If you love brutally challenging platformers that demand perfect timing, The End Is Nigh is the kind of game that will test your patience and keep pulling you back in for “one more try.” Set in a bleak, chaotic world crawling with mutant creatures, it’s a precision-heavy adventure built around constant failure, fast restarts, and the stubborn drive to improve.
Originally released on Steam on July 12, 2017, The End Is Nigh follows Ash, a lone survivor after the end of the world. The journey is tense and often stressful, with the game leaning into themes like perseverance and the relentless pursuit of perfection. You’ll guide Ash through hazardous environments where every jump matters, every mistake costs you, and progress depends on learning levels inside and out. Along the way, you’ll also collect items scattered across different locations to keep moving forward.
The amount of content is a big part of why this game has stayed on players’ radar. There are more than 600 levels to conquer across 12+ chapters, giving you an enormous gauntlet of challenges that steadily ramps up in intensity. The game also includes cartridge-based mini-games that tie into specific achievements, plus hidden bonuses for completionists who like digging into every corner. And if you manage to push through to the end, you’ll find that the story isn’t limited to a single finale—there are multiple alternative endings waiting for skilled (and stubborn) players.
The End Is Nigh was developed by Edmund McMillen, known for work on The Binding of Isaac and Mewgenics, alongside Tyler Glaiel. Even with its reputation for difficulty, the game has been well received overall, earning approval from 93% of players on Steam based on more than 3,200 reviews. It also holds a Metacritic score of 84, with a user score of 7.5, reflecting a strong response from platformer fans and critics alike.
Still, it’s not a perfect fit for everyone. Some players point out that the difficulty curve becomes intense as you progress, and the lack of a map can make navigation and planning harder than it needs to be. Others mention that movement can sometimes feel imprecise, which is a frustrating issue in a game where pixel-perfect jumps are the entire point. There are also complaints about progression rewards, since collecting items doesn’t unlock extra characters or cosmetic skins—something many players now expect from modern platformers.
If you’ve been curious but didn’t want to pay full price, it’s currently heavily discounted. The End Is Nigh is 75% off on Steam, priced at $3.74 instead of $14.99 until March 3, 2026. While this isn’t the lowest price it has ever hit, it’s the deepest discount the game has had on Steam since late 2024.
For fans of intense precision platformers with huge level counts, dark atmosphere, and a “learn by failing” design philosophy, The End Is Nigh remains a standout—especially at this price point.
