The platformer was no longer a little boy prancing through LIMBO, figuring out ways to get from Point A to Point B. Rather, the game became what I can only call my worst nightmare. The moment the demo began, I was met with a chilling silence, save for the faint rustle of leaves, hollowing winds and my own tiny footsteps shuffling through the foliage. As I stumbled through many of the same trials I had already seen, I felt oddly on edge and terribly alone. I progressed well enough, avoiding the bear traps and only idling for a few seconds here and there to decide what I ought to do next. After a series of puzzles, I strolled across a large expanse and came face to face with a giant tree. From the tree, the limb of a monstrous spider gradually unfolded and hovered over me. I could have run, but instead I froze. And with a snap five times louder than the wind, leaves and footsteps combined, the spider impaled me, swung me around like a ragdoll and tossed my limp body to the ground. It was almost as traumatizing as any next-generation horror game.

While the visuals are haunting and the consequences of failure terrifying, I credit the amazing sound design for lending LIMBO an atmosphere unlike I have ever witnessed. Wibroe explained that the sound is not only meant to add to the game's ambiance but to also subconsciously offer clues to the player. For instance, before approaching the spider, you see an out-of-reach bear trap on top of a tree branch. When you dodge the spider, its leg punches the ground with a thud. In the distance, you hear the bear trap jiggle. Then the thought hits you: If the spider keeps that up, the bear trap will eventually fall, allowing me to use it against him.

“We designed the game so that you wouldn't blame the designer,” Wibroe said. “You'd blame yourself for not picking up the clues.”

Once I knew how to defeat the spider, I wasn't really sure whether I wanted to go back and try to entice it into attempting to stab me. But I did, and after a few tries, finally succeeded. At that point, I walked away from the controller, visibly shaken. The producer laughed and informed me that the puzzles only get harder and more terrifying.

“LIMBO isn't for children,” he said. The ESRB rating is pending, but Wibroe believes it will receive an M for Mature. When I suggested that it might be even higher due to the fact that you frequently end up impaling, smashing and drowning a small boy, Wibroe shrugged. “He may be a boy. It may be LIMBO. You don't know.” And without anything but contextual clues, you really don't.

After playing just ten minutes, I can't wait to see what the rest of the game has to offer. LIMBO, PlayDead's first and only production, is set to release this summer, exclusively for the Xbox LIVE Arcade.