Desert Law
Desert Law
Game
Game2010
Numen: Contest of Heroes
Developer CINEMAX GAMES
Numen: Contest of Heroes is a 2009 (released in 2010 worldwide) video game developed by the Czech company Cinemax. From Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)
137 reactions from 3 sources (Steam reviews, Mastodon, Bluesky) · newest Aug 8, 2026 · last updated Oct 8, 2026 · How this works
Audience score
43
Mixed
54 positive · 71 negative
95% range 35–52%
| Source | + | − | = |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steam reviews | 54 | 71 | 0 |
| Mastodon * | 0 | 0 | 8 |
| Bluesky * | 0 | 0 | 4 |
* shown, not counted in the score (label accuracy below our 85% bar or not yet audited).
Steam's own rating
Mixed
58 of 134 reviews positive (all languages, per Valve)
What players are saying
44% recommend · 56 yes, 71 no
Counted from the reviewers’ own thumbs up/down on the 127 English Steam reviews we collected, not by the AI. Valve’s all-language rating: Mixed (103 of 205 positive).
Players are split on this single-player MMO-like RPG set in ancient Greece. [1][2][3] Many find it decent only at a deep sale price, often $1 or less. [1][4][5] Others criticize it as boring, grindy, and poorly designed. [6][7][8]
Liked
Representative posts
- [1]
Numen: Contest of Heroes basically plays like a single player MMO, complete with hotkey bar, ability cooldowns, and combat that doesn't feel like it's quite connecting. It isn't a great game, but it's at least a decent one, and well worth the huge sale prices I've seen it (currently $0.99 as I write this review.) I myself picked it up for $7.50 soon after release, and don't really regret it, though $5 or less is the …
- [13]
I enjoyed this game quite a bit. I bought it back around the time it released for full price, and I never regretted it. And even now years later I look back fondly on this game. I think I may play it again as one of the other classes... You can choose three basic classes - warrior, ranger, mage. Later on you get to choose your god based on which class you choose (3 per class iirc). These choices add certain other …
- [20]
I've been trying really hard to like this game from the moment that I started playing. With each passing encounter, with each newly introduced event, with each new NPC speaking and each logic flaw in either narrative or combat; my task grew to become harder and harder. Finally, I give up. This is the day that I'll leave an RPG unfinished. As the curtain opens, we watch a cinematic about a legendary artifact; the …
- [7]
Single-player MMORPG is the work of the devil. This is just my opinion and all but in many cases the MMO aspect is the sole-redeeming quality of these RPGs. When you're bogged down in worthless quests grinding for animal skins so you can afford a purple bowtie instead of settling for a green one, at least you should have a few people to shoot the **** with. With Numen however you're all by your miserable lonesome. …
- [17]
Not worth it, even at 99c on sale. Like many of the others say, it's basically just a single player mmo. It's so grindy though that it just isn't worth it. I was so bored by playing this game that I just couldn't stand to continue. For anyone that loves extreme grind without anyone to talk with/adventure with, this is probably a gem. But that just isn't me, so I can't in good conscience recommend it. Play a f2p …
Summarised from 34 of the 139 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
44% of the 127 Steam reviewers we collected recommend Numen: Contest of Heroes. The complaint that keeps coming up: combat feels weightless and lacks impact. Deal-breaker or nitpick?
Critics, per Wikipedia
The game has received mixed reviews from critics. Gaming Nexus gave the game 79%, praising gameplay and the story even though it had a slow boring start. The reviewer also noted that he liked the possibility of working against other heroes; he also wrote that he enjoyed the visuals of the gaming world. On the other hand, he criticised an abrupt ending and shortness.
From the “Reception” section of Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Critic context only — not part of the audience score.
