The Witness, 10 Years Later, Still Refuses To Explain Itself

The Witness celebrated its 10-year anniversary on January 26, 2025. Below, we look back at its methodical approach of letting the player teach themselves.

When The Witness launched at the end of January 2016, it felt willfully out of step with the rest of the industry. Big-budget games were growing louder and more cinematic with the likes of Watch Dogs 2, Mafia III, and Uncharted 4. None of those titles held their players' hands to an unnecessary degree, but clear objective markers ensured players were almost always aware of their next task. Jonathan Blow’s puzzle game arrived and couldn't have felt more different.

There were no prompts, no text boxes, no explanations. You woke up on a serene island and were expected to quietly figure everything out on your own.