Skarab
Skarab
Game
Game2024
Harbinger
Developer Dobrx
Blast, slide, and tear through waves of monsters in Harbinger's retro-inspired combat, a free boomer shooter bringing '90s combat into the modern era. Fight through waves of enemies in brutal arenas and regroup at the tavern to upgrade your arsenal. From the Steam store page
220 reactions from 3 sources (Steam reviews, Bluesky, Lemmy) · newest Nov 5, 2026 · last updated Nov 6, 2026 · How this works
Audience score
94
LovedLoved
166 positive · 10 negative
95% range 90–97%
| Source | + | − | = |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steam reviews | 166 | 10 | 0 |
| Bluesky * | 4 | 2 | 37 |
| Lemmy * | 0 | 0 | 1 |
* shown, not counted in the score (label accuracy below our 85% bar or not yet audited).
Steam's own rating
Overwhelmingly Positive
512 of 529 reviews positive (all languages, per Valve)
What players are saying
94% recommend · 167 yes, 10 no
Counted from the reviewers’ own thumbs up/down on the 177 English Steam reviews we collected, not by the AI. Valve’s all-language rating: Overwhelmingly Positive (943 of 982 positive).
Players praise the game's fast-paced movement and satisfying gunplay. [1][2][3] Many reviewers note the game is short but enjoyable, with charming characters and music. [1][4][5] Some players report bugs and a lack of enemy variety. [6][7]
Liked
Representative posts
- [11]
Visuals are cool but the guns feel like they do absolutely nothing, it's just unsatisfying. At a certain point I just realized it didn't feel good to play at all.
- [1]
I love boomer shooters and Harbinger was amazingly fun. It took me around 1.5 hours to 100% it and I really wish it had been a bit longer with a few more maps or different enemy types. All in all, a great game. The vibe is nice, the characters and dialogues are quirkily likable, the background music during runs fits the gameplay perfectly and kinda reminded me of the old DOOM games. The skill system is pretty varied …
- [2]
This game is amazing, especially if you enjoy fast-paced FPS games such as Quake, Doom Eternal, or ultrakill. Overall I give this game a solid 8/10 if you don't like reading I've made a pros and cons list for ya'll, which is a summary of my review. PROS: fast-paced shooter movement mechanics allow for a lot of freedom in terms of maneuverability great aesthetics has easter eggs has categories on speedrun.com …
- [8]
Initially drawn in by the Halloween aesthetic, I was excited to find a shooter with an amazing and unique movement system and characters that I grew to love despite the small amount of time spent talking to them. Traversing the maps feels exhilarating, with speed and maneuverability that makes you feel godlike as you mow down enemies with your weapon of choice. There was no shortage of trickshots to be hit and …
- [3]
This is a really cool game. Wave based shooter with a feature that if you miss it also does health damage. Yes that seems ridiculous but it can flip a match to pure skill movement, aiming and it feels so good. The light story is kinda whatever but I love the characters and found this world interesting. I like this so much I bought the support pack upon beating it.
Summarised from 34 of the 211 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 13, 2026. How summaries are made
RottenBot@rottenbot · automated account
Players who liked Harbinger talk about fast-paced movement and satisfying gunplay; those who didn't talk about short length and limited content. Which matters more to you?
Reactions
60 of 220 · most liked first"Flowers lift the spirit." Lifeweaver's Harbinger skin is just PERFECT! He might not have many skins but he sure have one of the best in game. #lifeweaver #Overwatch2
positive · AI labelView post →If I had a nickel for every time a floating around alien dubbed the "Harbinger" threatened the end of a cosmos and world in a Video Game. I'd have two nickels. Which isn't a lot but it's weird it happened twice.
neutral · AI labelView post →Just wrapping a V5 game that, for, once I'm not running, but as a player. Set in LA, my Harbinger of Skull is tired at everyone's bullshit & pithy errands. Definitely an interesting experience lmfao.
