Observation is an adventure-puzzle video game developed by Scottish studio No Code and published by Devolver Digital. The game, described as sci-fi thriller, puts the player in control of a space station AI in order to recover from the sudden, mysterious loss of its crew. Observation was released for Microsoft Windows and PlayStation 4 on May 21, 2019. Observation has many references to "trapped-in-space" science fiction films like 2001: A Space Odyssey, Gravity, Life, Event Horizon and Interstellar.
The player takes the role of Sam, short for the System Administration Maintenance (SAM) artificial intelligence software aboard a multi-national space station that serves to monitor the entire station. Initially, the player's view is limited to where the crew have relocated Sam, but as the game progresses, Sam can move its core presence between several of the modules on the station and manipulate cameras and other electronically-controlled equipment in that module. Further on, Sam is provided one of several small spherical probes that allows Sam to move more freely through the station and into hostile environments harmful to the humans aboard, including outside of the station.
The player, by manipulating Sam, can control various elements of the station, such as opening or closing hatches, activating safety systems and the like. Sam may be instructed by the crew to perform specific tasks, and Sam can reply by finding the task element of interest (such as the status of a station module) and report back to the crew.
Observation received "generally favorable" reviews from critics, according to review aggregator Metacritic. Destructoid called the game "expertly paced" but also complained of occasional hiccups when some of the puzzles became "a point-and-click-adventure-style wild goose chase." GameSpot praised the games visuals, saying "Observation absolutely nails its distinct lo-fi, sci-fi aesthetic," and concluding that it "is a wonderful example of how to do focused, self-contained science-fiction storytelling in a game." Several outlets praised the game's storytelling and plot, which was described as "gripping" by Game Informer.It made the Top 20 games of 2019 list for The Guardian. Ben "Yahtzee" Croshaw of Zero Punctuation ranked it as the Third Best Game of 2019.

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