Minoria
Minoria
Game
Game2021
Lost Ruins
Developer ALTARI GAMES
Lost Ruins is a 2021 action survival metroidvania video game developed by Altari Games and published by DANGEN Entertainment. From Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)
300 reactions from 3 sources (Steam reviews, Bluesky, Mastodon) · newest Oct 31, 2026 · last updated Oct 31, 2026 · How this works
Audience score
77
LovedLoved
140 positive · 43 negative
95% range 70–82%
| Source | + | − | = |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steam reviews | 140 | 43 | 0 |
| Bluesky * | 44 | 4 | 68 |
| Mastodon * | 0 | 0 | 1 |
* shown, not counted in the score (label accuracy below our 85% bar or not yet audited).
Steam's own rating
Very Positive
1,212 of 1,451 reviews positive (all languages, per Valve)
What players are saying
76% recommend · 140 yes, 44 no
Counted from the reviewers’ own thumbs up/down on the 184 English Steam reviews we collected, not by the AI. Valve’s all-language rating: Very Positive (4,948 of 5,827 positive).
Players praise the game's beautiful pixel art and character designs. [1][2][3] Many note the combat feels clunky and movement deliberate, requiring patience. [4][5][6] Some reviewers find the game becomes easy once you learn effective item combos. [1][7][8]
Liked
Representative posts
- [6]
As a fan of metroidvanias...this one just sucks and I am glad I got this in a humble bundle. Visuals are very nice to look at when it comes to the character and environmental pixel graphics...and that's where my praise ends. Combat feels very stiff and clunky, no sense of discovery, enemies are just a pain, magic is just very inconvenient since there is no regen of HP and MP. The latter being a ridiculous game …
- [1]
It's like a metroidvania with more of a survival gameplay twist, the protagonist is very weak, dies easily, she's very slow with heavy weapons, which makes sense, you need to manage resources, healing is rare to come by. It's a cool concept, however when you get more experienced you'll realize this game is very, very easy, enemy AI is very dumb and combos like Invisibility Spell, MP Regen equipment, Throwing Ham etc …
- [4]
Game is decent but pretty far removed from the traditional fast-action metroidvania. This is more of a survival game - you have very limited resources, enemies do a lot of damage, movement is clunky and attacking is slow. You have to be very deliberate with your actions or you'll find yourself dead very quickly. Your character really doesn't grow in power that much over the course of the game, it's more about what …
- [3]
An amazing metroidvania from start to finish. Memorable characters, beautiful pixel art, and highly detailed character animations. Combat is fun and player progression is well-paced given the wide assortment of weapons, spells, and gear. Even has multiple endings and unlockable extended play modes. For those complaining that checkpoints don't restore health and mana, this is easily remedied by curative items, HP …
- [2]
Absolutely beautiful game. Very atmospheric, great use of lighting and particle effects to make the pixel art even more beautiful. Game-play is also solid. Great character design, many waifus.
Summarised from 34 of the 281 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 11, 2026. How summaries are made
RottenBot@rottenbot · automated account
Lost Ruins sits at 77% positive across 183 opinionated reactions from 3 sources. Fresh or rotten — where do you land?
Critics, per Wikipedia
Lost Ruins received mixed reviews from critics, holding an average critic score of 59/100 on the review aggregator Metacritic. In a 7/10 review of the game, Trent Cannon of Nintendo Life wrote that "Between the pixel art style and punishingly difficult combat, this game is a retro love affair. Unfortunately, that isn't always a good thing". He called the game's combat "frustrating" and "a little repetitive", though added "there is enough exploration and weapon variety to ensure that there will be a combat style" to suit the player. Cannon also wrote that "the most appealing part of Lost Ruins is the retro-inspired pixel art, which looks great in both handheld and docked modes on the…
From the “Reception” section of Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Critic context only — not part of the audience score.
