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Yes—Owlboy is worth considering if you want a story-led pixel-art adventure built around flying, exploration, and fighting with companions. Its unusual movement and recruitable gunners set it apart from a conventional platformer. The developers describe its boss battles as challenging, but available official information does not establish how difficult the entire game is.
What is Owlboy about?
Owlboy follows Otus, a mute owl who struggles to meet the expectations of owl-hood. When sky pirates appear, his situation worsens and he is drawn into a journey through monster-infested ruins, unexpected encounters, and heavy burdens. That premise gives the game a personal, story-led frame without requiring a player to know plot details in advance.
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
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Owlboy Standard Edition - Nintendo Switch (Renewed) | $27.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| 2 |
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Owlboy - Nintendo Switch Limited Edition | $135.79 | Buy on Amazon |
| 3 |
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Owlboy (Nintendo Switch) | $32.58 | Buy on Amazon |
| 4 |
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Super Smash Bros. Ultimate - US Version | $52.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| 5 |
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Minecraft - Nintendo Switch | $29.83 | Buy on Amazon |
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D-Pad Studio, the Norwegian indie studio behind the game, describes the setup on its official Owlboy page. Nintendo’s US Switch listing also presents Otus’s journey in its synopsis.
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How does Owlboy play?
Owlboy blends flying with platforming and open-world exploration. Rather than making ground-based jumps the whole point, it gives Otus the ability to carry friends, who can serve as gunners in combat. Each companion has distinct abilities and a story of their own, so recruiting and switching between them shapes how you approach encounters as well as exploration.
#1 Best Overall
- A love letter to pixel art for a new audience, Owlboy is a story-driven action adventure, with a unique mix of flight and platforming.
- Carry anything. Recruit Otus' friends as gunners to fight for you, each with unique abilities and stories.
- Large dungeons with big and challenging boss battles.
- An adventure 9 years in the making.
The official descriptions also point to large dungeons and boss battles. D-Pad Studio summarizes the companion mechanic as: “Carry anything. Recruit Otus’s friends as gunners to fight for you, each with unique abilities and stories.” The studio’s game page calls the game an open-world exploration experience that combines flight and platforming.
Is Owlboy difficult?
The clearest official signal is that the developers describe its boss battles as “challenging.” That is useful to know if you prefer to avoid demanding boss encounters, but it is not enough to label the full game easy or hard: the official pages do not document a complete difficulty curve or difficulty modes. They also do not establish what accessibility options are available.
Rank #2
- A love letter to pixel art for a new audience, Owlboy is a story-driven action adventure, with a unique mix of flight and platforming
- Carry anything. Recruit Otus's friends as gunners to fight for you, each with unique abilities and stories
- Large dungeons with big and challenging boss battles
- An adventure 9 years in the making
Who is Owlboy best suited to?
Owlboy is a strong candidate if you enjoy pixel-art presentation, narrative adventure, exploration, dungeons, aerial traversal, and combat that changes with companion abilities. Its flight-centered movement is a particular draw for players looking for something other than a conventional ground-based platformer.
Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches2Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems3Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteIf your priority is a verified low-difficulty experience, the available official descriptions do not provide enough information to promise one. Keep the developer’s characterization of the boss battles in mind when deciding whether that caveat matters to you.
Rank #3
- Fate strikes when otus' Beautiful homeland is invaded by a Horde of malicious sky pirates
- Otus embarks on a fascinating journey through seemingly endless skies and mysterious, Monster infested ruins
- He must Recruit his friends to employ their special puzzling- and combat skills, fight his foes and fly his way to safety
What platforms is Owlboy on?
Owlboy first released on PC on November 1, 2016, according to D-Pad Studio’s about page; Steam lists the same release date. Nintendo’s US listing gives February 13, 2018, for the Nintendo Switch edition. Nintendo currently lists a digital Switch edition and says it is supported on Switch 2, with behavior consistent with Nintendo Switch.
The developer also documented a historical retail release for PS4 and Nintendo Switch, including physical-edition plans and retailer links. That establishes that physical editions were released or listed at the time, not that they are currently in stock or what they cost. Check current retailer listings if you specifically want a physical copy.
Rank #4
- New stages and fighters are joined by the combined rosters of every past Super Smash Bros. Game
- Challenge others anytime, anywhere, whether you're on the couch or on the go
- Play any way you want—locally, online, in TV mode, Tabletop mode, Handheld mode, or even with GameCube Controllers
- Fight faster and smarter with new and returning techniques, like the perfect shield and directional air dodge
- Face off in 2-4 player battles, or play against the computer
| Platform or edition | What the listed information establishes |
|---|---|
| PC | First released November 1, 2016; Steam lists the same date. Steam listing |
| Nintendo Switch, US digital listing | Release date listed as February 13, 2018. Nintendo says Switch 2 compatibility is supported, with behavior consistent with Nintendo Switch. Nintendo listing |
| PS4 and physical Switch | D-Pad Studio documented historical retail releases and listings; current stock and pricing are not established. Developer page |
What has reception been like?
Steam showed 85% positive from 2,383 English user reviews in the snapshot accessed in 2026. Steam also displayed a Metacritic score of 88, linking to Metacritic; that figure is reported as presented by Steam, not as a freshly checked Metacritic score. Both are snapshots rather than permanent measures, and neither tells you whether the game’s particular mix of flight, story, and boss fights suits your preferences.
D-Pad Studio’s official page also lists review scores of 10/10 from Patrick Hancock at Destructoid, 9/10 from Jim Sterling at The Jimquisition, 9.5/10 from Mike Suskie at GameCritics, and 9/10 from Jon Calvin at GameReactor. The page does not show the original review dates for these scores.
Quick Recap
Best Value
- Minecraft is a game about placing blocks and going on adventures
- Explore randomly generated worlds and build amazing things from the simplest of homes to the grandest of castles
- Play in creative mode with unlimited resources or mine deep into the world in survival mode, crafting weapons and armor to fend off the dangerous mobs
- Play on the go in handheld or tabletop modes
- Includes Super Mario Mash-Up, Natural Texture Pack, Biome Settlers Skin Pack, Battle & Beasts Skin Pack, Campfire Tales Skin Pack; Compatible with Nintendo Switch only
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
