The Talos Principle

First-person puzzle adventure through ruins and questions about consciousness

Croteam · Published by Devolver Digital, Croteam · Released Dec 11, 2014

Reviews: Overwhelmingly Positive; 95% of 33K
Recent reviews: Very Positive; 84% of 51 in 30 days
Playing now: 41; right now
Steam Deck: Playable
Last update: 7 years ago; Feb 22, 2019

What is The Talos Principle?

A first-person puzzle game set among ancient ruins and advanced technology. You explore a nonlinear world, redirect laser beams, divert drones, and manipulate time to solve puzzles while deciding whether to trust the creator who assigned them.

For you if...

+you like exploring worlds in a nonlinear order
+you enjoy stories built around questions of consciousness
+you want puzzles that grow more complex as you progress

Not for you if...

−you want fast action instead of extended puzzle solving
−you dislike philosophical conversations during puzzle games

What players say

95% of 33,055 reviews are positive · 84% of 51 in the last 30 days

Players praise the puzzles, scenery, music, and philosophical themes. Others find the puzzles repetitive, the hidden secrets frustrating to locate, and the dialogue heavy-handed.

Screenshots and trailer

The Talos Principle system requirements

As published by the developer.

Minimum

OS: Windows 7
Processor: Dual-core 2.0 GHz
Graphics: DirectX 11 class GPU with 1GB VRAM (nVidia GeForce 480 GTX, AMD Radeon HD 5870)
Memory: 2 GB RAM
Storage: 5 GB available space
DirectX: Version 9.0c

PC version details

DRM, required accounts, controller support and Steam features.

DRM: None declared on Steam
Controller: Full controller support
Platforms: Windows, macOS, Linux
Achievements: 40
Steam features: Workshop, Cloud saves, Family Sharing, Trading cards

Steam Deck: Playable

Sometimes shows mouse, keyboard or non-Deck controller icons
Some text entry requires manually opening the on-screen keyboard
All functionality is accessible with the default controller configuration
In-game text is legible on Steam Deck
Default graphics settings perform well on Steam Deck

Multiplayer and co-op

Single-player

Languages

Full audio: English, French, Italian, German, Spanish - Spain, Russian, Japanese, Korean, Polish, Portuguese - Brazil, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese. Text only: Czech.