Reactions
60 of 137 · most liked firstI've been trying really hard to like this game from the moment that I started playing. With each passing encounter, with each newly introduced event, with each new NPC speaking and each logic flaw in either narrative or combat; my task grew to become harder and harder. Finally, I give up. This is the day that I'll leave an RPG unfinished. As the curtain opens, we watch a cinematic about a legendary artifact; the Sickle of Chronos being stolen. Then, we choose between two 12 year old siblings -…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →It's not a good RPG, but it's not a total catastrophe either... The item and level grinding is boring, it lacks in story and especially in side quests and the level 'design' is pretty much non-existant. Most of the game looks more random than Diablo while it isn't. While the game isn't a complete waste of time and has some moments, the lack of speech for the few NPCs, the mindnumbing and pointless arena fights and a lot of other small details make the game very dull and sometimes tedious to…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Numen: Contest of Heroes basically plays like a single player MMO, complete with hotkey bar, ability cooldowns, and combat that doesn't feel like it's quite connecting. It isn't a great game, but it's at least a decent one, and well worth the huge sale prices I've seen it (currently $0.99 as I write this review.) I myself picked it up for $7.50 soon after release, and don't really regret it, though $5 or less is the sweet spot here IMO. The introductory / tutorial section is pretty boring,…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I really like this game. It looked to me like an arena fighting game at first glance so I always ignored it. I bought it on sale for 79 cents on a whim and I'm sure glad I did. It looks like Titans Quest, but It plays very much like an MMO. Tab targeting, auto-attack, skills hotbar, camps of mobs you have to carefully pull, etc. If you aren't in to MMO-style combat, you may not like this. The combat reminds me of Vanguard and several others. Fights are quicker though, mobs your level usually…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Numen: Contest of Heroes is a third-person hack & slash RPG. Having demonstrated enormous courage as a child, you are selected by a Greek God to be its hero and must compete against those of other Gods in order to find the Sickle of Kronos first. Pros: You get to pick from a boy or a girl, although can't actually customize your appearance. When beginning the game, you are given the option of using different weapons, and your class is determined by the type you used the most. Your mastery of…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I will only reccommend this game to people playing RPGs on a budget. I'm sure you can get this game for a dollar during a sale, and I'd say it's worth it at that point. Besides that, it's a low-budget, not quite horrendous but still not-good RPG with an ancient Greek aesthetic. For some reason, it plays exactly like an MMO in spite of its being single-player only, and the titular contest comes down to you dueling one or two NPCs over the course of the game. But if the struggle is real, there…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Well the game not that bad however the market offers a lot betters of the same genre. You know the feeling of ''hmm there is something amiss here'' ,well you are condemned to feel it often here. Dead atmosphere, boring gameplay, even a few hours of gp is enuff to get it uninstalled unless you had anything better to do.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →A very very difficult game..that require a lot of patience..if you love challenge games then this game is just perfect ..otherwise i dont advise buy it or if you really want try ..have fun what else i can say :D ..you can pick up between a male and female and explore the open world and defeat different enemies that can be a really pain the ass sometimes..but like i said is a very challenging game ..that will require a lot of patience to complete ..have fun and enjoy !
