Unique, satisfying physics-based combat
Mentioned in ~1 in 4 positive reviews
“once that hill was overcome this is hands-down one of the best physics simulations for melee combat that I've ever played”
Steam review · 34.2 h played ↗
Exanima
Worth buying? What 300 Steam reviews say.Worth buying? Here’s what 300 Steam reviews actually say.
Very Positive · 80%Very Positive · 80%Bare Mettle Entertainment2015Dungeon Crawler · RPG · Adventure
$14.99
Open on Steam ↗US Steam price, checked 6 h ago
The verdict
A uniquely deep physics-based dungeon crawler with great atmosphere and satisfying combat once learned, but clunky controls, harsh saves and a never-ending early access. Skip it if you want polish or a finished game.
Great for
Patient players who enjoy hardcore, no-hand-holding physics combat and exploring dark dungeons
Main risk
Clunky controls and permadeath with sparse saves can wipe hours, in a game stuck in early access
What changed in the last 30 days
42 recent reviews
Recent negative reviews cite generative AI content added to the game and the long early access with little change. Controls and bugs are also mentioned. Moderate confidence.
42 recent reviews
What players love
Rewarding high skill ceiling once learned
Mentioned in ~1 in 5 positive reviews
“If you enjoy the journey of mastering a skill, Trail and error and are humble enough to realize when you are and aren't taking risks, this game might be for you.”
Steam review · 794.4 h played ↗
Devs still active, and multiplayer anticipated
Mentioned in ~1 in 8 positive reviews
“over the past few years this game has made leaps and bounds as far as content and refinement”
Steam review · 820.6 h played ↗
Great value for the price
Mentioned in ~1 in 9 positive reviews
“Just beating the games story mode once took me ~50 hours, and that's not counting the games arena mode”
Steam review · 50.8 h played ↗
Dark, immersive atmosphere and level design
Mentioned in ~1 in 9 positive reviews
“The atmosphere is off the charts, and this is helped by the graphics and sound engine.”
Steam review · 68.7 h played ↗
Arena mode and replayability
Mentioned in ~1 in 11 positive reviews
“The tournament mode is like crack, highly addictive”
Steam review · 41.3 h played ↗
What players complain about
Years of early access and slow updates
Mentioned in ~2 in 5 negative reviews
“Exanima is STILL in early access. It's been almost 11 years, this game is almost a teenager and is still in early access.”
Steam review · 75 h played ↗
Awful controls and camera
Mentioned in ~1 in 4 negative reviews
“wasd moves your character based on where your cursor is which isn't intuitive at all”
Steam review · 0.5 h played ↗
Bugs, getting stuck and glitchy physics
Mentioned in ~1 in 7 negative reviews
“Every run I have played of this game has ended with my character getting stuck in a wall, falling through the floor or glitching into a physics object.”
Steam review · 97.4 h played ↗
Harsh permadeath and weak save system
Mentioned in ~1 in 8 negative reviews
“I got about halfway through level 7 and fell into a chasm because my character tripped on a wall. The last checkpoint the game gives you is at the end of level 3”
Steam review · 163.6 h played ↗
Toxic developers and community
Mentioned in ~1 in 11 negative reviews
“Toxic devs more interested in harassing players, extremely toxic fanboy community that supports them.”
Steam review · 28.2 h played ↗
Generative AI content added
Mentioned in ~1 in 17 negative reviews
“devs started adding ai slop into the game, which is not what i signed up for :(”
Steam review · 9.2 h played ↗
System requirements
From the Steam store page
Steam Deck: Playable10 GB
Minimum
OSWindows 7 (32-bit)
ProcessorIntel Core i5 or AMD Ryzen 3
Memory4 GB RAM
GraphicsNvidia / AMD / Intel (OpenGL 4.6+)
Storage10 GB available space
Recommended
OSWindows 10 / 11 (64-bit)
ProcessorIntel i5-8400 or better
Memory8 GB RAM
GraphicsNvidia GTX 1060 or better
OSWindows 7 (32-bit)
ProcessorIntel Core i5 or AMD Ryzen 3
Memory4 GB RAM
GraphicsNvidia / AMD / Intel (OpenGL 4.6+)
Storage10 GB available space
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