RPG
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition
Give it 3 hours
Gets good by 3h almost every game dips in hours 2–3
Reach the ending 17% of players who started
Started playing 72% of owners
Steam reviews 92% positive of 380,994
What the data shows
- In the first 2 hours 1 in 3 reviews are negative (33%); after 20h it's 1 in 16 (6%).
- 17% of players who start reach the ending.
- The biggest drop-off is between “Unbound” and “Bleak Falls Barrow”: from 100% to 69% of starters.
- 72% 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 382,240 Steam reviews in every language. Median playtime in a sample of 298 reviews: 35.7h for positive, 14.8h 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 (72% of owners), so people who bought the game and never launched it don't count.
- Started playing 100%
- Unbound Complete "Unbound" 100%
- Bleak Falls Barrow Complete "Bleak Falls Barrow" Most players quit here 69% −31
- The Way of the Voice Complete "The Way of the Voice" 51% −17
- Diplomatic Immunity Complete "Diplomatic Immunity" 30% −21
- Alduin's Wall Complete "Alduin's Wall" 25% −5
- Elder Knowledge Complete "Elder Knowledge" 21% −4
- The Fallen Complete "The Fallen" 18% −3
- Dragonslayer Complete "Dragonslayer" 17% −1
story milestone ending biggest drop-off
Story milestones were labeled by AI from achievement names and descriptions; mistakes are possible.
All achievements (75)
story milestone ending side
- Unbound Complete "Unbound" 100%
- Blessed Select a Standing Stone blessing 86%
- Apprentice Reach Level 5 72%
- Bleak Falls Barrow Complete "Bleak Falls Barrow" 69%
- Dragon Soul Absorb a dragon soul 68%
- Adept Reach Level 10 59%
- The Way of the Voice Complete "The Way of the Voice" 51%
- Words of Power Learn all three words of a shout 45%
- Gatekeeper Join the College of Winterhold 44%
- Citizen Buy a house 43%
- Daedric Influence Acquire a Daedric Artifact 41%
- Expert Reach Level 25 39%
- Take Up Arms Join the Companions 39%
- Artificer Make a smithed item, an enchanted item, and a potion 36%
- Outlander Arrive on Solstheim 33%
- Explorer Discover 100 Locations 32%
- Skill Master Get a skill to 100 32%
- Snake Tongue Successfully persuade, bribe, and intimidate 31%
- Taking Care of Business Join the Thieves Guild 31%
- Diplomatic Immunity Complete "Diplomatic Immunity" 30%
- Hero of the People Complete 50 Misc Objectives 29%
- Awakening Complete "Awakening" 27%
- Alduin's Wall Complete "Alduin's Wall" 25%
- Blood Oath Become a member of the Circle 25%
- Taking Sides Join the Stormcloaks or the Imperial Army 25%
- Landowner Buy a plot of land 24%
- Revealing the Unseen Complete "Revealing the Unseen" 23%
- The Eye of Magnus Complete "The Eye of Magnus" 22%
- With Friends Like These… Join the Dark Brotherhood 22%
- Proud Parent Adopt a child 22%
- Golden Touch Have 100,000 gold 22%
- The Temple of Miraak Complete "The Temple of Miraak" 22%
- Elder Knowledge Complete "Elder Knowledge" 21%
- Delver Clear 50 dungeons 20%
- Sideways Complete 10 side quests 20%
- Dragon Hunter Absorb 20 dragon souls 20%
- Hard Worker Chop wood, mine ore, and cook food 20%
- Beyond Death Complete "Beyond Death" 19%
- Glory of the Dead Complete "Glory of the Dead" 19%
- The Fallen Complete "The Fallen" 18%
- The Path of Knowledge Complete "The Path of Knowledge" 18%
- Master Reach Level 50 17%
- Dragonslayer Complete "Dragonslayer" 17%
- Bound Until Death Complete "Bound Until Death" 16%
- Darkness Returns Complete "Darkness Returns" 16%
- Kindred Judgement Complete "Kindred Judgment" 16%
- At the Summit of Apocrypha Complete "At the Summit of Apocrypha" 16%
- War Hero Capture Fort Sungard or Fort Greenwall 15%
- Architect Build three wings on a house 15%
- Hero of Skyrim Capture Solitude or Windhelm 15%
- Hail Sithis! Complete "Hail Sithis!" 15%
- Reader Read 50 Skill Books 15%
- Married Get married 14%
- A New You Change your face 14%
- Thu'um Master Learn 20 shouts 14%
- Standing Stones Find 13 Standing Stones 13%
- Wanted Escape from jail 12%
- Lost to the Ages Complete "Lost to the Ages" 12%
- Dragon Aspect Learn all 3 words of Dragon Aspect 11%
- Raven Rock Owner Own a house in Raven Rock 11%
- Soul Tear Learn all three words of Soul Tear 11%
- Thief Pick 50 locks and 50 pockets 11%
- Solstheim Explorer Discover 30 locations on the island of Solstheim 10%
- Hidden Knowledge Learn the secrets of 5 Black Books 9.0%
- One with the Shadows Returned the Thieves Guild to its former glory 7.4%
- Legend Defeat a Legendary Dragon 7.1%
- Land Baron Buy three plots of land 6.8%
- Auriel's Bow Use the special power of Auriel's Bow 6.7%
- Stalhrim Crafter Craft an item out of Stalhrim 5.6%
- Werewolf Mastered Acquire 11 werewolf perks 5.3%
- Oblivion Walker Collect 15 Daedric Artifacts 4.7%
- Vampire Mastered Acquire 11 vampire perks 4.6%
- Master Architect Build three houses 4.4%
- Master Criminal Bounty of 1000 gold in all nine holds 3.9%
- Dragonrider Tame and ride 5 dragons 3.9%
Steam page Updated: 2026-10-21.