Nightingale
The first 3 hours are a test
What the data shows
- In the first 2 hours most reviews are negative (67%); after 15h it's 1 in 4 (23%).
- Fully opens up by hour 15.
- The opening is criticised more than in 94% of games we track.
- The biggest drop-off is between “First Fledgling Steps” (Complete the Abeyance Main Quests) and “The Place They Go Towards” (Complete Sylvan's Cradle Main Quests): from 100% to 55% of starters.
- Only 24% 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 18,243 Steam reviews in every language. Median playtime in a sample of 294 reviews: 51.2h for positive, 14h 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 (24.2% of owners), so people who bought the game and never launched it don't count.
- Started playing 100%
- First Fledgling Steps Complete the Abeyance Main Quests. 100%
- The Place They Go Towards Complete Sylvan's Cradle Main Quests. Most players quit here 55% −45
- Ad Astra Complete Welkin's Reach Main Quests. 39% −16
- Titan of Industry Complete Magwytch Marshes Main Quests. 29% −10
- In Grove or Green Complete Gloriana's Tears Main Quests. 21% −8
story milestone ending biggest drop-off
Story milestones were labeled by AI from achievement names and descriptions; mistakes are possible.
All achievements (28)
story milestone ending side
- First Fledgling Steps Complete the Abeyance Main Quests. 100%
- The Place They Go Towards Complete Sylvan's Cradle Main Quests. 55%
- To Praise Despair Uncover the truth about the penitent of Sylvan's Cradle. 46%
- Ad Astra Complete Welkin's Reach Main Quests. 39%
- Building Bridges Alleviate the tensions between the Village and the Refugee Encampment in Sylvan's Cradle. 30%
- Titan of Industry Complete Magwytch Marshes Main Quests. 29%
- Shelter in the Storm Aid the survivors from the Calcularian Airfleet crash. 23%
- In Grove or Green Complete Gloriana's Tears Main Quests. 21%
- Sheriff's Deputy Gain Bass Reeves's approval by warning him about Wilhelmina Sasse's ploy. 19%
- The Letter of the Law Complete the Quests 'Arm Yourself' and 'Target Practice'. 19%
- A Safe Haven Visit The Watch. 18%
- The Love of the Unknown Complete 'A Gateway to The Watch' Questline. 17%
- The Histories Complete the Hollowed Moor Main Quest. 17%
- Friend of the Grendels Complete 'The Matriarch's Lament' Questline. 15%
- Balm and Bitterness Find a new home for the Being of Welkin's Reach. 15%
- Act of Defiance Procure translations for Puck's mysterious Glyph. 15%
- Run the Gauntlet Face the Fabled Automaton Bishop, the Sun Giant, and the Elder Eoten in The Gauntlet. 14%
- Geoarcane Initiate Complete 'A Safe Haven' Questline. 14%
- Doctor's Assistant Complete 'The Modern Prometheus' Questline 13%
- Wolf in Sheep's Clothing Uncover the Magwytch Marshes Personnel Files. 13%
- Through a Glass Darkly Share an ugly truth with the Mayor of Magwytch Town. 13%
- Spirit Communion Complete 'Lessons of the Loa' Questline. 13%
- Muckraker Gain Wilhelmina Sasse's approval by sharing confidential information about Bass Reeves. 11%
- Riddlemaster Complete 'The Riddles of Taliesin' Questline. 11%
- Faith in Fools Complete 'Troubles Within and Without' Questline. 8.7%
- Double-Tongued Gain approval from both Wilhelmina Sasse and Bass Reeves. 8.7%
- Prospective Squire Complete 'St Michael's Chosen' Questline. 6.6%
- The Devil You Know Agree to keep Oisin McAvoy's ugly secret. 2.5%