Reactions
60 of 300 · most liked firstHappy Flan Friday! The current vibe is thinking about Lost Ruins! ngl Lost Ruins was an awesome game! The gameplay was a unique blend of Metroidvania and survival horror, and the vibe was super cool, it was a fun experience! I hope you have a wonderful day, I send love and positivity your way 💛☺️
positive · AI labelView post →Happy Scarlet Saturday! The current vibe is thinking about Lost Ruins! ngl I think about this game a decent amount, it was really unique! The gameplay combined elements from survival games and Metroidvanias, it was super cool! I hope you have a wonderful day, I send love and positivity your way 💛☺️
positive · AI labelView post →This track is called "Upbeat Deephouse Loopable"! Lost Ruins was an awesome game! It combined elements from survival games and Metroidvania games, which made for a unique game and experience! It was a relatively short experience (6 hours), but it was a lot of fun! I hope they make a sequel someday!
positive · AI labelView post →Another great week of board games! January is starting strong. Concordia Venus Brass Birmingham Ark Nova Oathsworn Obsession Lost Ruins of Arnak Paladins of the West Kingdom What have you been playing?
neutral · AI labelView post →Currently soloing the Lost Ruins of Arnak. #boardgames
neutral · AI labelView post →So, this Lost Ruins of Arnak… I finished the first scenario of the campaign and def going to play the rest. This game is something. I’m up on all the hotness that way though.
positive · AI labelView post →Played Lost Ruins of Arnak for the first time in a few years. It's a fun passtime with friends. However, the "kitchen sink" style of game has never really excited me, though this is the best one I've played, very well-developed and pretty to look at. Continued (1/3)…
neutral · AI labelView post →Competed in the World Series of Board Gaming for Lost Ruins of Arnak! Spent a month practicing on BGA, but the win eluded me. Still had a blast—great game, great people! Love Arnak for its elegant mix of worker placement, deck-building, tight strategic decisions, and pretty artwork.
positive · AI labelView post →Exploring the Lost Ruins of Arnak this evening. #boardgames
neutral · AI labelView post →We played Lost Ruins of Arnak with some expansions tonight It was a tight game, but reminded me why I really enjoy this one It's so many things I like in board games mashed together I felt both smart and stupid throughout Loved it!
positive · AI labelView post →4-player Lost Ruins of Arnak with all the stuff last night. Came away with a 1 point win and really enjoyed the balance changes to the new board research track. I got magnifying glass and journal to top, but 2nd place didn't come close, and 3rd got 1 to the top.
positive · AI labelView post →Lost Ruins is a wrap! Took around 6 hours to beat. This was a fun lil game! The gameplay being a blend between a Metroidvania and a survival game was cool, I hadn't played a game like that before! The vibes were all over the place, but I did enjoy them! I'd love to see a follow-up to this game!
positive · AI labelView post →It's like a metroidvania with more of a survival gameplay twist, the protagonist is very weak, dies easily, she's very slow with heavy weapons, which makes sense, you need to manage resources, healing is rare to come by. It's a cool concept, however when you get more experienced you'll realize this game is very, very easy, enemy AI is very dumb and combos like Invisibility Spell, MP Regen equipment, Throwing Ham etc allow you to completely stomp the game no matter the difficulty. Other than…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Some photos of games I played (and actually remembered to take photos of!) kinda recently. The Game Makers, Viscounts of the West Kingdom, Paupers' Ladder, and Lost Ruins of Arnak. #boardgames
neutral · AI labelView post →Soloing Lost Ruins of Arnak this afternoon. #boardgames
neutral · AI labelView post →Tonight saw Lost Ruins of Arnak and Knarr hit the table. Lost Ruins was lost on one of the players, but I was glad to see it out again. Knarr is always a fun game - so quick, but still feels like it has so much to give. Fun evening 😊 #boardgames
positive · AI labelView post →Lost Ruins of Arnak is an easy 10/10 for me - always want to play - will never turn down a game. The BGA implementation is excellent - I only wish it included the expedition leaders! boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/31... #boardgame
positive · AI labelView post →As a fan of metroidvanias...this one just sucks and I am glad I got this in a humble bundle. Visuals are very nice to look at when it comes to the character and environmental pixel graphics...and that's where my praise ends. Combat feels very stiff and clunky, no sense of discovery, enemies are just a pain, magic is just very inconvenient since there is no regen of HP and MP. The latter being a ridiculous game design oversight for when you need a ranged attack to progress, but you are out of…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Played a fun game of The Lost Ruins of Arnak. Came in second (sadly not a close second!). The picture is from mid-game. #BoardGames
neutral · AI labelView post →My first impressions of the gameplay for Lost Ruins is: it's interesting! It is a Metroidvania mixed with the resource-based nature of a survival game! The game takes on the pace of a survival game as well, as it is slower paced. The game is challenging and filled with traps, but it's been fun!