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Numen: Contest of Heroes is a short action RPG from 2010 whose Metacritic score is only slightly higher than its current Steam rating (50%). It often goes on sale for $1.00 or less, which is when I picked it up. Despite the mixed to negative reviews, the mythical Greek atmosphere attracted me enough to take the small risk. I should note that I have a high tolerance for lower-reviewed or lower-quality games; as a little girl, some of my favorite games came out during a great time of innovation…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Single-player MMORPG is the work of the devil. This is just my opinion and all but in many cases the MMO aspect is the sole-redeeming quality of these RPGs. When you're bogged down in worthless quests grinding for animal skins so you can afford a purple bowtie instead of settling for a green one, at least you should have a few people to shoot the **** with. With Numen however you're all by your miserable lonesome. There are zero compelling aspects to Numen. The story is pap, the combat is…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I enjoyed this game quite a bit. I bought it back around the time it released for full price, and I never regretted it. And even now years later I look back fondly on this game. I think I may play it again as one of the other classes... You can choose three basic classes - warrior, ranger, mage. Later on you get to choose your god based on which class you choose (3 per class iirc). These choices add certain other abilities. But they do not seem to make a ton of difference from what I…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →If this game was free, I might've felt better about playing it. I thankfully got it on sale for very cheap, but I'm still unquestionably disappointed. After one playthrough, anyone would be able to notice that this game has many, many faults. Pretty unforgivable faults, especially since it's so expensive (relative to the quality, that is): Bland textures and animations, dull, boring gameplay, and a silly, confusing storyline. The developers made the mistake of substituting true, engaging…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I decided to start playing through a ton of my RPG games that have been in my backlog for years and this is the first game I decided to try. I have to be honest with you, this is quite possibly one of the worst games I have ever played in my life. Numen is basically a WoW clone MMORPG that is purely singleplayer. Sounds great for people who enjoy that tab-targeting style of combat and while I personally don't I decided to give it a shot regardless just to try something new and different. At…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →It's good but the price should be 4.99 not 9.99 I bought it at .99 but that was a sale otherwise quite enjoyable
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This is the game for people who enjoy atmosphere, delayed gratification, and don't mind realistic lengths of exploration and grinding for experience. I LIKE games where you can't immediately carry or don every item and you keep stronger stuff around while building up equipment and skills every few quests and monster kills. The character has an appearance customized by the gear so you see your armor and weapons change your look. It's straight forward but there is some depth and it's perfect for…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I played a bit more with Numen (a cool voice control system, see https://numenvoice.org/). I can not only control my desktop, laptop, or linux mobile phone (#sxmo) with it, but also my house (lights, heating, media, etc) from all of these devices. Next I'll hook some mics to my raspberry pi's and control home automation from there. All this on-device, no cloud connections, and definitely no "Hey Google", "Siri" or "Alexa"! #diy #homeautomation #numen
neutral · AI labelView post →Its not the best, but it IS worth its money! its not the best game, but its worth 10 euro. And now that it only costs 1 euro I can only recommend you buying it
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I am playing this game on my twitch stream to demonstrate what bad RPGs are. The game has terrible writing, terrible combat, poor level design, and is all around a bad game. If you are into things like "When the Birds Attack" or other "so bad, it's good" type of games, give this one a shot. Otherwise, if you're looking for a solid indie RPG that would be fun to kill an afternoon with, save your money and look somewhere else. The Good: -Ancient Greece mythology theme is pretty cool -Descent…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I gave this game two hours of my life, and I spent those two hours trying very hard to not hate it. And I failed really badly at that. I don't remember when I had last actually hated a game, but it had been a while. This thing deserves the hate I'm giving it, though. The interface is clunky and horrible to operate, the gameplay is boring and without any depth (hold the mouse button down for as long as the fight lasts, and each fight lasts a ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ eternity), the story is stupid, etc, etc,…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →At best this relic should be sold at the $2-3 price point. The animations, skills and flow of combat are all rather poor. No reason to get this unless you've played Torchlight 1/2, Van Helsing, and other similar titles to death and need a arpg fix, but be forwarned that there is little substance in this title.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Not worth it, even at 99c on sale. Like many of the others say, it's basically just a single player mmo. It's so grindy though that it just isn't worth it. I was so bored by playing this game that I just couldn't stand to continue. For anyone that loves extreme grind without anyone to talk with/adventure with, this is probably a gem. But that just isn't me, so I can't in good conscience recommend it. Play a f2p instead. Give the dollar to a homeless person. Buy a cheeseburger. Buy a pack of…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →A Titan Quest clone. So Diablo's grandclone. Great graphics, but the gameplay isn't very innovative. The story is new, and the game isn't bad. It's just not worth paying for if you already own Titan Quest. It is definitely different from Titan Quest, but not different enough that I don't feel like an idiot for buying them both. In Titan Quest, you click a button to choose your class. In Numen, you "role-play" your class choice. How you play through the beginning of the game determines what…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I think the game is pretty well done, it is just weird that it skips the overall leveling up process in the beginning. You start at lvl 1 and then scale up a bit and then magically jump quite a few levels, like to 13 or something, as it says you are an adult now. But overall good game play and would recommend to RPG fans, :)
