Indiana Jones and the Great Circle
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle
Game
Game2021
Olija
Developer Skeleton Crew Studio, Thomas Olsson
Olija is a platform video game developed by Skeleton Crew Studio and published by Devolver Digital. The game was released in January 2021 for Windows, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch and Xbox One, and for Amazon Luna in October 2021. From Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)
190 reactions from 3 sources (Steam reviews, Bluesky, Mastodon) · newest Sep 13, 2026 · last updated Oct 8, 2026 · How this works
Audience score
87
LovedLoved
157 positive · 24 negative
95% range 81–91%
| Source | + | − | = |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steam reviews | 157 | 24 | 0 |
| Bluesky * | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Mastodon * | 0 | 0 | 0 |
* shown, not counted in the score (label accuracy below our 85% bar or not yet audited).
9 newer reactions are still waiting for a label.
Steam's own rating
Very Positive
900 of 998 reviews positive (all languages, per Valve)
What people are saying
Summary pending — the reactions are listed below.
Reactions
60 of 190 · most liked firstOlija is an engrossing and atmospheric action-adventure game. It sets itself apart from similar titles with its beautiful pixel graphics, satisfying combat and the brevity of its story. The game is short but not overly expensive and what you get is absolute quality from start to finish. Highly recommend!
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Beautifully made game with outstanding music and ambiance. The game play is fluid and well designed. it is on the shorter side for length ~5.5 hours and the ending left me with a little more to be desired. That being said, $15 is a fair price and I am left feeling overall content with my purchase. I am overjoyed to support such talented developers.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Olija is another game that's been sitting on my wish list for years; when faced with a choice between Olija or another game on my list, I've always bought the other game. When faced with a choice between Olija or going to the sub shop of my choice for dinner...Club Sub or Philly Steak? All the reviews said the game was too short, too easy, and just generally not all that interesting. Well, I finally got to the point where very little else on my list seemed as appealing, so I asked for it for…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Not really a Metroidvania due to linearity and little reason to backtrack except for pointless collectibles. I would not recommend this at full price due to the short length. I would not recommend this to casuals who aren't willing to "git gud" for the final boss who flips the difficulty curve on its head, unforgivably stunlocking you for errors and ruining your good progress up to that point. After a few attempts, I realized I didn't care enough about the game to finish it anyway. Your mileage…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →6/10 Ok If you can get it on sale for ~$5, go for it, otherwise, skip. Combat is decent hack & slash with neat harpoon dashing/teleportation. The harpoon also makes platforming quick & interesting. A constant annoyance is how slow all the loading & unskippable transitions are. Starting the game takes a few secs; followed by unskippable logos. More loading to get into the game. Calling the old man on the boat, sailing, returning to your base, entering certain doors. So. Much. Wasted. Time.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I love the presentation, visual flare and soundtrack but it is boring to play through, unfortunately.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This is a really beautiful game, with a lovely story. The music and art both exist in the same space where very 'light touches' serve to nuance everything in a peculiar but stunning way. Don't just look for a game to barrel through, should you play this one. Take a minute and watch the animation frames carefully, notice the lighting, listen closely to the delicate music (For example, think of the saxophone soloing over traditional eastern instruments as being much like a modern Westerner out of…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →It's good but not great. Combat is really simple and boring. Story is okay and very straightforward. You mostly play it for the mood, which is well put together. A solid 6.5/10.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This game has an interesting concept, though the game feels more like a demo or shareware game that's short and not very fleshed out. Unlocking hats is not the same as the claimed "crafting" of hats. The story is not great and there are a lot of long pauses. The game several times also went into a debug mode that couldn't be exited as well as crashed several times, but it could always be restarted and there was no problem playing through the whole game. If the game is on sale for a low price,…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Olija is a competently made game that just didn't leave much of an impression. The harpoon mechanics have a satisfying snap to them and the atmosphere has a genuinely moodier, more melancholic tone than most games in this space, which sets it apart visually even if it doesn't do enough with that foundation. The hat system is the clearest example of a good idea that doesn't get developed far enough. There's real potential in swapping abilities on the fly but once you find what works the…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Cool Iberian music. A fantasy-Irish protagonist with a torc of bondage clamped about his neck. A Japan-like Lost World culture in a watery land that retains its mystery by dragging in sailors who get too close and not letting them escape. A gooey demon lord with a fanged mask for a head who commands an army of lost souls. General atmosphere, conception is A-1! Would like some fill-in on the finer story points, however -- in the end it's