The Messenger cover

The Messenger

Critic score8 critics
Be the first to rate
First release
Aug 30, 2018
Developer
Sabotage
Engine
Unity
Genres
Indie, Adventure, Platform, Arcade · Action, Comedy
Platforms
PC (Microsoft Windows), PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5

As a demon army besieges his village, a young ninja ventures through a cursed world, to deliver a scroll paramount to his clan's survival. Leveraging players expectations as a core game design ingredient, The Messenger is first presented as an 8-bit action platformer with a simple story, that unravels into an epic time traveling tale, eventually revealing itself as a 16-bit Metroidvania game packed with replay value and deadpan humor.

Attributes

No Attributes added.

Details

Storyline, release dates, time to beat, age ratings, modes, links, keywords

Storyline
In a village of ninjas, an ancient prophecy foretells that a "Western Hero" will one day arrive to save them from the demons that plague the land. When the Demon King attacks, the promised hero appears and repels him, then entrusts a young ninja with a sacred scroll — naming him the Messenger and charging him to carry it east, to the top of a distant mountain. Aided along the way by a mysterious blue-robed shopkeeper, the Messenger sets out across a perilous world, his simple delivery gradually drawing him into a far greater struggle that spans centuries and bends time itself.Read more

In a village of ninjas, an ancient prophecy foretells that a "Western Hero" will one day arrive to save them from the demons that plague the land. When the Demon King attacks, the promised hero appears and repels him, then entrusts a young ninja with a sacred scroll — naming him the Messenger and charging him to carry it east, to the top of a distant mountain. Aided along the way by a mysterious blue-robed shopkeeper, the Messenger sets out across a perilous world, his simple delivery gradually drawing him into a far greater struggle that spans centuries and bends time itself.

Release dates
PC (Microsoft Windows)
Aug 30, 2018
Nintendo Switch
Aug 30, 2018
PlayStation 4
Mar 19, 2019
All 5 release dates
Xbox One
Jun 25, 2020
PlayStation 5
Jan 23, 2025
Time to beatIGDB · recorded
Main Story
15h
Main + Extras
16h
Game modes
Single player
Perspective
Side view
Keywords
retro, ninja, 2d, metroidvania, difficult
… All 7, pixel graphics, 8-bit

At a Glance

Critic Score
87
Main Story (IGDB)
15h
Main + Extras (IGDB)
16h
OverviewHow it playsMediaCommunityBehind the gameRelated

Overview

Steam review summary

Steam users rate this Very Positive, 10,756 reviews in all languages, recorded 16 October 2026

Valve's summary of Steam user reviews. Valve counts only reviews from purchases on Steam, not key activations, and leaves out review periods it has marked as off-topic. It isn't part of the CritScore score.

Review summary: SteamSteam data provided via the Steam Web API (opens in a new tab)Not affiliated with Valve →

About storefront and compatibility information

Compatibility, feature and availability information shown on this page is recorded from the storefronts and services named against each fact, on the dates shown. Steam and the Steam logo are trademarks of Valve Corporation; Steam data is provided via the Steam Web API. Other product and service names are trademarks of their respective owners. CritScore is not affiliated with, endorsed by, sponsored by or certified by Valve Corporation or any other storefront or platform holder, and does not itself test or certify any game.