Limbo : a new andventure game for iOS

In the theology of the Catholic Church, Limbo (Latin limbus, edge or boundary, referring to the "edge" of Hell) is a speculative idea about the afterlife condition of those who die in Original Sin without being assigned to the Hell of the Damned. Limbo is not an official doctrine of the Catholic Church or any other Christian denomination. Medieval theologians, in western Europe, described the underworld ("hell", "hades", "infernum") as divided into four distinct parts: Hell of the Damned (which some call Gehenna), Purgatory, Limbo of the Fathers or Patriarchs, and Limbo of the Infants.

Perhaps it's fitting the name of the developer responsible for Limbo is Playdead, as you can expect to die multiple times throughout this puzzle-filled side-scrolling platformer.

But just like Limbo on other platforms – namely, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PlayStation Vita and PCs, Macs and Linux -- you won't mind the abuse, as this charming video game is so much fun to play.

Now available for iPad 2 (or higher, including iPad mini), iPhone 4S (and higher) and the latest iPod touch, Limbo stars a young and nameless boy, who awakens in a forest. You aren't given any backstory or objectives – which is part of the game's appeal – but without giving too much away you will encounter other characters and locations, and unravel what you're supposed to do and why.

Also part of the game's charm is its presentation. Limbo is a 2D black-and-white game, with a heavy emphasis on silhouettes; the smoothly-animated main protagonist, for example, is only represented by a blacked-out body against a mostly grey backdrop, and with two white eyes that close when he perishes.

And it'll happen often.

As you hop over spikes, swing from great heights, pull giant stones to climb on top of or step out of a boat onto solid ground, you'll no doubt face instant death if not careful – and that's just during the first 3 minutes of play. Your goal is to successfully navigate around deadly traps and other obstacles, and solve head-scratching mechanical puzzles later on in the game, while working towards your mysterious goal. It's a lot of trial and error, and frustration, but you just can't put it down.