way too misty for my tastes, and I could certainly…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Olija sort of blew me away with how tight the whole package was, it kind of has everything going for it. Great worldbuilding/narrative, great audiovisual presentation and slick, addictive combat, all tied up in a cheap, short and digestable package. The only thing that could have improved it more was if it were a full blown metroidvania (my favorite genre) however it has some MV elements to it. The map isn't interconnected as it's a handfull of seperate islands which you mostly explore in a…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I'm not a fan of this game...I wanted to refund it within the first 30 minutes, but couldn't as I had bought it in a bundle. I decided to beat it only because I had it, but it didn't really get better, playing it was kinda like a chore...It had its moments, but overall, this was a very meh game to me.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I really wanted to enjoy this game, but to do so I must be able to play it first. And the amount of play time compared to load time is ridiculous. Why do I have to spend more than a minute waiting for the boat to return and look at the map and ferry me across the waters? These types of things should be almost instantaneous, especially if it is something that has to be done often in the game.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Played on steam deck. Quiet short game with some good ideas but not enough to keep me interest and crashed 3 or 4 times as well. Not much of a challenge either and has no replay ability. Might be worth getting on a sale but a full price no. Was not for me.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Impeccable vibes. The presentation from animation over mumbling voice acting (with intelligible names) to the music and ambient sound effects is perfect. It also had the perfect structure and length to me, with 4 areas unlocking one after another coming in at 4 hours total. There isn't any mandatory backtracking. You can play through pushing forward at all times. All areas that grant you a key to progress will however close up permanently. So when you do want to revisit areas, you may be…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This game was ok there is a lot of waiting around and the character moves a bit slowly/ Also the combat isn't particularly interesting but there is a cool idea behind it just seemed like it wasn't very well thought out in places exploration was a bit boring as there wasn't much to find off the beaten track other than ships in bottles which I never discovered the use for.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Overall a fun experience. However, I have many gripes: - As a completionist, I do not appreciate the inability to backtrack to many locations, after completing them, nor the lack of a notification that the area will close after completing it, nor the lack of a notification when entering the final encounter on my first playthrough, signifying that I am unable to go back or start a New Game+. I understand that this is to give a sense of finality, but I think that after beating the final boss, you…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Important breaking news, Skeleton Crew Studio (the people who made Olija) has a new game out and it looks awesome store.steampowered.com/app/2325920/...
unlabelledView post →Beautiful soundtrack and a nice storyline. This game goes better with a controller (I used an Xbox controller).
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Initially wary, but the game won me over after 45 minutes. Started grooving with the games last few areas. The combat is actually pretty sick and the movement is cool too. There's a combo system, hot swapping through secondary weapons, mid air attacks, launches, etc. The spear mechanic is good and has friendly mid-air float when puzzle-platforming. The dash can sequence break some puzzles, and you can jump upon landing to speed roll. Story is present with a mix of telling and showing, and I was…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Fantastic adventure game. Everything is A+ I'm so sad I finished it.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Olija is a great and pretty short game that I really enjoyed and would definitely recommend. I really enjoyed the combat and traversal. You get a good variety of combat options as you progress through the game. Enemies often have clear tells so you can somewhat reliably avoid damage and there’s also a pretty decent amount of healing scattered through the levels so the game wasn’t too challenging but it wasn’t a mindless affair. The game also has a great sense of progression, the hub of the…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Sorry, but apart from the cool Harpoon-throw-teleport gimmick, this game has nothing special going for it. It doesn't have a story-pull like e.g 'Sanabi' and combat is not as fluid or fast as e.g. 'Katana Zero'. It's a decent game in a vacuum but nothing note-worthy.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Short and fun game, story is a bit confusing but gameplay and OST are pretty good.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Отличное приключение в духе Сегуна. Одна из немногих игр за последнее время которая дала ощущение приключения и пробудила интерес исследовать хоть и небольшой, но интересный мир. Стильная и очень приятная графика с красивыми анимациями и качественной постановкой при всей своей простоте отлично погружают в атмосферу восточных мифов и передают сюжет. Бои не сложные, но в тоже время дают почувствовать удовлетворение после победы над очередным противником. Чекпоинты расставленны довольно часто и…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I was looking for a metroidvania when I bought this, and at first I was a little annoyed with it. the main gimmick upgrades are cool but the subweapons are kinda useless and there really isn't a map to explore, so this game isn't much of a metroidvania. the in-game graphics are extremely minimalist and not particularly attractive too, so its sorta ugly and drab. oh, and the game progression is basically 100% linear. ALL THAT NASTY STUFF SAID, this game's developers where not going for any of…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Here's my #NintendoSwitch #indiegame highlight for today! 🎮👍🏼 Game - Olija Developer - Skeleton Crew Studio Publisher - @devolverdigital.com Release date - January 28, 2021
