It's What's Inside that Counts!
I had my eyes on this one for a long time, having enjoyed Limbo way back in the day. Simply never found the time for it but boy am I glad it went on sale on Switch a couple months back and I finally found the time to play through it. I ended up completing the game in two sessions over two nights, both times in handheld mode.
This game captures your attention immediately with its stark but beautiful graphics and lack of establishing narrative. The game sets the stage thru the visuals and how you interact with the world. The first time I was caught by a human guard produced a result that really shocked me and immediately set the stakes. Here be danger. Later interactions with dogs were brutal to witness.
Inside is a game about navigating the world and making progress. Why? You have no idea why, you just know that the alternative is probably worse. You are presented with no prompts, no speech, no other characters, just a boy traversing a harsh environment. The conclusion is just as crazy as you've heard, and ultimate ending leaves room for interpretation. A secret ending allows for some replayability and further interpretation.
Puzzles range from tricking monsters to allow you time to clear paths, to mild stealth actions and platforming. Carefully timing your maneuvers is the fundamental skill at play throughout. They later add the mind-controlling of various homunculi, which evolves in a crazy way.
The controls are a little stodgy sometimes, but highly intuitive. Most puzzles are straightforward enough not to get stuck, but offer enough challenge to keep you thinking. There are a few that ask too much, given the stodgy controls. I'm thinking specifically of a late game hand crank moving a heavy object to provide a shadow for concealment. It's easy to intuit and annoying to execute, leaving the play frustrated.
I'd highly recommend Inside to anyone. This is close to a must-play, and should be available for cheap while only taking 2.5-4 hours of your time to enjoy the experience. Experience on Switch in handheld mode was flawless. The game is gorgeous thanks to the art direction and strategic deployment of lighting tech.