HELLDIVERS™ 2
HELLDIVERS™ 2
Game
Game2019
Ashen
Developer A44
Ashen is an action role-playing game developed by New Zealand studio A44 and published by Annapurna Interactive. From Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)
329 reactions from 4 sources (Steam reviews, Bluesky, Mastodon, Lemmy) · newest Nov 5, 2026 · last updated Nov 6, 2026 · How this works
Audience score
51
Mixed
94 positive · 91 negative
95% range 44–58%
| Source | + | − | = |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steam reviews | 94 | 91 | 0 |
| Bluesky * | 7 | 0 | 125 |
| Mastodon * | 3 | 1 | 7 |
| Lemmy * | 0 | 0 | 1 |
* shown, not counted in the score (label accuracy below our 85% bar or not yet audited).
Steam's own rating
Mixed
1,284 of 1,958 reviews positive (all languages, per Valve)
What players are saying
50% recommend · 94 yes, 93 no
Counted from the reviewers’ own thumbs up/down on the 187 English Steam reviews we collected, not by the AI. Valve’s all-language rating: Mixed (2,583 of 3,868 positive).
Players are split on Ashen, with many praising its art style and atmosphere while others criticize technical issues and gameplay. [1][2][3][4] Some reviewers find the co-op and AI companion enjoyable, but others report broken multiplayer and bugs. [5][6][7][8] Several players note the game is a solid souls-like with a unique identity, though it has flaws like asset reuse and poor lock-on. [1][9][10][11]
Representative posts
- [7]
Multiplayer for PC only works on epic games. Pointless to get on steam "Additionally, for multiplayer on PC, ensure that you launch Ashen via the Epic Games Store/Launcher - our matchmaking is tightly coupled with their server tech." - https://www.ashen-game.com/post/ashen-multiplayer-faq
- [3]
While this game has one of the most stunning art styles I've seen in a long time, the gameplay is very poor. I've gotten to the 4th area and beaten the second boss, and this game just continually frustrates me. The difficulty is almost entirely sourced from ambushes or ganking. Many attacks are strangely telegraphed, with a really long wind up, then very quick, blocky attacks coming out, with other attacks that will …
- [1]
Ashen is a distinctive action RPG that takes the familiar foundations of Souls-like design and gives them a quieter, more communal identity. Developed by A44 and published by Annapurna Interactive, the game follows a wanderer searching for a place to call home in a world where light is slowly returning after an age of darkness. Instead of presenting its setting through constant exposition, it relies heavily on …
- [9]
Ashen looks like a dark souls type of game. Reality is slightly different. The maniability is close. But game design and art direction are not a from software game. Devs removed complex stats or hidden mechanics. Quests are simple and straight forward. Some people here are complaining about this. Probably because they think everything has to be painful and super challenging. And I think this is why ashen is great. …
- [2]
I have a lot more hours in this game than my profile shows as I got the game when it released on Epic games, and after over 6 years I can still say Ashen is my favourite game of all time. The atmosphere of the game is incredible, its beautiful art direction lends a minimalist aesthetic to the game which makes it's environments all the more enrapturing, and the sombre music that plays alongside does so much to invest …
Summarised from 34 of the 261 public posts collected about this game; every point cites the posts behind it ([n] opens the post) and the split is counted from the posts’ own ratings. Updated Oct 12, 2026. How summaries are made
RottenBot@rottenbot · automated account
Ashen sits at 51% positive across 185 opinionated reactions from 4 sources. Fresh or rotten — where do you land?
Critics, per Wikipedia
Ashen was rated 9/10 by GameSpot, and 4/5 by GamesRadar+. Eurogamer also praised the game, awarding it the "Eurogamer Recommended" mark. The game was noted through multiple reviews to hold similarities to the Dark Souls series, specifically Dark Souls.
From the “Reception” section of Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Critic context only — not part of the audience score.
