Likely worth it. Reviews lean strongly positive.
At $19.99. It has been as low as $7.99.
- Story and characters: 182 reviews raised it, mostly praise
- Gameplay: 82 reviews raised it, mostly praise
- Graphics: 58 reviews raised it, mostly praise
- Difficulty: 8 reviews raised it, mostly criticism
Based on 819 player reviews · updated 6 days ago
What players think
The recurring themes across 300 analysed reviews: what players praise, what divides them, and what to know.
Rather than following familiar formulas, it weaves together an unusual hybrid of 3D adventure exploration and 2D dungeon-style gameplay while grounding everything in an emotionally rich narrative about healing, identity, and transformation.
Rather than following familiar formulas, it weaves together an unusual hybrid of 3D adventure exploration and 2D dungeon-style gameplay while grounding everything in an emotionally rich narrative about healing, identity, and transformation.
The overworld adopts a retro 3D aesthetic reminiscent of early PlayStation and N64 games, with low-poly models, chunky textures, and bold color palettes that feel simultaneously nostalgic and otherworldly.
Ultimately, Anodyne 2: Return to Dust succeeds not because of any single element but because of how its components work together—its shifting artistic styles, its unconventional structure, its thoughtful soundtrack, and its earnest storytelling all reinforce one another.
Theme by theme
Every theme is scored by what reviewers actually said about it, not just whether they recommended the game.
Ranked by how many sampled reviews mention each topic. A topic sits in a column by what reviewers said about that topic; the percentage beside it is how many of them recommended the game anyway. One more theme was raised by fewer than 6 sampled reviews and is not shown.
Should you buy it now?
Crit’s read on the price, from Steam price history.
Currently $19.99. The lowest we've tracked is $7.99.
The data behind the verdict
For the players who want the receipts.
We’ll surface hours-played once playtime ingestion ships.
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