neutral · AI labelView post →new character I made for a pathfinder game with my most recycled background. Playing a Battle Harbinger cleric, they're pretty dope #rkgk #ttrpgart #artsky
neutral · AI labelView post →got DS9: Harbinger running in dosbox and I oh my god cannot wait to play this in full
positive · AI labelView post →I love boomer shooters and Harbinger was amazingly fun. It took me around 1.5 hours to 100% it and I really wish it had been a bit longer with a few more maps or different enemy types. All in all, a great game. The vibe is nice, the characters and dialogues are quirkily likable, the background music during runs fits the gameplay perfectly and kinda reminded me of the old DOOM games. The skill system is pretty varied -that being said, Harbinger could have been a bit more challenging, since…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →We've datamined the latest in-game cutscenes coming with today's Patch 11.1: Undermine(d) launch. Learn what Xal'atath, the Harbinger wants with Gallywix and Undermine. #warcraft #warwithin www.wowhead.com/news/spoiler...
neutral · AI labelView post →TBH, thinking on it, I think one of the more apt and overt references made by the game was to Harbinger Down, which was another big letdown of a similar caliber. Great effects, very visually impressive, not much more to say aside from that.
negative · AI labelView post →In a game of CC, Florian, Rotwood Harbinger activates Grasp of the Arknight with 4 earth cards in banish. How many runechants do they create? #fabtcg #fabjudges
neutral · AI labelView post →continuing the Deep Space Nine Harbinger DOS game which is relatively fine until it gives you the most annoying maze I've seen in a game (and I normally like mazes), it's a ridiculous game in many ways but also hard to hate giant-head-claw-hand 3D Sisko twitch.tv/RetrogradeTom #retrogaming
neutral · AI labelView post →Random question that is totally not of any relevance :) What Harbinger(s) do you think Diluc fought? I always imagined Capitano but after meeting him in game bro seems too honorable 😭
neutral · AI labelView post →Today I learned this man is also almost every male Dunmer NPC voice in a modern Elder Scrolls game, Joshua Graham the Most Dangerous Mormon, Gilgamesh "Greg" Final Fantasy, a Transformer named Ironhide, and the GODDAMN HARBINGER FROM MASS EFFECT 2.
neutral · AI labelView post →The February 2023 Traveler's Log reward, Ash'adar, Harbinger of the Dawn, is now available in the In-Game Shop for $25 USD. #Dragonflight #Warcraft
neutral · AI labelView post →Harbinger Pantalone <3 🤑Can't wait for him to appear in the game <3 #Pantalone #Regrator #Harbinger #Fatui #Genshin
neutral · AI labelView post →> Newt Gingrich Ah that name rings a bell, but nothing more. A quick read of his Wikipedia page is... eyebrow raising. I'd have assumed the Speaker is supposed to be nominally neutral. Harbinger of the death of your democracy he is.
neutral · AI labelView post →What's an obscure Videogame you remember playing at one point that most people would be like "never heard of it" Steel Harbinger
neutral · AI labelView post →Someone invite me to play a Masks game so I can do a Harbinger who was supposed to be a villain but they forgot
neutral · AI labelView post →The Harbinger himself showed up to game night. 🎲👻 Throwback to April 2024, when Craig Ouellette stared down Atmosfear at the table. The Gatekeeper showed no mercy. Who's brave enough for the next round? Game night every Tuesday, 8p - 11p. #TurnsAndTiles #BoardGames #Atmosfear #Throwback
neutral · AI labelView post →Visuals are cool but the guns feel like they do absolutely nothing, it's just unsatisfying. At a certain point I just realized it didn't feel good to play at all.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →And this isn't even counting the third party playbooks (or my own). I've played more characters in this game than I thought 😂 ✅️Beacon ❌️Brain ✅️Bull ✅️Delinquent ✅️Doomed ❌️Harbinger ✅️Innocent ✅️Janus ❌️Joined ✅️Legacy ❌️Newborn ❌️Nomad ❌️Nova ✅️Outsider ✅️Protégé ✅️Reformed ❌️Scion ❌️Soldier ✅️Star ✅️Transformed
neutral · AI labelView post →Harbinger, developed by Dobrx and published by Split Signal, is a tightly focused arena shooter that draws clear inspiration from classic fast-paced FPS design while adapting it into a modern roguelite framework. It doesn’t attempt to reinvent the genre so much as refine its core pleasures—speed, precision, and survival—into something that feels both nostalgic and contemporary. From the moment it begins, the game establishes a clear identity built around momentum and mechanical skill, offering…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This game is amazing, especially if you enjoy fast-paced FPS games such as Quake, Doom Eternal, or ultrakill. Overall I give this game a solid 8/10 if you don't like reading I've made a pros and cons list for ya'll, which is a summary of my review. PROS: fast-paced shooter movement mechanics allow for a lot of freedom in terms of maneuverability great aesthetics has easter eggs has categories on speedrun.com upgrades are not game-breaking dummy strong music tracks are phenomenal CONS:…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →LIVE!!!! We are about halfway through our last PS1 game of this batch, Steel Harbinger! So far it's been pretty fun, but that can all change with these classic games! twitch.tv/theshinygoom...
