Witty, funny writing and shopkeeper
Mentioned in ~1 in 2 positive reviews
“This it the game I always bring up when it comes to the funniest games I've ever played. It had me cracking up the whole way through.”
Steam review · 30.9 h played ↗
The Messenger
Worth buying? What 300 Steam reviews say.Worth buying? Here’s what 300 Steam reviews actually say.
Very Positive · 93%Very Positive · 93%Sabotage2018Platformer · Metroidvania · Action
$19.99
Open on Steam ↗US Steam price, checked 5 h ago · Lowest we’ve seen since Oct 21, 2026: $3.99
The verdict
A witty, great-sounding Ninja Gaiden homage that turns into a Metroidvania halfway. Skip it if you hate backtracking or precision platforming with awkward glide controls.
Great for
Retro platformer fans who love chiptune music, witty writing and a genre-twisting surprise
Main risk
The second-half Metroidvania switch means lots of tedious backtracking through old levels
What players love
Outstanding chiptune soundtrack
Mentioned in ~2 in 5 positive reviews
“Banger soundtrack (Seriously, I couldnt name a single bad track, I got hooked from the very first one.”
Steam review · 22.9 h played ↗
Surprising genre and 8/16-bit twist
Mentioned in ~1 in 4 positive reviews
“THIS is how you subvert the expectations of a genre.”
Steam review · 6.8 h played ↗
Tight, responsive movement and platforming
Mentioned in ~1 in 4 positive reviews
“The movement feels incredible—tight, responsive, and insanely satisfying once everything clicks.”
Steam review · 13.8 h played ↗
Beautiful pixel art and retro charm
Mentioned in ~1 in 4 positive reviews
“Great pixelart”
Steam review · 22.9 h played ↗
Great Ninja Gaiden homage with fair challenge
Mentioned in ~1 in 6 positive reviews
“The Messenger is the closest thing to NES Ninja Gaiden, but modern and actually playable.”
Steam review · 4.9 h played ↗
What players complain about
Second-half Metroidvania backtracking
Mentioned in ~2 in 5 negative reviews
“Everything after that was an absolute slog with an overabundance of backtracking combined with senseless puzzles that you have almost no way of figuring out by yourself.”
Steam review · 12.4 h played ↗
Punishing difficulty spikes and instant-death pits
Mentioned in ~1 in 5 negative reviews
“Then you hit one the bosses ( demon general ) which unlike all previous bosses is straight impossible.”
Steam review · 9.3 h played ↗
Awkward controls, glide shares jump button
Mentioned in ~1 in 8 negative reviews
“The same button jumps, double jumps if you attacked something and goes into wing suit mode when held - that is way too much functionality and leads to frustrated button mashing.”
Steam review · 16.8 h played ↗
Meta humor and writing falls flat
Mentioned in ~1 in 8 negative reviews
“one of the smarmiest games I have ever played.”
Steam review · 5.7 h played ↗
Repetitive enemies and shallow upgrades
Mentioned in ~1 in 9 negative reviews
“a árvore de habilidades é muito pequena (na metade do jogo tu já comprou praticamente todas as melhorias, um absurdo)”
Steam review · 4 h played ↗
Death mechanics: mocking demon and half health
Mentioned in ~1 in 15 negative reviews
“the tiny red ♥♥♥♥ that mocks you for literally trying to play the game.”
Steam review · 4.2 h played ↗
System requirements
From the Steam store page
Steam Deck: VerifiedController support1200 MB
Minimum
OSWindows 7 Service Pack 1 or newer (64 bit)
ProcessorIntel core i5-4210 1.7ghz
Memory2 GB RAM
GraphicsIntel HD Graphics 4400
Storage1200 MB available space
OSWindows 7 Service Pack 1 or newer (64 bit)
ProcessorIntel core i5-4210 1.7ghz
Memory2 GB RAM
GraphicsIntel HD Graphics 4400
Storage1200 MB available space
More games to check
Other games we’ve read the reviews for
Disney/Pixar Toy Story 3 Complete Edition
Very Positive · 84%
+ Strong nostalgia and charm
− Many bugs and softlocks
analyzed 9 d ago
Disney/Pixar Toy Story: Retro Roundup!
Mostly Positive · 77%Early verdict
+ Strong nostalgia and faithful games
− Input lag
analyzed 3 d ago
VVVVVV
Overwhelmingly Positive
+ Outstanding chiptune soundtrack
− Slippery, floaty controls
analyzed 3 d ago
F.I.S.T.: Forged In Shadow Torch
Very Positive · 87%
+ Gorgeous dieselpunk art and world
− Clunky, unresponsive combat
analyzed 4 d ago
Weekly digest
Fresh games worth a look, in your inbox
The most interesting games we’ve just analyzed, once a week.Once a week we send the most interesting games we’ve just analyzed: the verdict, top pros and cons, and what changed. No spam.
One email a week · unsubscribe in one click