unlabelledView post →How could I have missed such a gem ? Gorgeous intro, fun gameplay with a badass hero, cool pixel-art and even better cutscenes, amazing soundtrack. I'm loving every minute of it so far.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →It's a crime that this game isn't discussed more. A fluid platformer with a somber atmosphere and romantic story.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →What a bonkers game. Its tone is all over the place: Sometimes gory and menacing, sometimes comedic, sometimes banal. Graphics are serviceable, but music and sfx are OUTSTANDING! They are so clear and good that they seem to clash with the rest of the game's flair. Combat is extremely crunchy, punchy and satisfying - but also ridiculously easy. You are overpowered in movement, weapons and health, and not even the final boss poses any threat. And before you know it, it's over. 5 hours of…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Short but solid platformer/action game with a strong central mechanic - a harpoon you can throw which when anchored in an environmental tether or enemy you can flit to. + Harpoon mechanic is used for basically everything, and combined with other elements makes for a solid base with regards to puzzles, platforming, combat etc. + Most of the design choices (art style, music, sound) are pleasing and feel cohesive o Shortish, 7-10 hours. I'm not sure it would have benefited from being much longer…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Short and sweet, so wait for sale, but good game overall. Pros - nice pixel artwork and fluid animation - simple, yet very cool combat mechanics - good story - good soundtrack - Not in-game related, but the art style in the trailer is so good, they should have made a short film or something Cons - Not a big con, but the devs could have fleshed out some game mechanics and areas to make it lengthier and more challenging. It feels like it's just a few steps away from being a great game.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Olija immediately reminded me of older cinematic platformers like Flashback and Another World. Those games have a reputation of being very difficult, but Skeleton Crew Studio has kept the difficulty accessible in order to focus on the atmosphere and gameplay. While the graphics are minimal, leaving much to the imagination, I really enjoyed the sound design. The creak of the wooden dock in the hub world, the whooshing spin of your magically returning harpoon, the otherworldly growl of the bad…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Olija is a great game and it deserves more love
unlabelledView post →A lot of fun. Sweet for Steam Deck.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →It is ok! This game lacks map, i guess, cause it's hard to memorize where you already went. But it is a decent, not very long, but fun retro game. Fighting and usuing harpoon here is also satisfying. Yes, it crashed a couple times, but it wasn't a big deal.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →It looks great and plays fine but there's no degree of difficulty to it and, after a 4th successive crash, nothing about the game was calling out to me to keep playing.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →A most excellent game. Just as long as it needs to be and knows exactly what it's trying to portray. Special mention goes to the game's audio, which is the rock-solid base upon which the rest of the game's atmosphere is built. But most importantly, the immersiveness of this game stems from the fact that the characters act... natural. Be it the boatman getting annoyed if you blare the horn in his face one too many times. Be it the meme-worthy "You haven't touched your food my Lord.." Be it…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Excellent game. Dripping with style and ambiance. The combat is fast and snappy without being overly complicated. Getting combos can be challenging but is oh so satisfying. The storyline is one of heartbreak, sacrifice and heroism. My only lament is that it's not that long.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →beautiful game with fun combat.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Impeccable vibes and immeasurable feels with this standout indie gem. The main mechanic is also phenomenal and it makes you both feel the power of the spear and its importance for the story.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →An ok beat em up that I just stopped coming back to. Probably the weakest game I've played published by Devolver Digital. C+
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →A great game start to finish and not too long but not too short. Gameplay and combat is pretty simple, normal side-scroller or metroidvania type system. Story is cool and follows the captain Faraday attempting to save his shipwrecked crew. The art style is a big selling point; lots of detail with little pixels make for a beautiful eye-popping world. Soundtrack was hit-or-miss for me, REALLY liked some and just meh on others but at no point does the music NOT add to the experience. Definitely…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I got Olija on sale as part of a bundle. It was enjoyable, but left me wanting more. The movement and game-feel are top notch; it's super satisfying to dash around with your spear, whether you're just platforming or closing the gap on an impaled enemy. The controls are tight and responsive, the combat is engaging and weighty, and the visuals and sound design do a lot to pull you into the experience. All that said, I'm left with a bittersweet feeling as I wrap up the story, since Olija doesn't…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The only thing I learned from this game is that I have To run after banging my chicks
