The End Is Nigh is worth playing if you enjoy precision platformers built around difficult jumps, frequent deaths, and the satisfaction of mastering a route. It pairs that demanding core with exploration, dark humor, collectibles, and a large amount of advertised side content. If repeated trial and error is not your idea of fun, the same design may be a reason to pass.
What kind of game is The End Is Nigh?
Developed and published on Steam by Edmund McMillen and Tyler Glaiel, The End Is Nigh released on July 12, 2017. You control Ash, one of the few survivors of the end of the world, as he searches hazardous environments for a friend. Steam describes it as an action-adventure platformer shaped by perilous traversal, deaths, collectibles, and bleak comedy. Steam’s store page
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
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The End is Nigh (Nintendo Switch) (Brand New) | $45.92 | Buy on Amazon |
| 2 |
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Mewgenics - Nintendo Switch 2 | $49.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| 3 |
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Asylum - Nintendo Switch | $29.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| 4 |
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Minecraft - Nintendo Switch | $29.82 | Buy on Amazon |
| 5 |
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Hercule Poirot: The First Cases (Nintendo Switch) | $36.00 | Buy on Amazon |
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The game is a single-player precision platformer. Its central rhythm is to attempt a difficult passage, fail, and try again with a better understanding of the timing or route. A 2026 retrospective by PC Gamer’s Shaun Prescott describes its quick deaths and respawns, reflex-focused play, dark humor, and less linear structure with light Metroidvania elements. Prescott compares it with Super Meat Boy, while emphasizing The End Is Nigh’s darker presentation and exploration; that is one critic’s interpretation, not an official genre label or a claim of consensus. PC Gamer’s retrospective discussion
How hard is The End Is Nigh?
Difficulty is a defining feature, not an incidental obstacle. Expect demanding platforming and repeated attempts rather than a relaxed journey through forgiving stages. Nicalis president Tyrone Rodriguez described it as one of the most challenging games players might encounter, arguing that the ability to keep trying makes the challenge rewarding. That is the publisher’s framing; whether the retry loop feels satisfying or frustrating depends on the player.
#1 Best Overall
- The End is Nigh is a sprawling adventure platformer where the player takes control over Ash, one of few things that have survived the end of the world. Follow Ash as he flops his way through a future of pain and suffering. Feel his stress levels rise as you throw him into an endless swarm of decaying, mutant animal-like creatures and help aid his final epic quest to simply make a friend (out of pieces of people he finds along his journey).
The useful distinction is between difficulty and fit. If you like refining timing and movement until a route clicks, the repeated attempts are part of the appeal. If you prefer steady progress with few demanding failures, the game’s core design may wear on you.
How much content does it offer?
Steam advertises more than 600 levels across 12 or more explorable chapters, over 20 playable collectible mini-game cartridges, more than 80 achievements, hundreds of collectible tumors, hidden extras, and multiple endings. These are Steam’s store-page feature counts, not an independent measure of how long a playthrough takes. Steam’s advertised content
Rank #2
- 200+ hour main campaign.
- 10+ character classes with 75 unique abilities each.
- 900+ wild items.
- 200+ enemies and bosses.
- Roguelite progression: never experience the same game twice. Choices at every turn: Money! Items!! And genes!! It all matters!
That breadth gives the game more to pursue than simply reaching the end of each platforming challenge. Exploration, collectibles, and mini-game cartridges provide optional goals alongside the precision-focused main play. Steam also lists Workshop support, so the PC version’s listed features extend beyond single-player and Steam Cloud. The available sources do not establish a completion-time estimate or the amount of Workshop content currently available.
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Review aggregates are favorable overall, but each figure reflects a different platform and sample:
Rank #3
- A chilling journey into the dark mind: Explore the Hanwell Mental Institute and uncover its dark past.
- Experience a mind-bending original storyline as recurring hallucinations blur the line between memory and reality.
- Investigate a detailed, decrepit asylum through point-and-click adventure gameplay.
- Solve evocative challenges that reward wit and observation.