positive · AI labelView post →Next game is Lost Ruins! This game appears to be a Metroidvania with an anime aesthetic to it! It seems like it kinda flew under the radar, cuz I haven't really seen much about it 😅 I've seen some screenshots tho, and I really like the aesthetic of the game, so I think it'll be fun!
positive · AI labelView post →Got to play with one of the new boards for Lost Ruins of Arnak from the Twisted Paths expansion. Really impressive how flexible this system has been and how much the decision complexity can vary from the base game through the expansions.
positive · AI labelView post →Played Lost Ruins of Arnak 3p. 87-85-83. For me, Arnak is simply the best. The arc is satisfying every time. The clever ways game mechanics and art meld to create a rich world without any flavor text. The delicious balance between planning and opportunism. Love! boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/31...
positive · AI labelView post →I am a grown adult who was humbled by a slime. Not a boss. Not a trap. Not some ancient cursed knight with three health bars. A slime. The first enemy in the game. It touched me twice and I was dead. I sat in silence for a moment and then started over with more respect for the universe. A tight, punchy, beautiful little dungeon crawler that respects your intelligence while simultaneously watching you prove it wrong at every turn. If you liked Castlevania but wished it judged you more…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I failed to get photos when we were playing Lost Ruins, but we do have a good photo from shortly after. I thoroughly enjoyed the game and @octavianbgg.bsky.social taught the game in a way that worked so well for my brain. Not pictured are @marccp.bsky.social and Maho who we played with.
positive · AI labelView post →My boys spoiled me for Christmas with the Underwater Cities expansion+GeekUp bits & coins, metal coins for Architects of the West Kingdom, Trekking the National Parks, new compasses & coins for Lost Ruins of Arnak, new dinos for Dinosaur Island, and a new space-themed game table mat ❤️ #boardgames
neutral · AI labelView post →Forgot to post this. Haven’t checked in for awhile. Got to play two games of Lost Ruins of Arnak this past Friday. I think i have finally found the rhythm of the Journalist. Won both games with him. #boardgames
positive · AI labelView post →I can’t wait to officially play SETI. Not splay it all across the table and hover over it awkwardly with a camera.. actually freakin play it! 😅 The game looks so good. Between this and Lost Ruins of Arnak, I’m really pleased to see the artistic direction CGE has been going with their #boardgames!
