Jalopy
The first 3 hours are a test
What the data shows
- In the first 2 hours 1 in 2 reviews are negative (54%); after 7h it's 1 in 6 (16%).
- Fully opens up by hour 7.
- The opening is criticised more than in 82% of games we track.
- 13% of players who start reach the ending.
- Most players drop off before “State Denial, August 1989”: only 49% of starters get there.
- 72% of owners got the first achievement.
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 11,458 Steam reviews in every language. Median playtime in a sample of 299 reviews: 8.9h for positive, 3h 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 (71.7% of owners), so people who bought the game and never launched it don't count.
- Started playing 100%
- State Denial, August 1989 Read Uncle's letter in his suitcase in Germany Most players quit here 49% −51
- Opportunity Plans, November 1989 Read Uncle's letter in his suitcase in CSFR 25% −24
- Barrier, July 1961 Read Uncle's letter in his suitcase in Hungary 21% −4
- Censorship, July 1977 Read Uncle's letter in his suitcase in Yugoslavia 19% −2
- Time, November 1989 Read Uncle's letter in his suitcase in Bulgaria 21% +2
- Goodbye Read Uncle's letter in his suitcase in Turkey 13% −8
story milestone ending biggest drop-off
Story milestones were labeled by AI from achievement names and descriptions; mistakes are possible.
All achievements (23)
story milestone ending side
- I’ll be able to buff this out no problem! Experienced a really big collision 100%
- Rite of Passage Run out of fuel 68%
- State Denial, August 1989 Read Uncle's letter in his suitcase in Germany 49%
- Proud Owner Cleaned the car 50 times 29%
- Opportunity Plans, November 1989 Read Uncle's letter in his suitcase in CSFR 25%
- Barrier, July 1961 Read Uncle's letter in his suitcase in Hungary 21%
- Time, November 1989 Read Uncle's letter in his suitcase in Bulgaria 21%
- Censorship, July 1977 Read Uncle's letter in his suitcase in Yugoslavia 19%
- GDR Dispense 300 Marks worth of items into the East-German economy 17%
- Goodbye Read Uncle's letter in his suitcase in Turkey 13%
- CSFR Dispense 350 Marks worth of items into the CSFR economy 12%
- Hear Me Roar Use the horn till it burns out 8.4%
- Explorer Drive 10,000 KM 8.2%
- Garbage Cannot Experienced karma 6.4%
- Hungary Dispense 400 Marks worth of items into the Hungarian economy 6.1%
- Bootlegger Smuggle 6 bottles of wine through a single checkpoint 3.8%
- Yugoslavia Dispense 450 Marks worth of items into the Yugoslavian economy 3.8%
- Bulgaria Dispense 500 Marks worth of items into the Bulgarian economy 2.5%
- There, and back again. Drive from Germany, to Turkey, and back to Germany in one session. 2.1%
- Voyager Drive 50,000 KM 2.0%
- Turkey Dispense 550 Marks worth of items into the Turkish economy 2.0%
- Grand Tourer Drive 100,000 KM 1.8%
- It's a Classic Max out the odometer 1.7%