Reactions
60 of 329 · most liked first"Ashen one... touch the darkness within me..." This is not how I remember the game 😅
neutral · AI labelView post →"AI Gaming Festival" on Steam. [How nice of them to self-report their AI usage.](https://store.steampowered.com/curator/46280965/sale/AIGamingFestival) Here is a list of the publishers taking part and which games they entered into this event. Do with that information as you please. Just as a warning some of the games linked are very NSFW. 10six Games - YOU vs Zombies -- https://store.steampowered.com/app/4224660/ 150 Beanies - Cardboard Gladiators --…
neutral · AI labelView post →just set up an ngage emulator to play this game Ashen and this dithering is so striking
neutral · AI labelView post →More game yapping incoming. 📢🎮 Which Soulsborne protagonist did you enjoy playing as the most? We've got... Chosen Undead 💀 Bearer of the Curse 🐻 Ashen One 🔥 Hunter 🏹 Wolf 🐺 Tarnished ✨
neutral · AI labelView post →Ashen (2004, N-Gage) (2/2) (this looks surprisingly great and plays pretty well too. at times it looks similar to "faux ps1" indie FPS, almost like it's faking the low res aesthetic. tough to get unique shots with plants but there's more in the post below, which is how i heard about the game!)
positive · AI labelView post →Happy Trails Through Daybreak II launch day! I'm grateful to be returning as Ashen Lu and Chignon! 🔥😭 Many thanks again to PCBproductions and NISAmerica for having me as well as producing the game under a union interim contract so we can have AI protections! 🙏
neutral · AI labelView post →Ashen #GhostofTsushima #Photomode #Virtualphotography #VPsupport #VPrepost [Captured with in game photomode, edited in PS]
neutral · AI labelView post →Multiplayer for PC only works on epic games. Pointless to get on steam "Additionally, for multiplayer on PC, ensure that you launch Ashen via the Epic Games Store/Launcher - our matchmaking is tightly coupled with their server tech." - https://www.ashen-game.com/post/ashen-multiplayer-faq
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →You can't rebind keys. The Coop is not Coop.. if your friend dies during a boss fight, they are counted as having not beat the boss and you can no longer play together until they beat the boss on their own. Whoever thought up this dumb idea has cost the game so many sells.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Stuart Ashen joins Paul & Eli for an epic episode of CheapShow. A walkabout in #Norwich slides awkwardly into a board game battle for the ages as they desperately take on Takeshi’s Castle! www.thecheapshow.co.uk/ep-425-the-g... Share/Rate/Review @ashens.bsky.social @e-loud.bsky.social
neutral · AI labelView post →Ashen is a distinctive action RPG that takes the familiar foundations of Souls-like design and gives them a quieter, more communal identity. Developed by A44 and published by Annapurna Interactive, the game follows a wanderer searching for a place to call home in a world where light is slowly returning after an age of darkness. Instead of presenting its setting through constant exposition, it relies heavily on exploration, environmental storytelling, brief conversations, and the people…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Solid Souls like Does Ashen keeps crashing?...Do this! hit windows+R, type systempropertiesadvanced then click ok, then select environmental variables, then under system variables select new, then under variable name type OPENSSL_ia32cap then under variable value type ~0x20000000 then hit ok. This will stop the game from crashing. Game is solid and fun to play!
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Yoo thank you so much for over +500 plays for Ashen Convenant!!! In case you are wondering how our Death God looks like, he looks like this! Play the game at : azurextwilight.itch.io/ashen-conven... Art by koni_draw_illustration1607 in Instagram #visualnovel #o2a2vngamejam #o2a2 #gamedev
neutral · AI labelView post →Easily one of my favorite games of all time. It's beautiful, sounds amazing and the difficulty is just the right amount of tough. Paired with co-op, you're bound to have a wonderful time with a friend. Of course there's a couple things I don't like or wish were different but overall it's a 8/10 for me. Some of these reviews are complaining it's "not a real souls game" or something ridiculous like that and I'm glad. The souls community is one of the most toxic communities in gaming. Give the…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Me and @nezzeth.bsky.social are nearly done with this beautiful (but souls-like style difficulty) game! I never thought I could enjoy a souls like game but the co-op made it very fun and a bit easier for me #Ashen #NintendoSwitch Handheld Screenshots
positive · AI labelView post →Meet Byleth: Ashen Nightmare from the #FireEmblem Warriors: Three Hopes game. A mercenary known as the Ashen Demon. Brandishes tyrannical force in battle as if driven by something mysterious. #FEHeroes guide.fire-emblem-heroes.com/en-US/120010...
