IndieSimulationStrategy
Phantom Brigade
Give it 3 hours
Gets good by 3h almost every game dips in hours 2–3
Fully opens up by 35h rated like by long-time players
Reach the ending at least 18% of players who started
Started playing 91% of owners
Steam reviews 81% positive of 4,650
What the data shows
- In the first 2 hours 1 in 3 reviews are negative (40%); after 35h it's 1 in 7 (14%).
- Fully opens up by hour 35.
- At least 18% of players who start reach the ending.
- Most players drop off before “First Steps” (Complete the campaign tutorial): only 69% of starters get there.
- 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 4,676 Steam reviews in every language. Median playtime in a sample of 299 reviews: 29.7h for positive, 9.5h 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%
- First Steps Complete the campaign tutorial Most players quit here 69% −31
- For Fyrland Liberate the Keystone Pass and open the path to the Capital 52% −18
- Making Progress Liberate the second occupied province 42% −10
- All Aboard Liberate the Western Pass and leave the Outer Provinces 23% −18
- Take It Back Liberate all provinces in the country ≥18% −5
story milestone ending (most common ending) biggest drop-off
Story milestones were labeled by AI from achievement names and descriptions; mistakes are possible.
All achievements (46)
story milestone ending side
- Play It Back Use replay for the first time 100%
- Welcome, Commander Start a new game of Phantom Brigade 93%
- Keep It Cool Win combat without overheating any units 93%
- 3 Birds, One Stone Eliminate 3 enemies in a single turn 89%
- A Little R&R Rest and resupply for the first time 78%
- Dressed To Impress Customize livery for the first time 76%
- Knock Out Win combat by knocking out all enemy units 74%
- Made You Look Damage an enemy by ricochet during a turn 73%
- Dash and Dodge Blind a guided missile using the dash action 70%
- First Steps Complete the campaign tutorial 69%
- Mix and Match Customize a unit with Common, Uncommon, and Rare parts 60%
- Perseverance Complete a mission with a pilot that has a trauma 59%
- Three Years ago Complete the first mission of the campaign 55%
- For Fyrland Liberate the Keystone Pass and open the path to the Capital 52%
- Friendly Fired Eliminate a unit by friendly fire during a turn 50%
- Making Progress Liberate the second occupied province 42%
- Peak Morale Enter combat with a full squad without any fatigued pilots 40%
- Calling Friends Fight alongside 3F forces 39%
- Weathering Complete a mission during heavy rain 36%
- Just a Setback Have the countdown expire and Kaskad forces regroup in a province for the first time 33%
- First Loss Lose a pilot in battle for the first time 31%
- Clean Record Complete a liberation mission with no collateral damage 31%
- Cleaning House Liberate a province after liberating the capital 28%
- Zero Fix Have no camp supplies while having a mech or a pilot with no health remaining 28%
- Environmental Elimination Eliminate an enemy via environmental damage 27%
- All Aboard Liberate the Western Pass and leave the Outer Provinces 23%
- Melee Master Eliminate 3 enemies using a single melee attack 22%
- The Black Market Discover the Black Market for the first time 19%
- Railgunner Hit 3 enemy units with a single railgun attack 19%
- Take It Back Liberate all provinces in the country 18%
- Play Your Way Play Phantom Brigade with mods enabled 12%
- Capital Liberator Complete Capital liberation scenario 6.9%
- Dog Person Assign a dog emblem to a mech 6.8%
- Mobile Zoo Deploy a squad with both a dog and a cat emblems assigned 5.6%
- Clean Sweep Liberate the Capital without losing a single pilot 5.3%
- Cat Person Assign a cat emblem to a mech 4.8%
- Home Improvement Unlock every base upgrade 4.2%
- Workshop Wizard Obtain every workshop blueprint 4.0%
- Missile Barrage Have at least 100 missiles in flight during a turn 3.2%
- Scenic Route Reach the capital with every optional province liberated 3.2%
- Fearsome Force all enemies in a scenario to eject 2.9%
- Weight Class Crash a lightweight unit into a heavy enemy unit 2.7%
- Only Takes One Complete a mission with only a single unit 2.6%
- Beam Reflector Reflect a beam 3 times before hitting an enemy in a turn 0.5%
- Aggressive Negotiations Enter combat with a full team of Interceptor pilots 0.4%
- Direct Course Reach the capital without ever liberating an optional province 0.3%
Steam page Updated: 2026-10-19.