Limbo, from PlayDead Games, took home two awards at this year’s IGF: Technical Excellence and Excellence in Visual Art. While I have trouble saying that any one of the IGF Finalists were better than another, I can see why Limbo won these awards.

It’s an atmospheric platform game with a mix of slow progression peppered with jolts of bloody surprise.

I had the opportunity to play through both demo sections that were shown off on the IGF Floor. With the tight audio design, I played with headphones on, which transported me to a more peaceful world than the chaos going on around me. But at the same time it made me more susceptible to surprise, and I probably looked hilarious as I jumped after my character was chopped in half by a bear trap for the first (of several) times.

The game is so quiet in the sections where you just need to move carts or push boats, but then it takes a violent turn when huge blocks drop on your head or other shadowy children chase you down with blowdarts. The game had a “race the dropping gates” moment like many classic puzzlers, but also plenty of unique moments. At one juncture, a worm tries to burrow into your skull and you’re forced to trudge in one direction until sunlight burns the worm and flips your path. You must find a way to get yourself close to some nearby monsters that eat the worm out of your head, freeing you from the mind control. A unique puzzle that had me accidentally drown before discovering the solution.

I encountered what you could call a boss fight at the end of one section with a giant spider. The trick was to get the spider to try and impale you with its legs, but instead have them hit a bear trap instead. It took some planning and careful maneuvering, as you could tell where the legs would stab down. But by the third leg, PlayDead made a fool out of me, because while I had anticpated where the leg would land, the leg actually popped out much further than expected, leaving my poor character crumpled and bleeding on the ground. Luckily the game just sets you back a small distance from your demise, so you’re never far from the action.

I really enjoyed Limbo. It’s a truly atmospheric game with some great twists and unexpected moments. I could help but chuckle each time I was surprised with a new way to end my life. The game is coming out on XBLA this summer, but there’s no exact date just yet. We’ll let you know just as soon as we hear more.