Ori and the Will of the Wisps pairs expressive platforming with exploration, customizable abilities and a story about finding Ku in a wounded forest.
Checked on Steam October 31, 2026Check on Steam
It suits players who want a single-player action platformer where new skills, combat builds and the story of Ku come together. The trade-off is that boss fights and escape sequences demand accurate timing, and revisiting older areas can feel like backtracking. Skip it if you want a relaxed walk through scenery without interruptions.
Ori and the Will of the Wisps is a single-player action-platform adventure about finding Ku and helping heal a broken land. Its world is built from connected regions rather than isolated stages: a path may stop at a ledge, a wall or a puzzle that Ori cannot yet solve. Exploration therefore has two rewards. You discover what is happening to the forest, and you gradually learn how to move through places that once seemed unreachable. The story is gentle in presentation but often asks you to persist through difficult sections.
Movement, combat and exploration keep changing as Ori learns new skills. Spirit weapons, spells and attacks give encounters more shape, while Spirit Shards let you adjust Ori’s abilities to suit the way you want to play. Bosses and escape sequences test those tools under pressure; a route that feels easy during exploration can become demanding when the screen fills with hazards. Choosing a shard setup is not just a menu preference: it can change whether a difficult stretch rewards extra safety, damage or a more mobile approach.
Choose this game if you enjoy precise platforming, discovering shortcuts and following a story through a hand-crafted world. It may be a poor match if you want a relaxed stroll with no retries, or combat that never interrupts exploration. The challenge is adjustable, and Xbox lists Easy, Normal and Hard, but even at a lower setting the game still expects you to pay attention to movement and the environment. The appeal is how naturally those skills, the world’s layout and Ori’s journey fit together.
When you reach a route you cannot pass, remember its location instead of spending too long trying the same jump. A new skill may turn it into a shortcut later. If a fight keeps going wrong, review both your timing and your Spirit Shard setup; you can change how Ori is equipped instead of treating one loadout as permanent. Players who loved Ori and the Blind Forest can continue with this sequel, while newcomers can start here for a new journey and story.
Wait if you dislike long stretches between saves. The game autosaves at specific points instead of letting you save wherever you like, and Spirit Wells are the only optional save spots, so plan sessions around them. Skip it if a route that stays closed until you find a new ability would frustrate you, since backtracking is part of the design. Players who want a short, pick-up-and-play session should look for a more contained game, because this one builds its pacing around long, connected exploration.
The Steam Deck status is playable rather than verified, so expect to check settings and performance on the handheld yourself. The game is single-player only, with no co-op, online or cross-platform modes. Windows is the only supported platform. Korean and Japanese both receive interface and subtitle support, which covers the two reading needs most players will bring. Minimum specifications ask for 8 GB of memory and 20 GB of storage.
Ori and the Blind Forest: Definitive Edition is the natural comparison, since both come from the same creators and share a route-finding structure built around movement. Blind Forest uses a sequential upgrade system, which Will of the Wisps replaced with shards you can buy or find. Choose the earlier game if you want that original upgrade path, and this one if you want to mix shards to change how Ori fights.
Mark blocked ledges and passages in your memory, then return when Ori learns a movement skill. Change Spirit Shards when the current challenge asks for a different strength.
Some jumps, boss encounters and escape sequences demand accurate timing. Exploring every branch can also mean revisiting areas after new abilities appear.
Hollow Knight also uses connected regions and ability-gated routes, but its combat and bosses take the central role. Pick it if fights matter more to you than the emotional story.
Celeste offers precise platforming in separate chapters rather than one sprawling map. Pick it if you want short, intense sessions instead of a connected world.
Mostly. Steam rates Ori and the Will of the Wisps Playable on Steam Deck: it runs, but you may need to adjust controls or put up with small text.
Yes. Steam lists full controller support for Ori and the Will of the Wisps.
No. Steam lists Ori and the Will of the Wisps as single-player only.
Yes. Lupo, the map maker, sells maps for some regions.
Exploring through jumps and newly unlocked movement skills
Ori and the Blind Forest combines a forest adventure with movement-focused platforming and an emotional story. New abilities gradually change how you travel through the connected world.
Discovering a large world through exploration and new abilities
Hollow Knight pairs a connected underground world with precise combat and new movement abilities. Finding routes and learning difficult encounters matter as much as following the main path.
Improving at precise jumps through quick retries
Celeste turns a mountain climb into tightly designed jumping challenges and a story about personal struggle. Small rooms encourage repeated attempts to learn a movement sequence.