- Enter an engrossing atmosphere with a memorable soundtrack inspired by 1980s horror films and John Carpenter.
| Source | Rating shown | What it represents |
|---|---|---|
| Steam | 92% positive from 1,989 English reviews overall; 95% positive from 24 recent reviews | Steam’s live review display, accessed October 8, 2026. The recent figure covers the displayed last-30-days window. These figures can change. |
| Metacritic | 84 PC Metascore from 15 critic reviews; 7.4 user score from 97 ratings | Metacritic’s live page display, accessed October 8, 2026. Critic and user ratings are separate aggregates. |
Metacritic’s critic excerpts highlight precise controls, demanding play, exploration, replay value, and the sense of accomplishment that comes from mastering challenges. One critic also cautions that players uncertain about super-challenging platformers may want to pass. Those excerpts illustrate recurring review themes, but they are not a complete account of every review. Metacritic’s review page
How does it compare with Super Meat Boy?
PC Gamer’s Shaun Prescott uses Super Meat Boy as a point of comparison for the reflex-driven platforming, but presents The End Is Nigh as darker and less linear. The distinction is useful if you are choosing between them: the comparison points to related demands on timing and precision, not identical structure or tone.
Rank #4
- Minecraft is a game about placing blocks and going on adventures
- Explore randomly generated worlds and build amazing things from the simplest of homes to the grandest of castles
- Play in creative mode with unlimited resources or mine deep into the world in survival mode, crafting weapons and armor to fend off the dangerous mobs
- Play on the go in handheld or tabletop modes
- Includes Super Mario Mash-Up, Natural Texture Pack, Biome Settlers Skin Pack, Battle & Beasts Skin Pack, Campfire Tales Skin Pack; Compatible with Nintendo Switch only
| Aspect | The End Is Nigh | Super Meat Boy |
|---|---|---|
| Difficulty and retries | PC Gamer characterizes it as reflex-focused, with quick deaths and respawns; challenging traversal is central. | PC Gamer invokes it as a comparison for reflex play. The cited discussion does not provide a detailed side-by-side difficulty assessment. |
| Structure | Prescott describes a less linear structure with exploration and light Metroidvania elements. | The cited discussion does not establish a comparable structural breakdown. |
| Tone | Prescott describes a darker presentation and dark humor. | The cited discussion does not provide a direct tone comparison beyond using it as a reference point. |
| Side content | Steam advertises collectible tumors, mini-game cartridges, hidden extras, achievements, endings, and Workshop support. | The cited sources do not establish a directly comparable side-content count. |
| Platforms and editions | Steam lists Windows, macOS, and SteamOS/Linux; Nicalis announced digital Switch availability in North America and Europe and a North American physical release in 2017. | The cited sources do not provide platform or edition details for Super Meat Boy. |
What platforms is The End Is Nigh on?
Steam lists Windows, macOS, and SteamOS/Linux sections for the game, along with single-player, Steam Cloud, and Workshop features. Nicalis announced digital Nintendo Switch availability in North America and Europe in 2017. Platform availability and store listings can vary by region and over time; the cited information documents those versions and features, not the status of every current storefront.
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Is The End Is Nigh on Switch physically?
Yes: Nicalis announced a North American physical Nintendo Switch Game Card retail release for December 12, 2017. The launch edition was described as including a full-color instruction booklet and a squishy silicone Ash toy. That historical announcement does not establish current stock or guarantee those bonuses in a copy sold today. Nicalis’s December 12, 2017 release announcement
Quick Recap
Best Value
- Discover the legendary detective in an untold crime story.
- Play as Hercule Poirot in his early years as a detective, when he still had everything to prove.
- Solve a complex murder case where everyone has something to hide.
- Unveil what hides behind the deceiving appearances of the Van den Bosch family.
- Question all the suspects and glean crucial information from them without their knowing..Notice all suspicious behavior as you uncover the dark secrets and rivalries of the upper class..Explore a luxurious house full of buried mysteries. There is more to discover than just the murderer….Use your talents of deduction to link clues in your mindmap.
Who should play it?
- A good fit: players who enjoy precision platforming, learning through repeated attempts, exploration, and optional collectibles.
- Think twice: players who want forgiving traversal, few retries, or a low-pressure platformer. The challenge is central, and review coverage specifically warns that uncertain fans of very difficult platformers may prefer to pass.
- Worth considering: players drawn to bleak comedy and a less linear feel alongside the platforming. The game’s advertised side content adds goals beyond simply clearing its levels.
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
