Karateka
Karateka
Game
Game2023
The Making of Karateka
Developer Digital Eclipse
Play the history. Go behind the scenes of Jordan Mechner's landmark game Karateka in this interactive documentary from Digital Eclipse, with archival materials, video features, and more. Experience pixel-perfect versions of this legendary game, with all-new features. From the Steam store page
216 reactions from 4 sources (Steam reviews, Bluesky, Lemmy, Mastodon) · newest Oct 31, 2026 · last updated Oct 31, 2026 · How this works
Audience score
98
LovedLoved
110 positive · 2 negative
95% range 94–100%
| Source | + | − | = |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steam reviews | 110 | 2 | 0 |
| Bluesky * | 45 | 2 | 39 |
| Lemmy * | 3 | 0 | 14 |
| 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
114 of 116 reviews positive (all languages, per Valve)
What players are saying
98% recommend · 111 yes, 2 no
Counted from the reviewers’ own thumbs up/down on the 113 English Steam reviews we collected, not by the AI. Valve’s all-language rating: Very Positive (136 of 138 positive).
Many appreciate the inclusion of multiple playable versions and prototypes. [1][2][3] Some find the original game less enjoyable despite the excellent package. [2][4]
Liked
Representative posts
- [5]
I've always thought more can be done with games as a medium, and this documentary game really highlights how much more can be done with some outside the box thinking. The execution of preserving the original game, telling its story, and making it comfortably playable on modern devices, with every single version they could find, is amazing. A game from almost 40 years ago, comfortable, and fun to this day, with the …
- [7]
A masterclass in game preservation and history; The Making of Karateka is the type of preservation I wish I could see for many older games. Imagine if games like Wolfenstein or Doom had as high quality interactive art experiences like this? From getting the interviews, the documents, the art, uncovering lost content, and then topping it off with the best version of Karateka classic to play; it's a perfect …
- [3]
I now have a huge appreciation for what Karateka brought to the medium. The excellent presentation of documents, interviews, prototypes, and remasters makes this feel like an interactive museum.
- [13]
The Making of Karateka interweaves three versions of Karateka, a fantasy-console remaster, and multiple prototype games with documentary footage and original development materials. It's a documentary, a museum, and a bundle of remasters, all tied up into something greater than the sum of its parts. This is such an incredible way to document and appreciate a videogame. The fact this has so few steam reviews makes me …
- [1]
A very interesting and well-made interactive documentary about one of the most important titles of videogames' history, and the people who contributed to its creation and success, with also interviews with a few developers who were inspired and influenced by Mechner's masterpiece. There are also several games to play, including a few prototypes and complete versions, and two modern revisions of Karateka and …
Summarised from 34 of the 217 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
98% of the 113 Steam reviewers we collected recommend The Making of Karateka. The complaint that keeps coming up: original Karateka game is not very fun. Deal-breaker or nitpick?
Reactions
60 of 216 · most liked firstNEW GAME ANNOUNCEMENT - PLEASE REPOST! So excited to FINALLY reveal "The Making Of Karateka," our next game at Digital Eclipse! Before Prince of Persia, Jordan Mechner created this 1984 Apple II masterpiece. Our new interactive documentary goes DEEP.
neutral · AI labelView post →I've always thought more can be done with games as a medium, and this documentary game really highlights how much more can be done with some outside the box thinking. The execution of preserving the original game, telling its story, and making it comfortably playable on modern devices, with every single version they could find, is amazing. A game from almost 40 years ago, comfortable, and fun to this day, with the love and care that it (any many other games) deserve. This is a shining light…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I was lucky enough to play “The Making of Karateka” early. It’s incredible. This is how you preserve video game history. It’s an interactive documentary - including interviews, art, playable early prototypes, and different versions. Even if you don’t know Karateka, buy this.
positive · AI labelView post →Strange but true: If you inserted the original #Karateka Apple II disc upside down, you could play through the entire game that way. You can toggle this as a pause-menu option in The Making of Karateka -- it was too cool not to preserve. :)
neutral · AI labelView post →📀 ANNOUNCEMENT OF AN ANNOUNCEMENT 📀 Our next interactive documentary, game #002 in the Gold Master Series following The Making of Karateka, will be revealed during the @DayoftheDevs digital showcase next month! Grab tickets to the in-person event December 8 to MEET ME IN PERSON
neutral · AI labelView post →I think about The Making of Karateka a lot. I really wanna see a big game ACTUALLY do a full quality "Archival" re-release, providing the original, providing a remake or better graphics if they want, optional enhancements, old lost demos or thin slices like put a bunch of cool shit in it like that!!
