer
ZDT Studio
Publisher
KONAMI
Release
02 Apr 2026
Platforms