positive · AI labelView post →This is a really cool game. Wave based shooter with a feature that if you miss it also does health damage. Yes that seems ridiculous but it can flip a match to pure skill movement, aiming and it feels so good. The light story is kinda whatever but I love the characters and found this world interesting. I like this so much I bought the support pack upon beating it.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The game was fun, would recommend. but you cant take the rat through the portal :(
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →What I experienced: - About 2 hours of satisfying movement game play - Funny interactions with Corven and Thresh in the Tavern - Variety of weapons to use in correspondence with each other such as the Burst Rifle x Dual Crossbows - 5 other weapons including a shotgun, revolver, saber, lmg and sniper rifle - A total of 3 arenas (1 rocky atmosphere, 1 snowy arena and I won't spoil the last one along with the boss For the short two hours I spent on the game, it felt extremely fun do to the…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →But avoid the mobile game Snowdonia RE:Melt - Requiem Harbinger Annointed
neutral · AI labelView post →Paramore - Misery Business MCR - Thank You for the Venom Metal Hellsinger (game) - Stygia Doom (2016) Soundtrack - Harbinger DFA 1979 - Freeze Me (or any track) La Dispute - (dealers choice, rooms of the house or last lost continent)
neutral · AI labelView post →I mean. I love boomer shooters. I love rats. I love metal. Yeah, I love Harbinger
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The Rat is back with another 10/10 BANGER gameplay and music simply *chef kiss*
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →FPS training + heavy metal! (missing shots damages you, its awesome)
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Only complain, story was too short. But the gameplay and everything else was too satisfying. Beautiful game
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Honestly, this is probably the best game I ever played. And the fact that it's free? It really shouldn't be free, but I'm glad that it is. Love everything about this game, 20/10.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ amazing get it
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Banger of a free FPS. Great art, great music, fun characters and world. Great movement, guns are pretty good. Going to go play Cryptis next. 100 % recommend and crossbows are OP if you can't aim.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →A short but sweet FPS that looks like Halloween inspired colourful levels and characters ! A roguelike system of waves of enemies that you can evade by using the levels many jump tiles. The cool shoot a health bottle and run through the misty explosion to gain health is fun and a part of the strategy. A few weapons to add to your arsenal adds levels of difficulty on the 2 maps. This would be a nice add to the library if a full game were made and released ! The sinister feel of the game with…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Initially drawn in by the Halloween aesthetic, I was excited to find a shooter with an amazing and unique movement system and characters that I grew to love despite the small amount of time spent talking to them. Traversing the maps feels exhilarating, with speed and maneuverability that makes you feel godlike as you mow down enemies with your weapon of choice. There was no shortage of trickshots to be hit and near-death scares to pump me full of adrenaline. Please add an option to marry…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Awesome yet short game for ppl who enjoy games like quake but also just want to relax with amazingly satisfying gunplay and movement
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Good: Retro-styled graphics Charming NPCs with amusing dialogue Decent game cycle Music (perhaps the only thing that kept me playing) Not my cup of tea: Too fast, feels like everyone is sliding (but i guess this was deliberate given its an arena shooter) Weapons don't feel unique or fun to use Power-ups seem run of the mill Since its a free game, then ultimately it gets a thumbs up, but its not something I will play for long or pick up again.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Also today: Vivi player locks themselves out of the game with Harbinger of the Seas while I slap them to death with a wet pool noodle
neutral · AI labelView post →It's not only a review but also a message to the creator(s) of the game! Amazing job! It was light, straight to the point, very well made, great length to too, not dragging for no reason! Atmosphere top notch, visuals great, music and sound great, everything is great. Had an amazing time! Congrats!
