THE LONGING
Give it 3 hours
What the data shows
- In the first 2 hours 1 in 4 reviews are negative (24%); after 20h it's 1 in 18 (6%).
- Fully opens up by hour 15.
- 66% of players who start reach the ending.
- Most players drop off before “The End of Longing” (When will my longing end?): only 66% of starters get there.
- Only 53% 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 7,541 Steam reviews in every language. Median playtime in a sample of 299 reviews: 26.1h for positive, 10.2h 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 (53.4% of owners), so people who bought the game and never launched it don't count.
- Started playing 100%
- The End of Longing When will my longing end? Most players quit here 67% −33
story milestone ending biggest drop-off
Story milestones were labeled by AI from achievement names and descriptions; mistakes are possible.
All achievements (25)
story milestone ending side
- The Halls of Eternity l read about the halls of eternity, a place where time stands still. 100%
- Mattock A mattock would be a nice tool to have down here. 93%
- Running Water I could use some running water in my home. Not that I have any need for hygiene, I just like the sound. 87%
- The Map I could really use a map of the kingdom. 80%
- Disappointing Achievement I should make a list of my failings. Maybe that will be a small accomplishment at least. 79%
- Dream I wish I could dream of another place. 78%
- A Face I'd really like to converse with someone. Anyone... 75%
- Head of a Horse It is very lonely down here. From time to time it would be nice to see another pair of eyes. 70%
- Home Improvement I could try to enlarge my little home by hacking through the walls. 67%
- The End of Longing When will my longing end? 67%
- Colorful Stones I wish I had more colors for my art studies. It should be possible to find some different colored stones in the cave. 65%
- The Library There is a secret library somewhere in the kingdom. I could use some more books, so I'd very much like to find it. 65%
- Becoming Darkness Where is this darkness? 59%
- Wah Wah Wah Waaah I wish I could play my favourite tune on my instrument to ease the pain of solitude. 56%
- Home Sweet Home My home is not comfortable enough for this long wait. 45%
- Crystal Glory There are crystals in many colors. I could harvest some of them and decorate my room. 41%
- Leaving Darkness Will I ever overcome it? 38%
- My Favourite Painting I definitely need more pictures on my wall. Especially... 36%
- Bed A bed would be a nice addition to my furniture. I could probably build one if I had the right materials. 34%
- Mushroom Gardener Luckily I don't need to eat, but it would be nice to grow some pretty mushrooms. 33%
- Secret Tower The cave is supposedly full of hidden places. 32%
- Avid Reader I really need to read more... 26%
- The Cave I wonder when I will have discovered every part of the cave? 26%
- Neverending Notebook My dream would be to find a book that never ends. 17%
- Birthday At least my birthday will be a bit sooner. 16%