When does Portal get good?

Hooks you almost right away. In the first 2 hours 1 in 19 reviews are negative (5%); after 4h it's 1 in 105 (1%). Fully opens up by hour 3.

How many players finish Portal?

64% of players who start reach the ending.

All games

Action

Portal

Oct 10, 2007 Steam: Overwhelmingly Positive

Hooks you almost right away

Gets good by 2h almost every game dips in hours 2–3

Fully opens up by 3h rated like by long-time players

Reach the ending 64% of players who started

Started playing 81% of owners

Steam reviews 99% positive of 200,615

What the data shows

In the first 2 hours 1 in 19 reviews are negative (5%); after 4h it's 1 in 105 (1%).
Fully opens up by hour 3.
The opening is criticised less than in 97% of games we track.
64% of players who start reach the ending.
The biggest drop-off is between “Lab Rat” and “Fratricide” (Do whatever it takes to survive): from 100% to 78% of starters.
81% 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 202,689 Steam reviews in every language. Median playtime in a sample of 297 reviews: 4.7h for positive, 2.7h 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 (80.9% of owners), so people who bought the game and never launched it don't count.

Started playing 100%
Lab Rat Acquire the fully powered Aperture Science Handheld Portal Device. 100%
Fratricide Do whatever it takes to survive. Most players quit here 78% −22
Heartbreaker Complete Portal. 64% −14

story milestone ending biggest drop-off

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

All achievements (15)

story milestone ending side

Lab Rat Acquire the fully powered Aperture Science Handheld Portal Device. 100%
Fratricide Do whatever it takes to survive. 78%
Partygoer Make the correct party escort submission position decision. 69%
Heartbreaker Complete Portal. 64%
Friendly Fire Knock down a turret with another turret. 60%
Cupcake Beat two Portal advanced maps. 22%
Long Jump Jump 300 feet. 18%
Fruitcake Beat four Portal advanced maps. 15%
Vanilla Crazy Cake Beat all six Portal advanced maps. 12%
Terminal Velocity Fall 30,000 feet. 11%
Transmission Received ..? 5.4%
Camera Shy Detach security cameras from the walls. 5.1%
Basic Science Earn bronze medals on all Portal challenges. 3.6%
Aperture Science Earn gold medals on all Portal challenges. 3.5%
Rocket Science Earn silver medals on all Portal challenges. 3.5%

Steam page Updated: 2026-10-21.