positive · AI labelView post →Dan Amrich told me that multiple people at Gamescom said that The Making of Karateka was one of their favorite games. Now obviously, if The Making of Karateka is one of your favorite games, you're a huge nerd. But you're my kind of nerd, so thank you. www.digitaleclipse.com/games/karateka
neutral · AI labelView post →I bought The Making of Karateka and you should too. It's one of the weirdest video game products ever, in the best possible way, a sort of interactive documentary done incredibly well, with the whole history of Karateka told through film, museum pieces, playable builds, ports, a remake. It's awesome
positive · AI labelView post →The Making of Karateka is a finalist for the Innovation Award in this year's Game Developer Choice Awards! Wonderful to be recognized by our peers for this award. gamechoiceawards.com/recipients
neutral · AI labelView post →Thanks to Paste Magazine for naming The Making of Karateka one of the best video games of 2023! "This playable documentary is a brilliant piece of work, and a must-play for Karateka fans and anybody interested in game design." www.pastemagazine.com/games/best-g...
neutral · AI labelView post →Their gold master series of video game compilations, which are really just interactive museums - Tetris Forever, Llamasoft: The Jeff Minster Story, The Making of Karateka? That's dream shit, right there, blessings from a better dimension.
positive · AI labelView post →Combine DE's #Karateka research with @jmechner.bsky.social 's game-dev diary and you get The Making of Karateka: Journals 1982-1985, a fully illustrated edition of Jordan's classic book. It's only available in the Deluxe Edition of The Making of Karateka; preorders are underway! bit.ly/gmsphysical
neutral · AI labelView post →LRG3 2023 | Limited Run Saves E3 | Summer Games Showcase. Announcements: * Castlevania Advance Collection * Pre-orders open July 28th * Nintendo Switch, PS4, Xbox, Steam * Includes: * Castlevania Circle of the Moon * Castlevania Harmony of Dissonance * Castlevania Aria of Sorrow * Castlevania Dracula X * Rise of the Triad: Ludicrous Edition * Coming soon * Koumajou Remilia Scarlet Symphony * Nintendo Switch * Tiger Heli Toaplan Arcade Garage * Fall 2023 * Nintendo…
neutral · AI labelView post →How Digital Eclipse Set the Standard for Preserving Video Game Classics with Their First Gold Master Series Title - The Making of Karateka.
neutral · AI labelView post →A very interesting and well-made interactive documentary about one of the most important titles of videogames' history, and the people who contributed to its creation and success, with also interviews with a few developers who were inspired and influenced by Mechner's masterpiece. There are also several games to play, including a few prototypes and complete versions, and two modern revisions of Karateka and Deathbounce, one of the very first games Mechner worked on before Karateka, but that was…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Classic action game Karateka is being turned into a playable documentary. Last year, Digital Eclipse released Atari 50, a sprawling, interactive tour through Atari’s long history. I described it as “a cross between an interactive documentary and a virtual museum exhibition,” and it really set a new bar for retro game collections. Now, the studio is tackling another project: Karateka, the game Jordan Mechner made before the iconic Prince of Persia. Called The Making of Karateka, the new project…
neutral · AI labelView post →A terrific way to learn about (and play) a video game classic. I was not very familiar with Karateka having first played Mechner's work in the original Price of Persia, but that didn't stop me relishing this tremendous historical journey. Great stuff.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The new standard for digital game preservation
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Highly recommend The Making of Karateka by Digital Eclipse, a terrific watchable and playable documentary about the making of this incredible game.
positive · AI labelView post →"The Making of Karateka proves the best way to tell gaming history is with a game, and the rest of the industry must follow its lead" - PC Gamer
neutral · AI labelView post →If you’re a dev or are interested in game dev I’d highly highly recommend you play/experience The Making of Karateka. It’s so interesting! Playing through all the in progress builds as well as the modern reimagined games was a lot of fun too. www.digitaleclipse.com/games/karateka
positive · AI labelView post →Never played Karateka, but there's so much detailed information in this docu-game and it's presented in such a compelling way that you can't help but explore everything. A Golden Standard, seriously.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Digital Eclipse's 'The Making Of Karateka' Launches On Switch After Other Consoles.
neutral · AI labelView post →I reviewed 'The Making of Karateka', an incredible game-as-museum-exhibition that serves as the prime example of how we should document and remember essential pieces of video game history. GET INTO IT. www.gameshub.com/news/reviews...
