Styx: Shards of Darkness
The first 3 hours are a test
What the data shows
- In the first 2 hours 1 in 2 reviews are negative (50%); after 15h it's 1 in 10 (10%).
- Fully opens up by hour 15.
- The opening is criticised more than in 78% of games we track.
- 27% of players who start reach the ending.
- The biggest drop-off is between “Slowly but surely?” (Finish the introduction) and “The Mysterious Scepter” (Finish Mission 1): from 100% to 70% of starters.
- Only 59% 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 7,132 Steam reviews in every language. Median playtime in a sample of 298 reviews: 13h for positive, 9.9h 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 (59.2% of owners), so people who bought the game and never launched it don't count.
- Started playing 100%
- Slowly but surely? Finish the introduction 100%
- The Mysterious Scepter Finish Mission 1 Most players quit here 70% −30
- Welcome to Korrangar Finish Mission 2 55% −15
- A Handsome Gift Finish Mission 3 46% −9
- Weapon of Choice Finish Mission 4 40% −6
- Desertion Finish Mission 5 37% −3
- Crime and Prejudice Finish Mission 6 33% −4
- The Seed of Discord Finish Mission 7 30% −3
- Dr. Boom! Finish Mission 8 28% −2
- Revenge Finish Mission 9 27% −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
- Slowly but surely? Finish the introduction 100%
- A Rat Life Having hidden 50 times in a duct or a hideout 83%
- Goblin Farmer Collect 50 raw materials 71%
- Morpheus' Blade Kill an enemy in his sleep 70%
- The Mysterious Scepter Finish Mission 1 70%
- Untouched Finish a level without taking damage 68%
- Rehab Complete a level without using an amber power 66%
- Welcome to Korrangar Finish Mission 2 55%
- Did you see something? Finish a mission with the gold Insignia of the Shadow 51%
- Fugitive Get out alive from 10 red alerts 50%
- A Handsome Gift Finish Mission 3 46%
- Sensitive Gob Finish a mission with the gold Insignia of Mercy 40%
- Weapon of Choice Finish Mission 4 40%
- Pickpocket King Pickpocket 10 enemies 38%
- Desertion Finish Mission 5 37%
- Trigonal Elven System Unlock your first ultimate skill 35%
- Crime and Prejudice Finish Mission 6 33%
- Master Alchemist Craft 30 items 31%
- The Seed of Discord Finish Mission 7 30%
- Dr. Boom! Finish Mission 8 28%
- Revenge Finish Mission 9 27%
- The Unseen Gob is the Deadliest Remain invisible for a total of one minute 23%
- Ace of Scrap! Finish a mission with the gold Insignia of the Thief 20%
- An Athlete Through and Through Finish a mission with the gold Insignia of Swiftness 19%
- My Precious Drink 25 vials of amber 18%
- The Professional Kill all the enemies in a zone 14%
- Lamb of Gob Create 50 clones 13%
- Phoenix Be saved by a Life-saving Clone 12%
- Acidification Kill 5 guards with acid traps 12%
- It's Time for Soup Dissolve 10 enemies (vial of acid) 9.6%
- This. Is. THOBEN!! Push 10 enemies over the edge 9.0%
- Devoted Servants Teleport 20 times into a clone (with the skill) 8.1%
- Golden Gob Unlock Gold level for all Insignias in a mission 7.6%
- The Gob in a Box Being invisible in a chest and not being caught by an enemy on a search 7.6%
- A Taste of Gob Give of yourself to the worship of Lyssril... 6.6%
- Oh My Gob! Unlock all skills 5.4%
- All Along the Gobtower Unlock Gold level for all Insignias in all missions 3.9%
- Goblin Master Unlock all achievements 3.5%