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →In seriousness, a voyager game by the System Shock developers caught my interest, but I worry it would have been more like DS9 Harbinger due to it being point and click.
neutral · AI labelView post →Reka, Princess of the Woods of Dra'Nessir, Champion and Draconic Scion of Chay'sina, Harbinger of Star-Eater's Hunger and Warrior of Chay Talon's grace. Another of our heroes from the Fab Ultima home game. #heyknillyart #sketchbook
neutral · AI labelView post →Great game that is lots of fun. Non-stop action and honestly just really enjoyable for a free game
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This has been unironically one of the most fun games i have played in a while. Its an incredibly fun retro shooter with an iconic artdirection and a short, but fun story. The movement is clean, the weapons incredibly satisfying to shoot (with the ecxception of the sword its terrible) and the music absolutetly slaps. Even after finishing the story i return from time to time just to experience it once again. thanks to the developer
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Check out our The Sins of a Solar Empire II: Harbinger review by Ironclad Games [7/10 - Good] The Eidolon turn every ship and… https://outputlag.com/game-reviews/sins-of-a-solar-empire-ii-harbinger-review/ #TheSinsOfASolarEmpireIIHarbinger #RTS #SimulationGames #PCGaming #Recommended #gaming
neutral · AI labelView post →another one for the list: Star Trek: Deep Space Nine - Harbinger! i sort of enjoyed this, but it struggles so much with the Myst model that the game feels so compromised because of it. it also makes the worst first impression with it's *terrible* movement and navigation. but after a while, it clicks
neutral · AI labelView post →🚨Stream is alive!🚨 Today, we are taking a peek at the gloomy world of Mortal Shell II - Open Beta. Let's explore the opening hours of the game, and unlock the exclusive skin along the way! 🩸 LIVE: The Flayed Harbinger... 🔴 www.twitch.tv/dreadistvt #VSky #VTuber #ENVtuber #MortalShell
neutral · AI labelView post →incredibly beautiful sceneries, fun gameplay and great weapons its worth checking out
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →@nightdivestudios.bsky.social I dont suppose i could recommend remastering a classic of a game made a long time ago i enjoyed very much called Harbinger from 2003? Yall have done such amazing jobs bring games back i thought who better than yall to resurrect this diablo clone.
positive · AI labelView post →*Play the Open Beta to unlock The Flayed Harbinger, an exclusive cosmetic reward available to claim in the full game at launch. **Players who progress beyond the Marrow Keep will also unlock the option to skip the Prologue in the full game.
neutral · AI labelView post →actually a really fun game just wish it had more content
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Zero complaints. Very fun bite sized game that i actually plan to return to for funsies in the future. Looking forward to the next game!
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This is the definition of short but sweet. 1 hour of pure ecstasy. The visuals and music are genuinely incredible, and the movement feels so free and fluid.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →A very fun way to spend an evening! Gameplay was nothing insane, but it ran smoothly and I enjoyed the variety of weapons. Thresh and Corven have some surprising charm about themselves and that final boss...truly a mind ascended to godhood. Pick it up and play it!
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Really good, short and fun wave game! Movement feels great, the upgrades are just spot on, graphic is pretty unique and the guns are made for all kind of play styles! I would definitely recommend playing this
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Good game with amazing movement mechanics, I love the 90s style and combat. The music made the gameplay way more enjoyable and makes it feel like were playing doom. 10/10 Just wish there was more content
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Short and sweet fun, some jank but for 0 dollars cant complain, 7/10
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Very good game. 10/10 artistic choice, 10/10 characters, 10/10 combat, 10/10 humor, 10/10 music, 11/10 concept. Keep making games, you can make absolute peak in the future (as you've just proven with this game).
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →peak game I love the ratta
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
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