neutral · AI labelView post →The game in general is fine, but there are just some concepts that made me drop this game. Visually, this game is really cool and stunning. It adopts the souls-type style and aesthetic really well and adds some vibrancy to it somehow, which is really impressive. But that's unfortunately really where the positives stop. The gameplay is generally fine, but there are so many bugs that appear, especially in multiplayer, where I started this game with a friend. The way to connect to your friends…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →nsfw +18 Uthos the Ashen Born from Hellpoint game Nude w c0ck version and statue version. A big muscle cock caught ;3 #bara #nsfw #hellpoint
neutral · AI labelView post →I don't think this game deserves mixed. Def not overwhelmingly positive but it should be positive. It takes a while to get the hang of and the tutorial is kinda terrible but its actually great after that.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →While this game has one of the most stunning art styles I've seen in a long time, the gameplay is very poor. I've gotten to the 4th area and beaten the second boss, and this game just continually frustrates me. The difficulty is almost entirely sourced from ambushes or ganking. Many attacks are strangely telegraphed, with a really long wind up, then very quick, blocky attacks coming out, with other attacks that will just have a quick windup and huge distance closer. The village progress system…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →NEW TRAILER for LIMINAL POINT, our Silent Hill, Resident Evil and Signalis inspired survival horror game. Lot's of new mechanics to fight the horrors of Ashen Point's Island. Check it out and wishlist now on Steam, PS5, Xbox or GOG. 🎮 #indiedev #indiegame
neutral · AI labelView post →Dawn of the Ashen Queen Shattered Moon Games. No art credits to be found in-game or for the suspicious looking store page "art". Dev wont reveal names, "they dont want to be named." Armour on the protag is different in every in-game image, as are her eyes. -y steamcommunity.com/app/2809820/...
neutral · AI labelView post →This game is obviously designed as a co-op experience and is very frustrating to play solo. Let’s start with the good. The game has a quite unique aesthetic, and the world is interesting to explore. There are some really nice sights to see. Combat is fairly responsive and pretty fun when you are fighting one or two enemies. But that’s where the positives end. There is no real build variety. I tend to play tanks with two-handed weapons, so I was stoked when I saw there were large weapons in…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →'Public facing artwork' ... sooo the art then lol Also love how they included "future in-game assets" as a catch all Game is Ashen Throne, an upcoming MMO.
neutral · AI labelView post →Wrapped up GXG x IndieCraft! A huge thank you to everyone who stopped by my booth, played Ashen Dungeon, and shared such valuable feedback! I’m hard at work using your input to make the game even better—stay tuned for updates! #GXG #IndieCraft #IndieGame #GameDev #TurnBasedRPG
neutral · AI labelView post →Trying a new thing- indie devs share three devs / indie games in development that you’re excited for, big or small! 🎮 For me it’ll be @ozashborne.bsky.social, @perridot.bsky.social and @mioramagames.bsky.social Working on The Ashen Oz, Oh!Ware and Particle Collectotron! #gamedev #indiedev #game
neutral · AI labelView post →Ashen is the most neutral game I've ever played. It's a really beautiful game with a great art style and aesthetic that has a lot going on, but it's absolutely torn down by some incredible ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ along the way. Honestly, I wish the game left out the soulslike part. It's not that it's hard, it's boring. The combat is boring. I've played a ton of soulslikes and this one had absolutely nothing to offer me. The enemy variety is extremely disappointing, which would be okay if the actual gameplay…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →DEAD GAME DONT BOTHER!!! it would be great if they FIXED anything, but clearly they have not, multiplayer is a joke, constant desync, bugs, bad design choices, things feel like a mess... To bad to I really wanted like this. A friend and I tried to come back to this a small handful of times and it was always lacking, and bugs or bad design choices always got me to uninstall it not to long after playing it.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Ashen (Steam) is $7.35 on Gamebillet buff.ly/S9bkvaT $9.99 US PSN buff.ly/L1fi6tv Deck playable also on Game Pass Premium
neutral · AI labelView post →*writing w/ a quill and parchment by candlelight, quietly murmuring his words to himself* ... Dear... Google... ...why... did you make... the Dino Game... dino... so much faster... at the start? ...expecting ...answers Ashen... "Sterno" ...Delalupe... Carnot
neutral · AI labelView post →Yoo thank you for 100+ plays on Ashen Convenant! Here's an alternate possibility if you-know-who didn't die. Play the game for #O2A2VNjam here : azurextwilight.itch.io/ashen-conven...
