Little Orpheus
Sep 13, 2022 4 years ago
An impossible adventure awaits in Little Orpheus, the brand-new adventure from award-winning studio The Chinese Room, a Sumo Digital Studio, available from today exclusively on Apple Arcade. From the BAFTA-winning team behind Everybody’s Gone to the Rapture and Dear Esther, Little Orpheus is a side-scrolling adventure game about one comrade’s journey to the centre of the Earth. The year is 1962. NASA are trying to put a man on the moon but in a remote corner of Siberia, a Soviet cosmonaut is heading in the other direction. Ivan Ivanovich is dropped into an extinct volcano in his exploration capsule, Little Orpheus, to explore the centre of the earth. Ivan vanishes, emerging three years later claiming to have saved the world. In a top-secret bunker, he is debriefed by the fearsome General Yurkovoi. Little Orpheus casts players as Ivan as he recounts an adventure beyond belief: a tale of lost civilizations, undersea kingdoms, and prehistoric jungles deep below the Earth’s crust. Brought to you in glorious technicolour with visuals inspired by a bygone era of adventure, Little Orpheus is a serialised adventure inspired by classic movies like Flash Gordon, Sinbad and The Land That Time Forgot.
What it’s like
Little Orpheus is a visually stunning, narrative-driven side-scrolling adventure that prioritizes atmosphere and whimsical storytelling over mechanical complexity. Set in a technicolor underworld beneath the Earth's crust, the game follows Ivan Ivanovich as he recounts his fantastical journey to General Yurkovoi, blending pulp sci-fi aesthetics with emotional resonance. The experience is structured into eight bite-sized episodes, offering a brisk, commute-friendly pace that feels like playing through an interactive comic book or animated serial. While the platforming and puzzle mechanics are intentionally simple and accessible—designed to clear the path for the narrative rather than challenge dexterity—they lack depth. The true strength lies in its charming world-building, vibrant art direction inspired by classic adventure films, and a sincere, character-focused tone that transforms a straightforward premise into a delightful, heartwarming escape.
Strong in Atmosphere / MoodStory / NarrativeVisuals / ArtAudio / MusicPacingPolish / PerformanceProgression / ReplayabilityWriting / Dialogue
Keep in mind The platforming and puzzle mechanics are extremely simple and may feel repetitive or shallow for players seeking mechanical depth or challenge. · Best suited for casual gamers or narrative fans; experienced platformer veterans might find the gameplay too lightweight.
AI-generated from catalog data, informed by reviews from ign.com, metacritic.com, rockpapershotgun.com, eurogamer.net, nintendolife.com, en.wikipedia.org.
Screenshots
Releases
| Platform | Region | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| iOS | Worldwide | Full release | Jun 12, 20206 years ago |
| Mac | Worldwide | Full release | Jun 12, 20206 years ago |
| Nintendo Switch | Worldwide | Full release | Sep 13, 20224 years ago |
| PC (Microsoft Windows) | Worldwide | Full release | Sep 13, 20224 years ago |
| PlayStation 4 | Worldwide | Full release | Sep 13, 20224 years ago |
| Xbox One | Worldwide | Full release | Sep 13, 20224 years ago |
