The Messenger

Released: 8/30/2018

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. What begins as a classic action platformer soon unravels into an expansive time-traveling adventure full of thrills, surprises, and humor.

Critics

Steam

Metacritic

Score Breakdown

86.3

Critic Average

73 reviews

Steam User Score

12,893 reviews

Metacritic User Score

401 reviews

Disparity Breakdown

Steam Disparity

-6.5

Metacritic Disparity

+2.3

Combined Disparity

-2.1

Average of both sources

Review Timing

29 early (40%)24 launch window (33%)20 late (27%)

Review summary

Updated May 8, 2026

Based on 73 scored critic reviews, critics give this game an average score of 86.3/100. Critics score this game 6.5 points lower than Steam users and 2.3 points higher than Metacritic users.

How these comparisons are calculated

Sources behind this summary(5 recent of 73)

Taylor RiouxviaJetsonPlaysGames
Aug 26, 2025Late review
65/100View review
Steam 92.8/100 · -27.8 ptsMetacritic 84/100 · -19.0 pts
Johnathan FloydviaGeeks Under Grace
Apr 5, 2021Late review
95/100View review
Steam 92.8/100 · +2.2 ptsMetacritic 84/100 · +11.0 pts
Jason FlattviaBut Why Tho?
Jul 14, 2020Late review
95/100View review
Steam 92.8/100 · +2.2 ptsMetacritic 84/100 · +11.0 pts
Jake SuviaGeek Culture
Jun 9, 2019Late review
94/100View review
Steam 92.8/100 · +1.2 ptsMetacritic 84/100 · +10.0 pts
Danial DehghaniviaPixel Arts
Jun 6, 2019Late review
90/100View review
Steam 92.8/100 · -2.8 ptsMetacritic 84/100 · +6.0 pts

The Messenger

Released: 8/30/2018