Darwin's Paradox! on Steam - User reviews, Price & Information
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Step into a cinematic adventure as Darwin, a brilliant octopus trapped in a mysterious industrial world. Use his unique abilities - swimming, wall-climbing, shooting ink, camouflage, and more - to overcome traps and escape.
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 702 reviews of which 621 were positive and 81 were negative resulting in a rating of 8.3 out of 10. 😎
The game is currently priced at 18.74€ on Steam with a 25% discount, but you can find it for 14.53€ on Gamivo.
The Steam community has classified Darwin's Paradox! into these genres:
Media & Screenshots
Get an in-depth look at Darwin's Paradox! through various videos and 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.
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.
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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 18.74€ on Steam.
Darwin's Paradox! is currently available at a 25% discount. You can purchase it for 18.74€ on Steam.
Darwin's Paradox! received 621 positive votes out of a total of 702 achieving a rating of 8.31.
😎
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!.
Data sources
The information presented on this page is sourced from reliable APIs to ensure accuracy and relevance. We utilize the Steam API to gather data on game details, including titles, descriptions, prices, and user reviews. This allows us to provide you with the most up-to-date information directly from the Steam platform.
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 | 14 May 2026 04:00 |
|---|---|
| SteamSpy data | 20 May 2026 01:30 |
| Steam price | 22 May 2026 12:57 |
| Steam reviews | 22 May 2026 07:45 |
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
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Game modes
Features
Online players
36
Developer
ZDT Studio
Publisher
KONAMI
Release
02 Apr 2026
Platforms
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