As a classic 1997 platformer/puzzle adventure, Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee casts you as Abe, a defenseless Mudokon escaping industrial enslavement after discovering his race is the main course. The core gameplay centers on survival through cunning: you must use careful movement, stealth, and environmental traps to outwit powerful enemies, as direct confrontation leads to instant death. Abe’s unique ability is chanting, which can stun foes or allow you to temporarily possess enemy bodies to utilize their skills, making strategic puzzle-solving essential for rescuing your kin.
This title, first released in 1997, is the inaugural entry in the fictional universe of Oddworld. It is a 2D platformer deeply interwoven with complex puzzle-solving elements. The core experience centers on portraying a character who is inherently weak and underpowered, navigating a grim and hostile industrial world where survival depends entirely on wit and careful planning rather than direct confrontation. The presentation utilizes pre-rendered background graphics and cinematic CG movies to advance the narrative between levels.
Players step into the role of Abe, a Mudokon enslaved by the Glukkons and forced into labor within massive corporate food factories. Abe uncovers a horrifying truth: his own enslaved race is the secret ingredient in the corporations' most popular new food product. Spotted after discovering this secret, Abe must initiate a desperate escape. However, his mission quickly evolves beyond mere survival; he is driven to rescue as many of his fellow Mudokons as possible and expose the truth behind the Glukkons' operations.
Survival in this environment is precarious. The protagonist is almost entirely defenseless, instantly killed by most enemies upon direct engagement. Consequently, the gameplay loop emphasizes careful exploration, precise timing, and stealth. Players must utilize environmental interactions and cunning maneuvers to outwit foes. Available actions include running, jumping, climbing, tiptoeing, crouching, and rolling, all of which are essential for navigating the hazardous levels.
Strategic interaction with the environment is key. This includes throwing objects like stones to distract guards or luring enemies into pre-set traps. In certain stages, players gain temporary access to the Elum, a large animal used for traversal.
Abe’s singular unique ability is chanting. This power can temporarily stun certain enemy types. More significantly, chanting allows the player to possess the minds of specific creatures. When possessing an enemy, such as a Slig guard, the player gains access to that creature's capabilities, including the ability to use weapons, communicate with other guards, and even commit suicide to strategically clear obstacles.
This main game is categorized as a Platform, Puzzle, and Adventure title. It was originally available on platforms including DOS and the original PlayStation, with later iterations appearing on PC (Microsoft Windows), PlayStation 3, and PlayStation Portable.
The game distinguishes itself by focusing on the theme of powerlessness. Unlike many platformers where combat proficiency increases, this experience demands players master non-violent solutions. The reliance on precise timing, environmental puzzle-solving, and the unique possession mechanic sets it apart from standard action-platformers.

Experience Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee originally released on the PlayStation console, enhanced with up-rendering, rewind, quick save, and custom video filters. Selected by the fickle finger of fate, Abe, floor-waxer first class for RuptureFarms, was catapulted into a life of adventure when he overheard plans by his boss, Molluck the Glukkon, to turn Abe and his fellow Mudokons into Tasty Treats as part of a last-ditch effort to rescue Molluck's failing meat-packing empire. Flee the Industrial mega-complex and guide Abe on an adventure through ancient ruins and mysterious temples as he discovers his destiny and saves his species from the clutches of Molluck and their fate as a tasty food filling!

Oddworld: New 'n' Tasty is a faithful remake of Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee where the pre-rendered sceneries are recreated in real-time 3D without changing the original gameplay. It also replaces the single screens linked together of the original version into a true 2.5D side-scrolling game. While there are various enhancements and details to the character and the scenery, the basic gameplay is still largely similar in a side by side comparison. The GameSpeak system Abe uses to command and talk to other characters start with the same commands, but can later be expanded. This version of the game supports leaderboards for the completion time of each mode and the overall game. There are three difficulty levels and the game. It includes the original cooperative function of the original game when another player can take over when the first player dies, taking turns controlling Abe.

Oddworld Adventures is a demake of Abe's Oddysee due to the Game Boy's limitations, and the game is massively shortened to just one area, the Paramonian Temple. A sequel was later released, known as Oddworld Adventures II, mostly based off Abe's Exoddus, and with many improved elements over the original. The game contains GameSpeak actions, though they are used only in a single puzzle in the game, and there are only four, as the Game Boy has far less buttons than the PSX controller. The four GameSpeak actions are farting, a high whistle, a low whistle and chanting. Instead of having a save option, the game has a five letter password feature. In this game, chanting is activated by pressing and holding the Select-button. If there is nothing to possess on the screen, Abe will make a grunt, indicating that there is currently no use in trying to chant in that area. Abe still has the ability to sneak by pressing up on the D-pad while moving left or right.