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Mostly musically but kinda graphically, this game reminds me of the OG Jordan Mechner's Prince of Persia games (The Shadow & The Flame, IYKYK). But in every other aspect it's smoother, more fun, and has a better story (albeit with far less challenge). Seriously, just watch the animated trailer, and if you dig the vibe of that, the game matches it. Nuff said
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Overall, i think this is a little great game, the controls are fine, the art is great, the music is great, it has good replayability in the search of the bottled ships, a great package overall. I find that its short enough to encourage multiple runs to search for the missing parts, but a lot of "cutscenes" are not skippable, witch bogs it a lot imho, it gets tiring because of that, I would not have completed all archivements if i had to look for all of the bottled ships, a great decision in…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Lovely aesthetic, fight mechanics, story - I enjoyed it through and through. There's puzzle elements, treasure hunting and new skills to unlock, as well as some freedom to choose play styles. The storytelling is moody and well done. The difficulty is not extreme, but that doesn't affect the game negatively. The only outstanding issue were the long loading screens, though that might be attributed to my hardware, and to be fair it helped staying cold-blooded (which matches the game's atmosphere…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Tight level design and great atmosphere
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →On its surface Olija is quite mediocre and derivative. It's a short action platformer (not a metroidvania) with very basic combat, weapons, and traversal puzzles. There's some exploration required for finding the secrets, but otherwise level design tends to be more linear than open. To be clear, all of this gameplay is adequately done, but there's also nothing noteworthy about it. What makes Olija special is its style. Its very precise art direction combines minimalist pixel art and animations…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →look, i also wish, like many other reviewers, that this game had a map. but i also wish that this game had a fandom, a community. this game has cool characters, great moments, and a story that does the Hero's Journey tropes well. all layered over an action platformer that doesn't just stick to being a standard metroidvania. once you get the hang of the game's core combat -- the harpoon -- it becomes a fun and gripping adventure with satisfying combat. definitely worth picking up even at its…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I very much enjoyed this one. It's definitely on the simpler more linear side. It isn't hard, but definitely an enjoyable experience overall. I easily got invested in the story. It is definitely linear so don't go into this one expecting a classic metroidvania experience. The fighting isn't hard, but like I said the overall experience was still super engaging. It's pretty short but worth it for more of a casual gamer to chill with. I would say get it on sale, at least. 8/10
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →What a cute little game.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The first hour wasn't very entertaining, but then came a combat system that was good enough to compete with pixel games with the best combat, and it blew my mind. The linearity of the game was also interesting and something I personally liked. The story is solid and the environment changes with the progression. I recommend it to those who like the genre.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Being 43 as I write this, spending hundreds of dollars on discounted indies yearly (sometimes monthly) and all for what? I do it for that experience of being 13 again, sitting in front of a screen and seeing a new world open up in a way I never thought that it could. Maybe one out of every 30 or 50 or 100 games I play ever vaguely come close to that, Olija did from the moment I first loaded it. The sound, the pallet, the incredibly satisfying combat...the HATS. It's just perfect. I'm one of…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Very enjoyable game , great atmosphere and nice graphics. i find the fighting and the game pretty easy and its nice for relaxing to me , there were some difficult parts but overall great game , 8/10
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Short game with a cool "harpoon-throwing" mechanic that makes you feel like a badass. The boss fight is fun, there's a little bit of platforming here and there but wish they add more. The story is nice, although the conclusion felt very unsatisfying. 7/10.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Amazing game. I got it for 80% off so the 3$ investment felt like i paid too little for such a great game. Music was amazing, gameplay (especially the hyper mobile combat) was addicting, and the story kept me invested for the ~5 hour playtime. Cannot recommend this hidden gem enough.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I have to recommend Olija because the central mechanic of throwing the Harpoon and pulling yourself to it feels so good and looks so cool. I finished the game on Steam Deck in 5 hours. The visual design never quite grew on me. It wasn't abstract or beautiful enough to engage my imagination, like Moonscars does as a pixel art comparison. But combat felt good and most animations were clear. The story was obtuse to me, but I think it's easy enough to enjoy as an ethereal mood piece that suggests…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
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