Action
Quake
Hooks you almost right away
Gets good by 3h almost every game dips in hours 2–3
Reach the ending 18% of players who started
Started playing 57% of owners
Steam reviews 96% positive of 16,545
What the data shows
- In the first 2 hours 1 in 12 reviews are negative (8%); after 5h it's 1 in 45 (2%).
- The opening is criticised less than in 93% of games we track.
- 18% of players who start reach the ending.
- Most players drop off before “Sink the Horror Electric”: only 40% of starters get there.
- Only 57% of owners have even the first achievement — the rest barely played.
When it gets good
Share of positive reviews by how many hours the reviewer had played when writing the review.
before it gets good opening up fully opened up
Based on all 16,662 Steam reviews in every language. Median playtime in a sample of 290 reviews: 10.4h for positive, 6.8h for negative. Almost every game is rated lower in the first 2–3 hours: that window includes refunds and quick first impressions. What matters is how deep the dip is and how fast the game recovers.
Where players quit
Share of players who started the game and reached each story milestone. 100% is the most common achievement (56.9% of owners), so people who bought the game and never launched it don't count.
- Started playing 100%
- Sink the Horror Electric Complete Quake Episode 1: Dimension of the Doomed in single player. Most players quit here 40% −60
- Bottom of the Well Complete Quake Episode 2: The Realm of Black Magic in single player. 25% −14
- Beneath the Blue Chambers Complete Quake Episode 3: The Netherworld in single player. 22% −3
- The Last Unexplored Path Complete Quake Episode 4: The Elder World in single player. 19% −3
- Indigestion Defeat Shub-Niggurath in single player. 18% −1
story milestone ending biggest drop-off
Story milestones were labeled by AI from achievement names and descriptions; mistakes are possible.
All achievements (38)
story milestone ending side
- Secret Sleuth Find a secret area. 100%
- Friendly Fire Kill a monster with another monster's attack. 94%
- The Shambler Dance Kill a shambler before it is able to cast its lightning attack. 43%
- Sink the Horror Electric Complete Quake Episode 1: Dimension of the Doomed in single player. 40%
- Bottom of the Well Complete Quake Episode 2: The Realm of Black Magic in single player. 25%
- Vertical Vengeance Find the secret exit in Quake Episode 1: Dimension of the Doomed. 23%
- Beneath the Blue Chambers Complete Quake Episode 3: The Netherworld in single player. 22%
- The Hot And Winding Road Find the secret exit in Quake Episode 3: The Netherworld. 20%
- The Last Unexplored Path Complete Quake Episode 4: The Elder World in single player. 19%
- Indigestion Defeat Shub-Niggurath in single player. 18%
- A Close Shave Kill a shambler with an axe. 15%
- Nevermore Find the secret exit in Quake Episode 2: The Realm of Black Magic. 14%
- Gateway Traveller Complete Scourge of Armagon Episode 1: Fortress of the Dead in single player. 13%
- The Well of Wishes Find the Well of Wishes in the Crypt of Decay. 12%
- Dominated Dominion Complete Scourge of Armagon Episode 2: Dominion of Darkness in single player. 11%
- Arma-gone Complete Scourge of Armagon Episode 3: The Rift in single player. 9.8%
- Overlord Overdone Complete Dissolution of Eternity Episode 1: Hell's Fortress in single player. 9.1%
- The Year Zero Complete Dimension of the Past in single player. 8.4%
- Dragonslayer Complete Dissolution of Eternity Episode 2: The Corridors of Time in single player. 8.4%
- Vengeance Denied Complete Dimension of the Machine in single player. 8.3%
- Military Complex Find the secret exit in Scourge of Armagon Episode 1: Fortress of the Dead. 7.7%
- Into Sandy's City Find the secret exit in Quake Episode 4: The Elder World. 7.2%
- Slipgate Pacifist Complete E1M1: The Slipgate Complex on Nightmare without firing a shot. 6.5%
- You're not supposed to be here! Find the secret message in Tur Torment. 6.3%
- The House of Doom Find the secret exit in Dimension of the Past. 5.8%
- The Gremlin's Domain Find the secret exit in Scourge of Armagon Episode 2: Dominion of Darkness. 5.6%
- A Long Yard Find the secret exit in Scourge of Armagon Episode 3: The Rift. 5.6%
- Sandy's Room Find the secret exit in Dimension of the Machine. 5.6%
- Shub's Bud Complete Quake on Nightmare in single player. 5.3%
- Scourge Done Slick Complete Scourge of Armagon on Nightmare in single player. 4.0%
- The Painless Maze Complete E4M6: The Pain Maze on Nightmare without taking damage. 4.0%
- Discharge In deathmatch, electrocute an enemy in water without dying. 4.0%
- Otherworldly Complete Dimension of the Past on Nightmare in single player. 3.9%
- Machinehead Complete Dimension of the Machine on Nightmare in single player. 3.7%
- Rogue Ranger Complete Dissolution of Eternity on Nightmare in single player. 3.7%
- Disillusioned Complete Dawn of the Machine in single player. 2.6%
- True Sight Complete Dawn of the Machine on Nightmare in single player. 1.4%
- Bloody Nightmare Find the Death Knight's head. 1.2%
Steam page Updated: 2026-10-18.