Beyond Shadowgate
Last updated: 2026-02-12
- True sequel to Shadowgate
- Great music and soundtrack
- Engaging and challenging puzzles
- Retro graphics with modern improvements
- Puzzle design issues and shortcomings
- Game can be overly difficult
Emotions
Players feel nostalgic due to the game's strong ties to the original Shadowgate on the NES, including its story, graphics, music, and atmosphere. The game's callbacks to the old point-and-click adventure games from the 80s, along with its puzzles and references to other MacVenture games, evoke memories of childhood and the classic gaming experience.
The excitement stems from the game's immersive lore, puzzles, and the anticipation of discovering what lies behind specific doors. Players are also thrilled about the modern design decisions, the game's quality, and the developer's dedication, which makes the game hard to put down.
Joy is derived from the game's mix of nostalgia and new elements, making it enjoyable for both retro and modern audiences. The gameplay, reminiscent of the original but more user-friendly, along with great music and a wonderful NES-style aesthetic, contributes to a highly enjoyable experience.
Players feel satisfied with the game's distinct areas, unique musical themes, and its balance between nostalgia and modern quality-of-life improvements. The game's length and the experience of discovering new details and text also contribute to this satisfaction.
Admiration comes from the game's excellent visuals, the protagonist Del, and the overall joy of playing. It is seen as the absolute best thing fans of the original Shadowgate could hope for.
Core metrics
Core business metrics
Steam review mix, revenue model, and refund leakage.
Steam review stats
- Steam rating
- Very Positive (8/10)
- Total reviews
- 285
- Positive
- 27395.8%
- Negative
- 124.2%
Sales estimations
- Estimated sales count
- 18,677
- Estimated revenue
- $335,999
- Game price
- $18
- Review → sale ratio
Refund leakage
- Refund-intent reviews
- 10.81%
- Estimated copies lost
- 66
- Estimated revenue lost
- $1,187
Review pace
Statistical analysis
Sentiment vs playtime and velocity signals.
Sentiment Ă— Playtime
review counts| Bucket | Neg | Pos |
|---|---|---|
| ≤ 2h playtime | 10.8% Avg playtime 0.2h | 32.4% Avg playtime 1h |
| > 2h playtime | 10.8% Avg playtime 156.1h | 11895.9% Avg playtime 14.2h |
Velocity
review pace| Avg/day | 0.2 rev/day |
| Last 30d | 0.1 rev/day |
| Quarterly | 20.8 rev/qtr |
| Days covered | 494.1 days |
Audience segments
Who is reviewing
Buyer mixes, lifecycle phase, and Steam Deck signals.
Buyer vs key activations
Share of review volume
123 total
Organic purchasers8367.5%
Voted up: 99%
Key activations4032.5%
Voted up: 98%
Honeymoon vs endgame
Based on hours played
123 total
First impression0-2h1814.6%
Voted up: 94%
Mid game2-10h5443.9%
Voted up: 100%
Late game10-20h3629.3%
Voted up: 100%
Endgame20h+1512.2%
Voted up: 93%
Steam Deck monitor
Deck vs global sentiment
Deck satisfaction
100.0%
Global baseline 98.4%
14 Steam Deck-tagged reviews out of 285 total.