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →A rare moment! Numen is actually playing a game the same day Numen bought it. How nutty
neutral · AI labelView post →Dull dialogs, quests just being of fetch/kill variety, tiny area (I didn't bother to play long enough to leave the first island) which still have plenty of invisible walls, boring story, and terrible combat. This is one of the worst RPGs I have ever played. I did play only for a short time, but judging so far as well as from others' reviews, it doesn't get better. Do not waste your money nor time.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →If you enjoy MMOs but are like most people and just solo them anyway, then this game is maybe worth it. If you like RPGs but need to expand your collection with anything then get this. 99c man, why not. I'm sure it's not that bad even though personally i couldn't even make through an hour of it.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Numen: Contest of Heroes is a surprisingly robust RPG, with attractive 3D graphics, well animated if not particularly innovative enemies, and minimalist but adequate sound design. The game features a leveling system similar to the orginal Dugeon Siege where using a particular attack type, whether melee, magic or ranged will make your character gradually progress in that specialization. The system is well implemented here and the result is a game that comes across as a nice hyrbid of the…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This is a fun RPG with some interesting elements. While you may notice right off the bat that some of the design decisions are a bit lower quality than some games like Mass Effect or Fallout 3, this game is still fun nonetheless. There are 9 classes all of which have unique abilities that actually feel powerful. The world is rather large, the monsters are varied enough to keep things fun, and so on. If you're a RPG fan, and want something new to play, check this one out. At least pick it up…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This game is Great, My only issue is that you have to grind a lot. Everything else is just too good (Arena,Gods,Champions,Maps,Mythical Creatures).
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This game is pretty dated and the gameplay is not very dynamic. The concept was somewhat interesting though and seemed to pick up the pace after a few hours. Then the game crashed while saving.....
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I paid 1.99.. for a game i was NOT expecting to look/play anywhere near as good as this does.. the environments are quite nice and the game play is alot of fun.. TL.. Diablo.. TQ "ish" .. loot.. quests.. its just a solid and fun RPG. Edit: 26 hours finished game.. i ran into no glitches or bugs myself. Just a simple hack n slash loot em up rpg.. worth the funds imo.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Ever wondered what it would be like to play a generic MMO with no other players? Well, that's basically Numen.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This isn't really bad but it also isn't very good. It just kind of is there and it's pretty bland and boring. I don't recommend picking it up just because it's pretty boring.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →FFVII REMAKE SPOILERS IG I didn't really expect Sephiroth to be the final boss of the first game in the remake trilogy, I definitely expect the huge Numen (that's how they're called in the 🇮🇹 translation) to be the final enemy lol, once One Winged Angel started playing I knew what was gonna happen
neutral · AI labelView post →To me this game was like playing "World of 'Ancient Greece'-Craft". Without the idiots running around and stealing your quest mobs. If you like MMOs, try it.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →It's ♥♥♥♥♥♥ as ♥♥♥♥.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →fairly standard rpg in that you can be a caster or a hunter with range weapons, and a hack and slash guy. the quest are fun and it is adictive, the monsters look good also, has a weird areana fighting quest to do that are not really worth doing but still overall a good game.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Last day and yesterday in Chicahgo [1/3] Plenty of obscure arcade cabs here starting with Numen Athletics 2, this game is insane
neutral · AI labelView post →"Numen: Contest of Heroes" offers an engaging experience with its mythological Greek setting and RPG mechanics. The game combines exploration, combat, and character development in a way that keeps you hooked. A key tip: you'll need to buy a spade from the merchant to dig and retrieve the mask, crucial for completing the quest. Despite some rough edges, the unique atmosphere and challenging game play make it a worthwhile adventure for RPG fans.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →If you except few tiny things inside the game like bugs or that it is slow it can be good game with deep strong rich and long story as a background . I recommend this game for it history and the fact that it is very atmospheric
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This game is SLOW. The combat is clunky, slow, and ponderously unfun. Your character runs as if wading knee-deep through molasses. Combat is 'hold down the mouse until the enemy dies', with a sprinkling of abilities from an energy pool that only recharges at one of the limited save points. Not awful, but for the sake of your sanity, have something going on to occupy your mind, because there's very little happening on-screen to keep the player engaged.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I remember "trying to play" this game when i was a kid. Im glad i found it again. Loved it! Edit: Now i have finished the game. I wish there were more games like Numen! God i love mythology!