positive · AI labelView post →Here you will find a list of problems about Digital Eclipse: https://steamcommunity.com/app/2236680/discussions/0/4291440545833676656/ Interactive documentary (same interface as the Atari 50) that brings a lot of information about the development of Karateka and other games by Jordan Mechner (creator of Karateka and Prince of Persia). List of "14" games: Karateka - Apple II Karateka C64 Karateka - Atari 8-bit Karateka Remastered Deathbounce: Rebounded Deathbounce First Prototype Deathbounce…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Like vinyl LPs, 5.25" floppy disks had two sides. As curious Apple II gamers found out, inserting the #Karateka floppy upside-down would let you play the game upside-down! We've preserved this Easter egg in The Making of Karateka; toggle it on for a challenge. Wishlist Steam: bit.ly/karatekasteam
neutral · AI labelView post →I played Karateka back in 1985, both in an Apple II and a C64. I spent hours in this game, finished it many times. I love that this interactive documentary exists. It is indeed a triumph of game preservation and we need more like it!
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →UK fans, Amazon has Gold Master Series physical editions available for preorder! The Making of Karateka Switch: www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0DXQ6BWK9 PS5: www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0DXQ6PP84
neutral · AI labelView post →Digital Eclipse Announces Physical Editions for the Critically Acclaimed Gold Master Series. > The titles are praised for pairing best-in-class emulation of games from the '80s and '90s with a narrative exploration of the creative process behind them. Standard editions for the Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 5 will be available for $34.99 (€34.99). Deluxe Editions for The Making of Karateka and Llamasoft: The Jeff Minter Story, featuring special packaging and unique collectibles, will be…
neutral · AI labelView post →A masterclass in game preservation and history; The Making of Karateka is the type of preservation I wish I could see for many older games. Imagine if games like Wolfenstein or Doom had as high quality interactive art experiences like this? From getting the interviews, the documents, the art, uncovering lost content, and then topping it off with the best version of Karateka classic to play; it's a perfect preservationist piece.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This is the future of commercial game preservation. This is the ludic Criterion Collection. Hats off!
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Thumbs up: A really amazing documentary in interactive and playable format, containing multiple (prototype and final, with ports of Karateka as well) versions of Asteroids, Deathbounce, Karateka. The last two games also have reimagined versions, with Deathbounce being a real glowup. Thumbs sideways: One issue is that Karateka really is not a very fun game: a series of mirror matches with AI opponents and confusing hitboxes and hurtboxes, and you do have to learn how to cope with this in order…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Xbox Series X|S will get 12 new games from Sony's latest State of Play. >Just because the latest games industry showcase has PlayStation at its core, that doesn’t mean there won’t be a bunch of Xbox Series X|S games at it. In fact, there were 12 big Xbox games at the Sony State of Play for July 2025 that you definitely want to keep your eyes on! > >• 12 PS5 games shown off at the latest State of Play will also launch on Xbox > >• These include massive titles such as Capcom's Pragmata and IO…
neutral · AI labelView post →Inspiring biographical books about game development: "DOOM Guy: Life in First Person", by @johnromero.bsky.social "Masters of Doom", by David Kushner "The Making of Karateka" and "The Making of Prince of Persia" by @jmechner.bsky.social
neutral · AI labelView post →"Digital Eclipse's The Making Of Karateka... wasn't just one of the best 'games' I played this year, but ranks up there on my list of the most important electronic experiences ever." - Rock Paper Shotgun www.rockpapershotgun.com/the-rps-adve...
neutral · AI labelView post →This is a fantastic format, an interactive museum, and I'd like to see more games showcased like this. I missed entirely Karateka along with a ton of early computer games when they came out so I really hope to see more like this. Many more games should have their stories told and preserved, I absolutely recommend picking this up.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This game is important. The world needs more video game documentaries.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The gist of it is that they are making _The Making of Karateka_. Which appears to be basically the same thing as a director commentary for a movie but a game. You can play different versions and jump into the game during recorded bits.
neutral · AI labelView post →I now have a huge appreciation for what Karateka brought to the medium. The excellent presentation of documents, interviews, prototypes, and remasters makes this feel like an interactive museum.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I've never played Karateka as I was about 4 years too young for that at the time. But Prince of Persia sprung into my life on both my Amiga and on the PC's at my school. And I recall making animations in Deluxe Paint that mimicked what Mechner did in PoP. I loved that game. The distinct "flat" style was a particular thing I loved about it. And I also recall being incredibly disappointed with PoP2 which had a very odd and much more cartoonish style. I didn't like that game at all. But I've…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This was a ton of fun and made me care about a game I barely heard about before. I want a ton of these about all sorts of games.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Unlike our other works, The Making of Karateka is the story of one single game, using video features, Jordan's original design documents, the contents of his floppy disks, and so much more to go deeper into the making of a single game than ever before! It'll be out soon. 2023!
