Does this game lend itself well as a shared experience or is it strictly solo player?

[NagnaMok]

I understand this is a Single Player game, but some graphic adventures often lend themselves quite well for shared experiences (as in two friends playing and experiencing the story "together" and switching who has the controls every now and then but still being both present and sharing throughts in the same run).

Do you think this could be the case with Return of the Obra Dinn?
Or if not, why not?
I guess it also helps if you specify if you yourself would generally do this with a game, because I can understand if it isn't everybody's cup of tea.

[Fusha]

It's a game about observation and making inferences, so the actual physical controls aren't very significant, so I guess the answer is "yes"

[Dreaded Walrus]

Growing up, I used to do that exact thing with my brother and single-player games, so I think I understand your question exactly. As an example, we’d play Monkey Island together, and talk through ideas about puzzle solutions. We’d play Theme Park/Hospital/Dungeon Keeper, and plan rooms out together.

I could definitely picture me and him sitting round the computer with this game, picking up on clues together, or pointing things out that the other didn’t spot.

If I’m on the same wavelength as you here, I’d say it’s probably the perfect game for what you’re talking about.

[Centipede]

I also think it would work well if you're fine with not being too active and instead discussing the clues. I played Myst with a buddy like this a long time ago because it felt like that game could use two brains bouncing ideas and it was fun making and discussing notes on paper, so this would be a similar experience.

[fnart]

it depends how you are when it comes to solving puzzle games, especially when you "hit a wall" and need to make a few mental leaps to solve a difficult puzzle or two; if you enjoy those "aha!" moments after taking a while to figure out a puzzle and don't mind the extra bit of time it takes to backtrack and review the pieces you already have in order to solve the puzzle, then I would say play Obra Dinn solo. For me this game was much more enjoyable solo, similarly to Outer Wilds, and it felt pretty cathartic to finally figure it all out without resorting to external help.

However if you want to still enjoy a really good puzzle game and don't mind bouncing ideas back and forth with others while playing, making the progression probably a bit more fluid, then this is a pretty good game for that too. Really it just comes down to what you're looking for in one of the best puzzle/detective games out there, because Obra Dinn is definitely a one-time experience

[Ohmz]

I think it can definitely work playing with a group and be fun, but if you're looking to do that then I'd recommend The Case of the Golden Idol more.

Navigating through required info is a lot easier in that game, AND I would say the individual "cases" typically feel more dynamic and often have logical links that flow down multiple paths, so there will be a lot more to discuss amongst your group. In any scene you can go into "Thinking" mode to tie your clues together and validate your theories, this also provide a fixed narrative that you need to flesh out - so I think it would be better in a group if you avoided going into "Thinking" mode until all clues were found, and perhaps also until everyone tried coming up with some theories on their own too. That way no one would be swayed by the game's narrative, and you could see who was the closest.