neutral · AI labelView post →Meet Yuri: Tropical Wolf from the #FireEmblem: Three Houses game. The pillar of the Ashen Wolf house. He comes to Askr unsure of what he sees here, as it is so different from the darkness of Abyss. #FEHeroes guide.fire-emblem-heroes.com/en-US/12004501
neutral · AI labelView post →Ashen is a game that leaves an amazing first impression that then slowly dwindles over its 12-hour run time so that by the time I had beaten the game (after slogging my way through the third savepoint-less dungeon), I was more than ready to put it down. If you’re reading this, you were probably drawn to Ashen’s distinctive art style and admittedly it’s pretty great; a clean almost paper mâché look that is used to good effect over its different locations, even if some of the assets get reused…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →DO NOT BUY THIS GAME! It keeps crashing after startup. I'll change my review if this ever gets fixed.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Show off your prehistoric gardening skills with the Ashen Age - Decorations creator mode mod, bringing new flora to the game for you to decorate your worlds, home caves and nests! Check it through the mod browser or community servers! #pathoftitans #pathoftitansmods #DecorationMod #Decorations
neutral · AI labelView post →Highly unremarkable and a bit of a slog to play, to be perfectly honest :/ I wanted to like this game, I got it after years of putting it off just to play co-op with my wife but... It's just so... Boring. The story personally for me was very dull, the voice acting feels out of place with the tones used, and the lack of rewarding gameplay really drove the stake through the heart. I have to agree with all the negative reviews I've read on here. It's just really dull and takes from all the bad…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Won my first game of online Mario Party!! (like ever I think?) This was crazy close and a load of fun! Thank you Olmi, Kel and Ashen for the match 🦅🦅
neutral · AI labelView post →Portrait of my Vampire the Masquerade character 'Seth' by @ashenagrey.bsky.social - Ashen is also playing in the game & I think they get the character. 😂
neutral · AI labelView post →I really wanted to invest serious time in Ashen however I had to cut my visit very short. Speaking from a kb/m perspective; the lock-on implementation is from hell. I've never encountered a lock-on system like Ashen has, whether souls-like or not, where you are constantly losing the lock. Unfortunate!
