The Sinking City Remastered
Give it 10 hours
What the data shows
- In the first 2 hours 1 in 2 reviews are negative (51%); after 20h it's 1 in 7 (14%).
- Fully opens up by hour 20.
- The opening is criticised more than in 79% of games we track.
- At least 18% of players who start reach the ending.
- The biggest drop-off is between “Hook, Line, and Sinker” (Solve your first case in Oakmont) and “Deep Breath” (Go below the surface for the first time): from 100% to 47% of starters.
- Only 60% 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 5,842 Steam reviews in every language. Median playtime in a sample of 296 reviews: 21.6h for positive, 6.7h 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 (59.5% of owners), so people who bought the game and never launched it don't count.
- Started playing 100%
- Hook, Line, and Sinker Solve your first case in Oakmont. 100%
- Deep Breath Go below the surface for the first time. Most players quit here 47% −53
- Use Protection Challenge the horror of the Redemption Church. 26% −21
- What Could Go Wrong? Have a ritual conducted on you. 17% −8
- The Stars Are Right End the Cycle. ≥18% +1
story milestone ending (most common ending) biggest drop-off
Story milestones were labeled by AI from achievement names and descriptions; mistakes are possible.
All achievements (28)
story milestone ending side
- Hook, Line, and Sinker Solve your first case in Oakmont. 100%
- Tempting Fate Have your fortune read. 76%
- Extra! Extra! Give an interview to the local newspaper. 68%
- The Pleasure of Finding Things Out Use the intelligence archives in your investigation. 62%
- Deep Breath Go below the surface for the first time. 47%
- First, Do No Harm Agree to the experimental treatment. 28%
- No Honor Among Thieves Take Sidney's stash. You monster. 27%
- Not Too Deep For Me Study all the frescoes in the Temple of Dagon. 26%
- Use Protection Challenge the horror of the Redemption Church. 26%
- Reanimator Satisfy curiosity. 23%
- Compliments to the Chef Help the professor with his plan. 23%
- Et Tu, Brutus? Punish the upstart. 21%
- Family Reunion Uphold your agreement with Robert. 18%
- The Stars Are Right End the Cycle. 18%
- Still Salty Kill the archeologist. 17%
- Leap of Faith Restart the Cycle. 17%
- What Could Go Wrong? Have a ritual conducted on you. 17%
- I'm Out Of Here Leave the city and the world to their fate. 17%
- Both Worlds Humor a grieving mother. 17%
- The End Justifies The Means Kill the priestess. 16%
- Sic Semper Tyrannis Dethrone the patriarch. 14%
- Damage Control Prevent the last self-immolation. 13%
- It's A Kind Of Magic Ask the Imperial Wizard to show you a magic trick. 10%
- Double Tap Finally commit the crime you were accused of. 8.2%
- Dodge This Defeat a little girl without playing fair. 7.2%
- Brutal Honesty Betray the warehouse guard's trust. 6.9%
- Crime, No Punishment Kill the old lady. 6.2%
- All Evidence Collected Complete every challenge Oakmont has to offer. 4.0%