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →horrible controls (PS1 era) in action RPG game is not something to recommend. no saves, you need to find save points (campfires) to be able to save. it would be cool game for 1998 but not for 2010, and definitely not for 2019.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Good game. Funny. Nice graphic. You can reach lvl 80 like 10 hours.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →IT is alright but it could do better with more land to find and more missions and the graphics should get updated but for a game this cheap it good
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →RPG-wise nothing extraordinary, but nice setting and decent graphics make this a good light RPG to get on a sale. Recommended.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Is actually a very underrated RPG that can be good fun if you overlook some flaws.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Sneak preview of something new and exciting for #sxmo: voice control using #numen! Control your linux smartphone with short efficient voice commands, fully local, and runs on a #pinephone! https://diode.zone/w/dYo8QcVVFFpzS7PwddFPMV
neutral · AI labelView post →This game isn't bad, it's just kind of boring. The main plot was okay, but the quests that guided you along through the main story were uninteresting and felt grindy. You can tell they put a lot of work and thought into it. It reminded me a lot of torchlight, just mindless fighting of dungeons and map area. I did like the monsters looked and the music wasn't bad. Skip it!
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I played and enjoyed this game when it was first released. I never finished it though. Nearly a decade later and I see this game in my inventory and get a bit nostalgic; so I download and boot it up. What was wrong with me a decade ago? Was I on drugs? This game is horrible! The controls are bad. Gameplay is old-school MMO based and I never liked old-school MMOs. The story is horrendous! Graphically the game has aged very poorly. It's just a hard pass for me.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →As much as I enjoyed the game and finished it, I simply can't recommend. Maybe when it's on a sale. It has a hotkey based combat system like old mmos, which feels laggy and unresponsive. The story isn't really engaging mostly because it plays like an mmo from the mid 2000s where everyone jumped on the bandwagon. Enemies drop a ton of items for other classes and rarely drop something for the one you chose (maybe I was unlucky), so they become useless in your inventory. At one point in the main…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →An rpg with a distinct MMO-blandness to it, but no actual multiplayer. If it were online, it'd be the game you suck it up and play with your friends because they think it's good for some reason. As a fully singleplayer experience, it's, well, pretty much equivalent to playing a bad free MMO on a server with no other people. Weak interface, graphics, story, audio, animation, character customization, pacing, enemy variety, art design...
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Controls are tedious and if you pick the melee class, you'll probably end up spamming the same attack from start to finish. I've literally never seen so much depth in an RPG. 10/10 would participate in the contest of zeroes again
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This game would be okay If we were still living in the year 1997. But we don´t, so just walk along.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →An rpg with a distinct MMO-blandness to it, but no actual multiplayer. If it were online, it'd be the game you suck it up and play with your friends because they think it's good for some reason. As a fully singleplayer experience, it's, well, pretty much equivalent to playing a bad free MMO on a server with no other people. Weak interface, graphics, story, audio, animation, character customization, pacing, enemy variety, art design... Good setting. Ancient Greece has lots to draw from, but just…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Worst game ever played. Not finished, bugged, ugly.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Pretty much a waste of time
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Grab this game when its on sale. would be excellent if muliplayer and some work done to it.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Better than Titan Quest
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This game is alright. It has a great idea, however the execution is not very good. I would like to see an mmo version of this game. That would be a nice game if more time was put into it.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
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