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Ashen Relics (2026) by Mikebloke for Game Boy Advance. A match-3 puzzle where you channel Dark Souls while matching tiles as Sir Cael. Free ROM or play online. 🎁 mikebloke.itch.io/ashen-relics... #homebrew #gba #retro #game #ashenrelics
neutral · AI labelView post →Got the game on sale for $12. This a souls like with firewatch animation style. This is the first souls like that I have played and I will 100% recommend this game. The story line was good, the pacing was pretty good. At the start of the game you dont get much scoria (money), by the end it is just thrown at you so upgrading really happens in the later half of the game. All the bosses were well scaled and for my first souls like it was achievable, the last boss however was very difficult but I…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I cannot in good conscience give this game a good review. This game does do some things well. Namely Art, Story, Music. However it really lacks in User Experience. I listed over 20 bugs which are as a dev extremely basic. If you look at the community page you see not one single response from the devs. In other words, they want you buy and forget. They don't care about their product. And you shouldn't either.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Ashen looks like a dark souls type of game. Reality is slightly different. The maniability is close. But game design and art direction are not a from software game. Devs removed complex stats or hidden mechanics. Quests are simple and straight forward. Some people here are complaining about this. Probably because they think everything has to be painful and super challenging. And I think this is why ashen is great. Not looking like a dark fantasy we have seen 400 times. Simplified build and…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Another co-op game fully completed with @nezzeth.bsky.social This time we are all done with #Ashen and it was worth the time and the almost hypertension it caused me 🤣 My first souls-like and it was a beautiful and great (but very difficult and frustrating at times) adventure 💙 #NintendoSwitch
positive · AI labelView post →The game keeps crashing after a few minutes. I can’t even create a character without it crashing. I spent some time troubleshooting, but none of the fixes worked for me. I refunded it because it is literally unplayable.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Meet ZANE from our indie survival-horror game - LIMINAL POINT - Lyra’s former bandmate, who also went to Ashen Point looking for their disappeared band member. Working on his Cinematic. Trying to make good lighting. #indiegame #indiedev
neutral · AI labelView post →One of those games where I wish there was a neutral review. *No only applies to full price* *Worth it when discounted. I got it 75% off and felt it was worth the money* Pros: Soundtrack was quite nice, the game didn't overstay it's welcome. The quest markers are good. Seeing the town get built is a nice touch. Did not feel the need to overcomplicate the equipment and consumables (although I'm on the fence about the "required but game doesn't tell you it's required" elixir for the final…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →It's a pretty game to look at but the mechanics are severely limited and souls fans will be severely disappointed: there's no leveling or builds, you complete sidequests and your health and stamina bar grows. You are limited to choose from 1h or 2h axes or clubs and weapon looks exactly the same with very little different stats. If you're really curious grab it at 10 bucks or less, if you're looking for something with some meat on it you can safely pass this one.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Byleth has said they always felt emotions even as a mercenary so one can imagine how much dissociation their brain must've done + gained the Ashen Demon moniker. No wonder they hate the nickname. Byleth was numbing themselves out since childhood. 3Hopes is nopes and this is so sad:
neutral · AI labelView post →Flintlock is at 75% for 1100 reviews and its a way better game than that. It's everything A44 did in Ashen turned up to 11.
positive · AI labelView post →Sea of Thieves players have the terminal condition of calling everything they see 'a reskin', The amount of immediate early comments being like "This new enemy is just an Ashen Lord reskin, such lazy work." It looks NOTHING like an Ashen Lord. It acts NOTHING like one. What game are you playing????
neutral · AI labelView post →All the bad reviews over game crashes! Easy fix go offline! No crashes for me, other than that great game bought it on pc and console!
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Ashen Knight Pyke Fanart Game: League of Legends Artist: x.com/wumeizzz/sta... #leagueoflegends #pyke #fanart
neutral · AI labelView post →Kael and Seraphine concept for Ashen Crown Tactics — my 3D fantasy tactics game, solo in Godot. Still early; lots of orchard-map iteration ahead. #gamedev #indiedev
neutral · AI labelView post →Brannoch Orchard, an empty battle map from Ashen Crown Tactics, my 3D fantasy tactics game. Built solo in Godot and still early, lots of polish to go. #gamedev #indiedev
neutral · AI labelView post →(Went back into the main game because I know the DLCs end with Memories, which logically requires that I have to have the Ashen Mist Heart, which I have to go through Aldia's Keep and the following area to get.)
neutral · AI labelView post →Crashes every 30 to 60 seconds. Unplayable
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →do not buy, the game crashes (going black screen and closed by itself) just after 5 seconds entering the game. I have just send a refund for it.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I really wanted to like this game but it just felt shallow, overtly punishing and bland. I like the overall style but the actual gameplay felt mid at best.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Before you buy: Check visual style, if you don't like it, don't' buy. There are no swords in this game. It's a good game, story is ok, atmosphere is great.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
Posts are quoted from public profiles with links to the original. Want yours removed? Contact us.
