ActionAdventureIndieRPGStrategy
Blackguards
Give it 20 hours
Gets good by 20h then rated almost like by veterans
Fully opens up by 35h rated like by long-time players
Reach the ending 19% of players who started
Started playing 36% of owners
Steam reviews 62% positive of 3,923
What the data shows
- In the first 2 hours 1 in 2 reviews are negative (62%); after 35h it's 1 in 5 (20%).
- Fully opens up by hour 35.
- The opening is criticised more than in 90% of games we track.
- 19% of players who start reach the ending.
- The biggest drop-off is between “The Breakout” (Tutorial finished) and “Beyond the Border” (Finished Chapter 1): from 100% to 47% of starters.
- Only 36% 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 3,926 Steam reviews in every language. Median playtime in a sample of 297 reviews: 19.1h for positive, 6.1h 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 (35.7% of owners), so people who bought the game and never launched it don't count.
- Started playing 100%
- The Breakout Tutorial finished 100%
- Beyond the Border Finished Chapter 1 Most players quit here 47% −53
- Freedom! Finished Chapter 2 40% −7
- Among Sharks Finished Chapter 3 29% −11
- No more Lies! Finished Chapter 4 25% −4
- Endgame Finished Chapter 5 19% −6
story milestone ending biggest drop-off
Story milestones were labeled by AI from achievement names and descriptions; mistakes are possible.
All achievements (45)
story milestone ending side
- The Breakout Tutorial finished 100%
- Double 20 Hurt one of your heroes 67%
- Servant of Xarfai Deal 5.000 damage during all battles with all characters 49%
- Beyond the Border Finished Chapter 1 47%
- Oblivious 10 Start a battle without ammunition for your bows and crossbows 40%
- Freedom! Finished Chapter 2 40%
- Curiosity 10 Use 50 interactive objects 40%
- Master of Arms One of your characters has a weapon talent score of 18 40%
- Moha Mule Carry 100 Greatpounds of inventory with you 36%
- Phex's Favourite Earn 1000 gold pieces 36%
- Archmage One of your characters has a score of 18 in one spell 31%
- Nerd One of your characters has a talent with a score of 18 or higher 29%
- Among Sharks Finished Chapter 3 29%
- Model Student Met all Trainers 28%
- Master of the Arcane Learned all spells available for player characters in the game 26%
- No more Lies! Finished Chapter 4 25%
- Firestarter Deal 5.000 damage using spells 25%
- Arena Grandmaster Finished all arena fights in Mengbilla 24%
- Rohal's Heir One of your characters has a score of 10 in all spells 24%
- I Hate Lice! Kill 20 insects with fire damage 23%
- Hunter and Gatherer All characters wear a complete set of gear 20%
- Demi God One of your characters has 21000 Adventure Points 19%
- Endgame Finished Chapter 5 19%
- Disciple of Peraine 5.000 Vitality Points healed during all battles, with all characters 19%
- Master of Improvisation Defeat 50 opponents with interactive objects 16%
- Warm and Cosy Sleep at the Inn 50 times 16%
- Medicus! Ask for the healer's services 50 times 14%
- Juggernaut One of your characters has a score of 15 or higher in all attributes 13%
- Spray and Pray All heroes of the party have a ranged combat skill of 10 or higher 13%
- Jack of All Trades One of your characters has a score of 10 or higher in all talents 12%
- Master of All Arms One of your characters has a weapon talent score of 10 in all weapon talents 11%
- Top of the Food Chain One of your characters has an attribut score of 20 8.7%
- Three times the Fun Swap through all three weapon sets in one battle with one character 7.8%
- A true son of Al'Anfa Took all bribe opportunities with Zurbaran 7.8%
- Iron Bladder Drink 4 potions with one character during one battle 7.6%
- Hand of Boron Use 4 poisons with one character during one battle 7.3%
- Friends for Eternity Aurelia chose you 7.3%
- Burn the Witch Aurelia turned against you 7.3%
- Cheated Golgari Win a battle with one hero standing and a maximum of 5 Vitality Points 7.0%
- From Mengbilla With Love Buy 25 flasks of weapon poison 6.4%
- I am Leonardo Walk an ideal circle with one character during combat by orbiting 7 hexes 5.0%
- Free Fall Knock 10 enemies off ledges 4.2%
- Traveller Visit every location 3.6%
- Red Salamander Buy alchemical supplies 50 times 3.6%
- A True Stoerrebrand Visit every vendor 3.6%
Steam page Updated: 2026-10-19.