But Why?

A penguin, a mountain, and a chicken named Wilson

But Why? drops a small group of players into the role of penguins trekking across an arctic landscape toward a distant, indifferent mountain, with essentially no explanation of why beyond the title's own shrug. Reviewers consistently describe the opening hours as unexpectedly cinematic for such a simple premise. "At first glance, the game seems almost absurdly simple: a small penguin begins climbing an enormous mountain. But within minutes it becomes clear that the experience is designed like a film as much as a game," one reviewer wrote, adding that "the camera drifts and sweeps across frozen cliffs and vast snowy valleys, framing the tiny climber against a world that feels impossibly large." That same reviewer singles out the moment the group "meets a chicken named Wilson," an unlikely companion who joins the climb — and Wilson, it turns out, becomes the emotional center of the entire review base, whether Wilson survives the journey or not.

The game's tongue-in-cheek existentialism is a recurring theme in its most enthusiastic reviews. "Finally, a digital experience that understands the fundamental joke of existence. In But Why?, you are a penguin marching toward an indifferent mountain. You are not 'saving the kingdom' or 'leveling up' your character," one reviewer wrote, treating the game's total lack of stated purpose as the actual point. Another reviewer frames the same idea in more sincere terms: "This game is not about gameplay, it will be hard but it's all worth it in the end. This game is more about it's message, about perseverance, about getting to the top of the mountain," describing a co-op run that started with four penguins and ended with two: "We started with 4 penguins, and even gained a friend, sadly throughout all of that we ended up with 2 penguins, But Wilson was there in spirit."

No way to save, and no clear way to go

The single most common complaint across the negative reviews is the complete absence of any save or checkpoint-resume system in a game that reviewers say regularly takes several hours to finish. "Until they implement a save game feature so we don't have to keep restarting all of our progress when the host's game crash or can't dedicate 4.5 hours in one sitting to finish the game, I can't recommend it," one reviewer wrote, adding a concession that softens the criticism only slightly: "No matter how awesome the soundtrack is and cute the penguins are." Another reviewer ran into the same wall from a slightly different angle, describing genuine enjoyment right up until the moment it became clear progress couldn't be preserved: "was genuinely enjoying this game but it is unfortunate you cannot save the game and go back to where you got to," they wrote, while still crediting the game's visuals: "its genuinely challenging to find the next checkpoint at certain parts and visually the game is very nice!"

Navigation is a related sore point for at least one reviewer coming from a background in cooperative "bird games." "As someone who loves Bird games, especially the coop kind this game was disapointing," they wrote, explaining the core problem plainly: "It's a game that task you with climbing a mountain, but when you scan the horizon you have no clue what mountain you would need to climb." Without clear visual or level-design cues pointing toward the objective, that reviewer describes long stretches of aimless wandering rather than purposeful climbing.

Platforming that turns punishing without warning

Reviewers who otherwise enjoyed the experience are near-unanimous that the game's platforming sections, particularly later in the climb, are where the wheels come off. "I do not recommend this game unless you are into games like Getting Over it With Bennett Foddy. The beginning is amazing until you get to the climbing sections. There are many sections that can either be made by being very exact with your movements or just based off of luck," one reviewer wrote, closing with the review's now-recurring in-joke: "5/10, would die for Wilson tho." Another reviewer's complaint zeroes in on a specific mechanical choice rather than general jankiness: "I really liked it at first, but it eventually turns into the worst platformer I've ever played. Jumping costs energy, if you're out of energy you just fall. Idk who thought that was a good idea. The platform hitboxes are an absolute mess. Good story, but the terrible game design ruins it." The pattern across these complaints is specific and consistent: an energy-gated jump combined with imprecise hitboxes turns a calm, scenic climb into a frustrating exercise in trial and error exactly when the game most wants to be taken seriously as an emotional climax.

The verdict

But Why? earns its Very Positive standing on the strength of a genuinely distinctive pitch: a short, cheap, cinematic co-op trek that turns into an unexpectedly moving shared story about a doomed penguin expedition and one unlucky chicken. Its most devoted fans aren't exaggerating when they describe scenes from the climb sticking with them well after finishing. But the same review base that produced that affection is equally consistent about where the game falls apart — no way to preserve hours of progress, unclear direction across large stretches of open terrain, and platforming that turns luck-based and frustrating right as the stakes are supposed to rise. For a small group willing to treat a wipe as part of the story, it's a memorable, meme-worthy few hours; for anyone who wants their progress protected or their platforming forgiving, the late-game climbing sections and total absence of saves are real, well-documented obstacles.