When does Mark of the Ninja get good?

Give it 5 hours. In the first 2 hours 1 in 6 reviews are negative (15%); after 10h it's 1 in 120 (1%). Fully opens up by hour 10.

How many players finish Mark of the Ninja?

24% of players who start reach the ending.

All games

ActionAdventureIndie

Mark of the Ninja

Steam: Overwhelmingly Positive

Give it 5 hours

Gets good by 5h then rated almost like by veterans

Fully opens up by 10h rated like by long-time players

Reach the ending 24% of players who started

Started playing 91% of owners

Steam reviews 97% positive of 15,875

What the data shows

In the first 2 hours 1 in 6 reviews are negative (15%); after 10h it's 1 in 120 (1%).
Fully opens up by hour 10.
The opening is criticised less than in 82% of games we track.
24% of players who start reach the ending.
The biggest drop-off is between “Awakened” (Save Azai from the mercenaries) and “The Mercenary”: from 86% to 40% of starters.
91% of owners got the first achievement.

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 15,801 Steam reviews in every language. Median playtime in a sample of 295 reviews: 15.1h for positive, 3.8h 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 (91% of owners), so people who bought the game and never launched it don't count.

Started playing 100%
Awakened Save Azai from the mercenaries. 86% −14
The Mercenary Assassinate Kelly, the mercenary captain. Most players quit here 40% −46
Karajan's Fate Assassinate Karajan. 30% −10
Escape Escape from the Stronghold. 25% −4
Fated Determine your fate. 24% −1

story milestone ending biggest drop-off

Story milestones were labeled by AI from achievement names and descriptions; mistakes are possible.

All achievements (38)

story milestone ending side

Hisomu's Heir Kill one guard. 100%
Awakened Save Azai from the mercenaries. 86%
Stealth Assassin Perform 25 successful stealth kills. 65%
Trickster Distract 25 guards using environmental objects. 59%
Snare Use a dead body to lure another guard and then stealth kill them. 54%
The Mercenary Assassinate Kelly, the mercenary captain. 40%
The Worst Allies Kill a guard by getting other guards to shoot them. 38%
Things Better Left Unseen Throw the body of one guard to terrorize another. 35%
Masterful Complete a level without getting detected. 34%
Crimson Haiku Perform five different types of stealth kills successfully in one level. 33%
No One Lives Forever Stealth kill an elite guard after stunning him. 32%
Karajan's Fate Assassinate Karajan. 30%
Behind the Curtain View any of the developer commentaries. 30%
Oni Terrorize 10 guards. 29%
Escape Escape from the Stronghold. 25%
Fated Determine your fate. 24%
Mercy Complete a level without killing any guards. 20%
Deadly Shadows Stealth kill a guard from inside a dumpster. 17%
The Dark Project Get the Undetected honor bonus 10 times in one level. 17%
Gallows Terrify a guard using the result of a hanging stealth kill five times. 16%
Ghost Complete a level without killing any guards and without being detected. 16%
Manipulator Distract 25 guards using your equipment. 13%
Well, I Think It's Interesting Read one of the history lesson developer commentaries. 9.7%
Unstable Footing Terrify a guard and cause him to stumble to his death. 8.6%
Days Long Past Complete the new Special Edition level. 7.3%
Tactical Espionage Action Within a single Focus, aim and throw three different types of items. 7.3%
Inner Heaven Kill a guard from inside the box. 7.1%
Of The Mind Complete all of the challenge rooms. 6.8%
Back to Bed With You Knock out an enemy again that was revived from being knocked out. 6.3%
Perfection Earn all the Seals in every level. 5.6%
Descendent of Iga Earn three stars in every level. 5.4%
Haiku Find all three scrolls in every level. 5.2%
Marked Earn all the upgrades. 5.1%
What Could Have Been Complete one of the original Mark of the Ninja levels using the Path of Wisdom. 4.2%
Cordyceps Dispatch two enemies at once using a body infected with Toxic Fungus. 4.0%
True Ninja Complete the game in New Game Plus. 4.0%
Couldn't Do That Before Disable a spotlight using the Dusk Moths. 3.6%
The Humble Moth Stun an elite guard with moths then dispatch him. 2.9%

Steam page Updated: 2026-10-18.