Gish

2004 Cryptic Sea, Edmund McMillen Action, Adventure, Indie

Windows 11Runs

MacNot confirmed

LinuxPlatinum

Steam DeckUnsupported

Gamicality score

Metacritic 804

OpenCritic Not rated

Steam players 561

How it’s combined

Playability today

3.5

Runs today4/5

Design today3/5

Steam user reviews

Mixed

58%

481 reviews1

Get it on Steam Watch the trailer

Facts checked November 1, 2026

Does Gish run on Windows 11, Apple Silicon Macs, Linux and Steam Deck?

Windows 11Runs

Sold for Windows today, no problem on record.1

Mac (Apple Silicon)Not confirmed

A Mac version is sold. Not yet confirmed on Apple Silicon.1

LinuxPlatinum

Through Proton. ProtonDB: Platinum, runs perfectly out of the box.3

Steam DeckUnsupported

Unsupported, as rated by Valve.1

Played Gish lately?

One click, no account, so the next player knows. How we check where it runs

Synopsis

Gish is a physics-driven platformer about a ball of living tar who must rescue his girlfriend from the sewers beneath a city. Players roll, bounce and squeeze through levels by switching Gish between sticky, slick and heavy states to climb walls, slide through gaps and crush enemies, with local versus modes on the side.

Developer: Cryptic Sea, Edmund McMillen
Released: 2004
Best version: Steam installs the 1.8 Anniversary Update by default, but the version170 beta branch keeps the level editor, extra versus modes and other features that the update dropped.
Genre: Action, Adventure, Indie
Where to get it: Steam

Reception

Critics in 2004 praised the original concept, the clever physics puzzles and the varied chapters, while noting a learning curve and physics that can wreck the scenery a player needs. Today the Steam rating is Mixed: players still call it charming and unlike anything else, but many find the controls awkward, the physics unpredictable and the middle levels punishing. Long-time fans also complain that the Anniversary Update removed features and changed scoring.

Trailer from Steam

Playability today

The average of two parts, each from 1 to 5. Tap a check to see why. How it works

Runs today

4/5

Sold or given away today by an official source
Runs on Windows 11 without fan patches
?Not confirmed yetSingle-player works without an internet connection
No source covers the current version yet, so this check counts as open, not passed. Played it lately? Tell us
Some content no longer works (servers, DLC, unlocks)
The default 1.8 Anniversary Update dropped features such as some versus modes, the level editor and multiple save slots, though the version170 beta branch keeps them (PCGamingWiki).
Supports modern resolutions and widescreen
Any resolution, including widescreen, can be set in the config (PCGamingWiki).
Full controller support or remappable controls
XInput controllers are supported and keys can be remapped (PCGamingWiki).
Not Steam Deck Verified or Playable
No intrusive DRM or required third-party launcher account
No pay-to-win or pushy microtransactions
No known game-breaking bugs in the current version
PCGamingWiki lists no unresolved crashes or progress-blocking bugs (PCGamingWiki).

Design today

3/5

Controls feel awkward on a modern controller or mouse and keyboard
Switching between sticky, slick and heavy states takes real practice, which even the favorable 2004 Gaming Nexus review notes, recent Steam reviews still call the controls awkward, and the default update broke the sticky and slick combination. Source: gamingnexus.com, steamcommunity.com, steamcommunity.com.
Menus, text and interface are clear on today's screens
Any resolution can be set, including widescreen, and the simple 2D HUD stays readable on modern displays. Source: pcgamingwiki.com.
Saving is fair: free saves or frequent checkpoints, little lost progress
The default Anniversary Update locks the game to its easiest difficulty, where running out of lives no longer matters, and keeps progress in a single save slot; the older version170 branch restores the harder modes with limited lives and several slots. Source: steamcommunity.com, steamcommunity.com.
It teaches itself: no guide needed to make progress
There is no tutorial, but the early levels raise the difficulty gradually so that advanced tricks are not needed until later chapters. Source: gamingnexus.com.
Pacing drags: grind, filler or forced backtracking
Physics can collapse ledges and passages the player needs, and monsters can knock them down too, which stops forward progress and forces a restart of the level. Source: gamingnexus.com.
Camera or movement fights the player
Movement depends on unpredictable physics, and recent players report clipping into objects and dying instantly, while the Anniversary Update made the camera worse. Source: steamcommunity.com, steamcommunity.com.