When does The Talos Principle 2 get good?

Give it 3 hours. In the first 2 hours 1 in 4 reviews are negative (27%); after 20h it's 1 in 30 (3%). Fully opens up by hour 20.

How many players finish The Talos Principle 2?

46% of players who start reach the ending.

All games

ActionAdventure

The Talos Principle 2

Nov 2, 2023 Steam: Very Positive

Give it 3 hours

Gets good by 3h almost every game dips in hours 2–3

Fully opens up by 20h rated like by long-time players

Reach the ending 46% of players who started

Started playing 85% of owners

Steam reviews 95% positive of 13,652

What the data shows

In the first 2 hours 1 in 4 reviews are negative (27%); after 20h it's 1 in 30 (3%).
Fully opens up by hour 20.
46% of players who start reach the ending.
The biggest drop-off is between “Into the Machine” (Enter the Megastructure) and “Break the Loop” (Make a choice that will define the future): from 73% to 46% of starters.
85% 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 13,728 Steam reviews in every language. Median playtime in a sample of 300 reviews: 23.8h for positive, 3.1h 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 (85.4% of owners), so people who bought the game and never launched it don't count.

Started playing 100%
Ab Initio Finish the calibration process. 100%
Wanderers Embark on the expedition. 92% −8
Into the Machine Enter the Megastructure. 73% −19
Break the Loop Make a choice that will define the future. Most players quit here 46% −27

story milestone ending biggest drop-off

Story milestones were labeled by AI from achievement names and descriptions; mistakes are possible.

All achievements (87)

story milestone ending side

Ab Initio Finish the calibration process. 100%
Wanderers Embark on the expedition. 92%
The Word Endures Explore content on a lost terminal. 89%
Bridge Builder Build one bridge. 86%
Grasslands Ring Activate the tower at the Grasslands Ring. 85%
Becoming Smarter Return to a puzzle for a second attempt. 80%
Museum Visitor Visit New Jerusalem's Museum of the Simulation. 80%
Overload Experience a datastream overload. 79%
Wooded Plateau Activate the tower at the Wooded Plateau. 78%
The Spark Find one Prometheus spark. 75%
Remnants of the Past Discover a trace of what happened on the island. 74%
Eastern Wetlands Activate the tower in the Eastern Wetlands. 73%
Into the Machine Enter the Megastructure. 73%
Discovery Find an ancient human artifact. 71%
Desolate Island Activate the tower on the Desolate Island. 67%
The Thief of Fire Solve one Prometheus monument. 67%
Lord of the Files Read 30 texts on terminals. 67%
Signatory Provide your digital signature to someone. 67%
Flooded Valley Activate the tower in the Flooded Valley. 65%
Touch Grass Read 10 Social Media entries. 62%
Lost Marshes Activate the tower in the Lost Marshes. 62%
Your Biggest Fan Tell Schuyler what to do with his life... or not. 62%
Team Spirit Talk to each member of your team. 60%
Mistress of Riddles Solve one Sphinx monument. 59%
Museum Explorer Explore the Museum of the Simulation in its entirety. 59%
Southern Coast Activate the tower on the Southern Coast. 59%
Chasing the Light Activate a Prometheus monument without stopping the spark-chasing music. 57%
The All-Gifted Solve one Pandora monument. 57%
Verdant Canyon Activate the tower at the Verdant Canyon. 57%
Persistent Work on solving a puzzle for more than 20 minutes. 56%
Circular Oasis Activate the tower at the Circular Oasis. 55%
Prometheus Unbound Free Prometheus from his chains. 55%
Western Delta Activate the tower in the Western Delta. 53%
Anthropic Hills Activate the tower in the Anthropic Hills. 52%
High Plain Activate the tower on the High Plain. 51%
Just One Lap Solve "Loop" without doing multiple circles. 50%
Not What It Seems Get involved behind the scenes. 50%
Break the Loop Make a choice that will define the future. 46%
Puzzle Fiend Solve all regular puzzles. 46%
Scientia Vincere Tenebras Explore all of the lost labs. 45%
Excellent Tell Purple what to do about his voice. 44%
A New Beginning Help Byron get elected mayor. 39%
Ab Aeterno Defy death. 38%
Trevor's Biographer Collect all 12 of Trevor's audio logs. 37%
The Future Go above and beyond to change the future. 36%
Gnothi Seauton Use a functioning Somnodrome. 33%
Renaissance Robot Solve all puzzles and monuments. 33%
Good Citizen Explore New Jerusalem in its entirety. 33%
Ecstatic Truth Collect all 12 of Lifthrasir's audio logs. 32%
The Edge of Forever Discover a vision of things to come. 30%
Mnemosyne Find every manifestation of the past. 21%
First Steps Recover one fragment in Orpheus Ascending. 20%
Only Connect Recover sixteen fragments in Orpheus Ascending. 18%
You Can Do This Solve a puzzle in Isle of the Blessed. 18%
Amor Vincit Omnia Fully reconstruct Sarabhai in Orpheus Ascending. 17%
Archaeologist Find 10 ancient human artifacts. 16%
What's This? Start reconstructing the mysterious file in Orpheus Ascending. 16%
Green Fields Power up the green lighthouse in Isle of the Blessed. 16%
Text Adventurer Finish all three text adventures in the exhibition. 16%
Red Suns Power up the red lighthouse in Isle of the Blessed. 15%
Oh, Shiny! Find a Prometheus Spark in Isle of the Blessed. 15%
Blue Moons Power up the blue lighthouse in Isle of the Blessed. 15%
The Mystery Fully reconstuct the mysterious file in Orpheus Ascending. 14%
Balance Maintain the status quo in New Jerusalem... for now. 14%
Low Int Dialogue Interact with an old friend in Orpheus Ascending. 14%
I Love Your Beard Solve one Prometheus monument in Isle of the Blessed. 14%
The New 1k Solve the Hexahedron in Isle of the Blessed. 14%
Explorer Use a bridge to reach a new island in Into The Abyss. 14%
Difficulty Spike Solve one puzzle in Into The Abyss. 13%
Aesthete Solve every puzzle in Isle of the Blessed. 12%
Unboxing Solve one Pandora monument in Isle of the Blessed. 12%
A Shortcut to Puzzles Use a map to teleport in Into The Abyss. 11%
Chicken Refuse to go along on the expedition. 11%
Cat Lady Solve one Sphinx monument in Isle of the Blessed. 11%
Ready to Go Solve eight puzzles in Into The Abyss. 11%
The Hard Way Solve "Switcheroo" without using the "keep connections" option. 10%
Monumental Solve all monuments in Isle of the Blessed. Because you want to. 9.6%
The Creator Collect all of Barzai's speeches in Isle of the Blessed. 8.8%
Revelation Solve all puzzles in Into The Abyss. 8.4%
Single Rod Solve "Seesaw" puzzle by picking up only one connector. 8.0%
Showing Off Solve both Pandora monuments without using a static connector outside puzzles in Isle of the Blessed. 7.8%
The Abyss Finish the fragmented text adventure in Into The Abyss. 7.6%
Hidden Strength Find all three hidden dreams in Into The Abyss. 6.7%
Sinner Have a heated argument with Thecla. 6.6%
Night Terrors Find every nightmare in Into The Abyss. 5.9%
Ancestry Find every QR message in Orpheus Ascending. 5.0%
A New Morality Help Rand get elected mayor. 4.2%

Steam page Updated: 2026-10-18.