neutral · AI labelView post →Wednesday Board Game Night at the Dice Dojo Race for the Galaxy (not pictured) Lost Ruins of Arnak Zendo (not pictured) #BoardGames #GameNight
neutral · AI labelView post →Picked up a used copy of the Expedition Leaders expansion for the Lost Ruins of Arnak. Learning how to play it solo this afternoon. #boardgames
neutral · AI labelView post →Didn't get on with it at all. Came from Ender Magnolias which feels so far and above this in every way. Also feels like a hentai game without the hentai in many places. Too expensive and too clunky for me to recommend
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Another night exploring the Lost Ruins of Arnak. What a gem of a game. Really hits all the spots. Incredibly fun, always a good time, at any player count! Just got The Missing Expedition, can’t wait to get into the campaign! #boardgames #boardgaming
positive · AI labelView post →Stopped by my local game store this afternoon and picked up some new goodies: Wasp, my first hero pack purchase for Marvel Champions, and the Expedition Leaders expansion for Lost Ruins of Arnak 😊 #boardgames
neutral · AI labelView post →The holiday weekend is underway and I have LOTS of board gaming planned. First up is the Lost Ruins of Arnak. #boardgames
neutral · AI labelView post →Super clunky and badly designed. Checkpoints dont heal you, only way to heal is with consumable items. Attacking while on the air stops you in mid air and makes you lose all your momentum, dropping you straight down. There are a lot of badly designed items, for example, an item that heals you in exchange for max HP, but you can just equip it, wait for it to heal you, then unequip it to remove the penalty. Bosses are not designed with all weapons in mind, I played with the Zweihander which is…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Nutshell ver.: PLEASEEEEEEEEEEEE I NEED ANOTHER GAME LIKE THIS!!!! I love all the items and possibilities at your disposal. It's light on story, but the story present is pretty okay. Graphics and particle effects are absolutely beautiful and amplify the gameplay and atmosphere. Also, love the girls and their designs (portraits are especially expressive and fluid with beautiful colouring along with the rest of the game, thank goodness for the gallery). I've played the additional modes…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →What is the one game you’ve owned the longest that you haven’t played yet? Mine is Lost Ruins Of Arnak. It’s a game I got when I first started collecting!😂 #boardgames #collector #shelfofshame
neutral · AI labelView post →On a little vacation, playing games and reading books and sitting in hot tubs. So far, we've done some OBSESSION, the Pride & Prejudice-y game, and LOST RUINS OF ARNAK, the Raiders Of The Lost Ark-y/Kind Solomon's Mines-y game.
neutral · AI labelView post →It's a good game. It's short for this style, you can easily complete 100% of the map in 6-7 hours even if you play on veteran difficulty for the first time, but that's not really a bad thing. I think if the game were any longer than that, it would start to get tiresome. Its size is ideal, mainly because after you finish the game, you get access to some new game modes, and one of them is basically a new adventure on the same map, but with totally new gameplay. It's a game that will force…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →You might look at the pixel art and Metroidvania tag and get a certain idea about what this game is. Well, it's not what you think. It's a game that takes a pinch of ingredients from various sources but ultimately never manages to gel them into something enjoyable. It has the Metriodvania style map but there's no character progression system nor is there really any ability discovery to unlock inaccessible paths. It has the slow attack and dodge of a soulsborne but, again, no progression so no…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Been 2 1/2 yrs since last play of Lost Ruins of Arnak. Perfect mid-weight #boardgames with multi-use cards and deck-building, worker placement, and whatever mechanic the Research track is (track climbing?). Doesn't overstay its welcome (90 min @ 2p). Resources are kinda tight, good decisions.
positive · AI labelView post →Lost Ruins is not a bad game, but it struggles with conflicting design choices that prevent it from being a great experience. The game begins as a challenging, horror-inspired experience. Traps can kill you in two hits, healing items are scarce, and monsters are tough unless you manage a sneak attack. This tense, survival-horror atmosphere holds until around the second boss. At that point, the game shifts dramatically, offering an abundance of powerful tools and weapons, transitioning into a…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Great game night with Lost Ruins of Arnak, Quacks of Quedlinburg, Sea Salt & Paper, and wrapped up with Machi Koro 2 (my first time playing). MK was a gap I wanted to fill in my game experience but with how similar it was to Space Base I don’t think it was needed. Every game was a delight.
positive · AI labelView post →WARNING: GAME DESIGN NERDERY AHEAD! 1) Recently I saw someone extolling the common board game mechanism of deckbuilding. I enjoy deckbuilders – Clank! Catacombs and Quest for El Dorado are two of my favorites, and I’m always down for Dominion, Lost Ruins of Arnak, and similar games.
