The game that you're forbidden to talk about.
Of course, I'll try to say some things, but you need to play it yourself to fully understand the magic. Outer Wilds’ gameplay is based on your knowledge of the world; therefore, spoilers can seriously ruin your experience. Sadly, that also means that replaying it doesn’t make much sense.
You control an alien newbie pilot who is about to start his first space flight. Your race, the Hearthians, are a very curious bunch and have a history of space exploration. Even though their technology is very primitive, they still want to uncover the secrets of the universe.
The Hearthians’ solar system is a small and cozy one. The planets have a Little Prince vibe - you can walk around them in just a few minutes. Still, the game world is very dense and feels bigger than it really is.
Shortly after, you find out that you’re in a time loop: the day resets every 20 minutes, and you start your first flight once again. You don’t know why or how it happens, but it helps you explore the world, as some events occur only at specific times in the loop. Also, dying - whether by crashing your spaceship or flying into the sun - doesn’t matter too much, since you can simply start again. Luckily, your spaceship’s log, which saves all your collected information, is persistent between loops.
The game’s second biggest mystery is the Nomai, an ancient race that lived there a long time ago. Their remains and leftover technology are scattered throughout the system. But what were their goals? Why are they no longer here? Where did they come from? Are they somehow connected to the mysterious time loop? Fortunately, you possess a device that translates Nomai writing, which gives you a lot of insight. You’ll find journal entries, random conversations, and much more. That really makes you attached to the Nomai, even though they’ve been gone for thousands of years.
Outer Wilds embodies the feelings of curiosity and hope. I really recommend everyone to play it, along with the DLC - it’s very good.
I would like to write a lot more, but I think this story is best uncovered by yourself. Good luck exploring the cosmos!