neutral · AI labelView post →Disney animators used rotoscoping in film animation, but @jmechner.bsky.social brought it to gaming with #Karateka. Blend the animation layers yourself in The Making of Karateka, the first title in our #GoldMasterSeries of interactive documentaries. Available now: digitaleclipse.com/games/karateka
neutral · AI labelView post →I find a way to show The Making of Karateka every term in game history now. It is so refreshing to see a team invested in the history of the medium. (And both the animation reference with sliders and the Wagner music connection are the stuff of an educator’s dreams. Tremendous job on those fronts!)
positive · AI labelView post →In which @mikedrucker.bsky.social begs you - begs you! - to play The Making of Karateka. Please. He is begging www.thegamer.com/learn-game-h...
neutral · AI labelView post →Digital Eclipse's Chris Kohler talks about the studio's vision for the future of video game documentaries and preservation, as it demonstrated with recent launch The Making of Karateka
neutral · AI labelView post →Y'all like Old Games Preserved Well? @double-j.bsky.social fawns over @digitaleclipse.bsky.social's The Making of Karateka in his review, a celebration of Jordan Mechner's incredible work! www.sidequesting.com/2023/09/the-...
neutral · AI labelView post →I think Digital Eclipse's creation of the Documentary Video Game is maybe the coolest thing to happen to games in a while. Atari 50 is sick as hell, and The Making of Karateka also seems incredibly cool. I'm thrilled that they're going to be making a full series of these things
positive · AI labelView post →If you are able to, do get The Making of Karateka by Digital Eclipse! store.steampowered.com/app/1163060/... This extremely ambitious project is like a culmination of video game preservation and research and may help inspire other companies to take this level of care with their history!
positive · AI labelView post →"You need to be congratulated on this game," wrote a 17-year-old gamer named John Romero, long before he brought about your Doom. Learn how #Karateka influenced him in The Making of Karateka, part of the #GoldMasterSeries. Coming to major platforms soon! Wishlist on Steam: bit.ly/karatekasteam
neutral · AI labelView post →Have you played The Making of Karateka? Where the game itself is a documentary about the history of Karateka? I'm really enjoying this series of interactive documentary games that Digital Eclipse is doing, I really hope they keep it going.
positive · AI labelView post →I must have been asleep at the wheel. I didn't know about Atari 50. Not in the article is also the game Llamasoft: The Jeff Minter Story. > But though it’s in the same format, The Making of Karateka was a different challenge for the team. Atari 50 presents a bird’s-eye view of an entire company over five decades, spanning from the arcades to home consoles like the Jaguar. It’s filled with smaller stories about individual games and hardware launches. The Making of Karateka, on the other hand,…
neutral · AI labelView post →"This playable documentary is a brilliant piece of work, and a must-play for #Karateka fans and anybody interested in game design." - Paste Magazine on The Making of Karateka in "The Best Games of 2023"
neutral · AI labelView post →'The making of The Making of Karateka' - a look at how the finest ever playable documentary on a game was created. Read it here at Eurogamer: www.eurogamer.net/the-making-o...
neutral · AI labelView post →Ooh, excited for this. Every classic game should get The Making of Karateka treatment. Still a must-play if you're even vaguely interested in game history and design.
positive · AI labelView post →I got to interview Karateka creator Jordan Mechner about this project for GameDeveloper.com, and I'll slap a telling quote here: --- "Karateka was really the culmination of a six-year timeframe," Mechner says. "From getting my first Apple II in 1978 as a freshman in high school, I made games, and each time I kind of hoped that it would get published. All of those 'almosts,' each raised the bar a little bit. All that time, the industry was evolving very fast as I was trying to evolve as a game…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Why did so many #Karateka ports fall short compared to the Apple II original? To learn the answer, our studio head @mikejmika.bsky.social ported the game himself as Karateka Remastered, only available in The Making of Karateka. Available August 29! http://digitaleclipse.com/games/karateka
neutral · AI labelView post →for my podcast series this week, I sat down with @kohler.bsky.social from @digitaleclipse.bsky.social to talk about the Making of Karateka, game preservation, and more https://youtu.be/sHr1TXOWPOI
neutral · AI labelView post →When starting his #Karateka remaster, @MikeJMika set guidelines to keep his port authentic. Hear Mike's insight as you play via his optional in-game commentary for Kareteka Remastered, part of The Making of Karateka. bit.ly/karatekasteam #GoldMasterSeries
neutral · AI labelView post →History You Can Play: The Making of Karateka Is the First in a Series of Interactive Documentaries - Xbox Wire.
neutral · AI labelView post →
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