Four days after its October 19, 2026 Early Access launch, Steam showed Athanasia at 93% positive from 29 user reviews, up from 87% of 16 on day one. Press coverage calls it a promising pick for fans of old-school survival horror in the System Shock and Dino Crisis mould. The main caveat is scope: only three of six planned areas are in, and 1.0 is targeted for mid-2027.
Coverage: Review snapshot from the Steam store and launch coverage, checked October 23, 2026. The sample is small and scores will move; this wiki does not publish its own score.
Steam user score in launch week
On October 20, one day after launch, the Steam store showed 87% positive from 16 user reviews. By October 23 that had moved to 93% positive from 29 reviews. Both figures cover the paid Early Access version only, not the free demo, which collected its own separate review history.
Twenty-nine reviews is far below the threshold where a percentage becomes stable, so a handful of new reviews can swing it. Steam also lists 25 curator reviews. Sort by most helpful and read a few in full; they say more about performance on specific hardware than the headline score.
What the press highlights
COGconnected’s launch piece describes a first-person survival horror game about researcher Carmen Flores, stranded in an abandoned South American jungle station. It singles out crowbars, power restoration, improvised explosives, ventilation shafts and self-marked maps, and concludes that the game is a promising pick for fans of old-school survival horror.
The publisher announcement frames it as an immersive sim inspired by System Shock and Dino Crisis. GamingOnLinux was enthusiastic about that pitch back in 2025. None of these are scored reviews; at the time of checking we found no major outlet that had published a numeric review of the Early Access build.
What players and previews tend to like
The recurring positives are the systemic approach to obstacles and the tension of limited resources. Doors can be opened with keycards, power, strength or explosives, and creatures can be lured with meat or traps rather than fought. Running away is often the right call, which suits players who enjoy the classic survival horror loop.
The hand-annotated map also stands out. You find paper maps and mark locked doors, supplies and dinosaur sightings yourself. Steam’s own tags reflect this mix: Immersive Sim, Exploration, Inventory Management, Resource Management and Survival Horror sit next to FPS and Dinosaurs.
The caveats to weigh first
Early Access means half a game. The developer FAQ says the build contains the first three areas, about half the intended length, and that saves, balance and item placement may change. There is only English, no console version, and no Steam Deck rating was listed when we checked.
There is no native Linux build; GamingOnLinux notes that Linux players need Proton. The memory lines on the store page also look like typos, which our system requirements page explains. Saving uses in-world save points rather than free quicksave, which can catch out players used to modern shooters.
Who should buy now and who should wait
If you liked Dino Crisis, System Shock or slower immersive sims and are happy to play an unfinished campaign, the early reception is encouraging. The base price is $15.99, with a 10% introductory discount to $14.39 until November 2, and the developers say the price will rise at 1.0.
If you want a complete story with an ending, waiting is reasonable: version 1.0 is targeted for mid-2027 and may slip. Either way, Steam’s refund window lets you test performance on your own PC. Our Early Access page covers price and content in more detail.
Sources and version context
- Steam store: Athanasia user reviews and bundlesReview summary (93% positive of 29), tags, bundles and curator count; checked October 23, 2026.
- Steam store: Athanasia Early Access listingLaunch price, introductory discount, Early Access FAQ and review count; checked October 20, 2026.
- COGconnected: Athanasia launches in Steam Early AccessDeepak Chongtham, October 21, 2026. Launch coverage with a short verdict.
- Games Press: Athanasia is now available in Steam Early AccessPublisher launch announcement dated October 20, 2026, Kraków.
- GamingOnLinux: System Shock meets Dino CrisisLiam Squires-Hand, June 4, 2025. Notes that Linux players need Proton.