neutral · AI labelView post →Absolutely beautiful game. Very atmospheric, great use of lighting and particle effects to make the pixel art even more beautiful. Game-play is also solid. Great character design, many waifus.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →When We Can Make It Happen Board Game Night Clank in Space Chicago '68 Qwirkle Lost Ruins of Arnak w/ Expedition Leaders #BoardGames #GameNight #ChicagoHistory
neutral · AI labelView post →It was hard decision to make- gameplay is solid, artstyle is great and characters sprites and animations are cute. I still think this is worth playing if you are metroidvania and anime styled games fan. Took about 3 hours to finish. But it has some serious flaws tho... 1. Difficulty- after a while in a game and getting used to it mechanics it provides no challenge at all. And if you think that playing it again in veteran mode would change something- *spoilers* it will not. Classical lazy hard…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Finally got to pull out my Lost Ruins of Arnak Adventurer's Chest - a 4p game using the Waterfall Temple. I won with the journalist character, who mostly follows after other people's discoveries and writes articles about them to unlock bonuses. boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/31...
positive · AI labelView post →Lost Ruins is an action-packed 2D platformer that skillfully blends challenging combat, exploration, and RPG elements into a cohesive and engaging experience. Developed by Altari Games, it draws clear inspiration from classics like Castlevania and Dark Souls, offering players a dark, atmospheric world filled with menacing enemies, intricate level design, and deep customization options. The game’s pixel art style is both nostalgic and polished, creating a moody, immersive environment that…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →A really clever metroidvania that is absolutely stymied by paralyzing attack animations. Is it's a -wrong- design choice? no...? But it's not a good one.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I've been quite enjoying the solo campaign mode for the Lost Ruins of Arnak: The Missing Expedition expansion. It's a 6-chapter legacy-style game for 1 or 2 players with some interesting twists.
positive · AI labelView post →First time in a while I can play a game and tonight I’m playing Lost Ruins of Arnak!
neutral · AI labelView post →Lost Ruins of Arnak - a game so nice we played it twice at this Baby Shower turned Brand New Baby Celebration weekend. This time on the Waterfall Temple boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/31... #boardgame
positive · AI labelView post →Cute game. Contrary to expectations, there is no hentai, just some mild boob ecchi. Too bad, the game could have used some ero-guro death scenes. Or not, maybe that would interfere with the light hearted atmosphere. ahem. so. the girl named Yuri (what a name!) is the best girl here, if my necromania/philia is to be trusted. There is also Lusty, the argonian maid. The story is what you'd expect from a 7~ hour long metroidvania, nothing special but it's not like I was disappointed. The…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This week at #boardgames night we played Lost Ruins of Arnak with some number of expansions. I was the professor this time, doing lots of things related to artifacts and research. I used two hot air balloons to go fight some monsters. Good game!
positive · AI labelView post →Game is decent but pretty far removed from the traditional fast-action metroidvania. This is more of a survival game - you have very limited resources, enemies do a lot of damage, movement is clunky and attacking is slow. You have to be very deliberate with your actions or you'll find yourself dead very quickly. Your character really doesn't grow in power that much over the course of the game, it's more about what items you find and how you put them together to support the playstyle you're…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Lost Ruins for the Nintendo Switch / PS5 / PS4 (EU) is shipping soon. Release: April 25 $54.99 CAD / $39.99 SRP USD 👉 tinyurl.com/ycyzkuns Prepare yourself for a gripping adventure filled with exploration, puzzles, and intense combat in this atmospheric 2D action game.
neutral · AI labelView post →Nice gameplay, cute graphics. The learning curve is a little bit steep. The story is decent. The music is good! The game not really support pc control like mouse and keyboard.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Great night of games for our Wednesday Game Night. I was worried that I'd done too much Indiana Jonesing in our play of Lost Ruins of Arnak. I was right. Despite defeating 4 guardians, i took last. @ricksmrs.bsky.social #BoardGames #WednesdayGameNight #LostRuinsOfArnak
neutral · AI labelView post →Great game of Lost Ruins of Arnak as part of our NYE Gaming Fiesta 👾🎲♟️ #boardgames
positive · AI labelView post →
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