Pass the Fear Review — Is It Worth It in 2026?

Three weeks after launch, the critical picture on Pass the Fear is unusually clear for an indie bullet-hell: the build crafting and 4-player co-op are the product, and variety and polish are the friction. Steam sits at Mostly Positive (77%) across roughly 2,000-2,400 reviews depending on the snapshot, the launch peaked at 22,901 concurrent players, and the critics split between guarded and gushing. This review keeps score: the numbers, the praise, the complaints, and the honest verdict on who should buy it.

The Scorecard

Metacritic's critic score is a single-review aggregate right now (the TheSixthAxis-derived 70), with no user score yet — too early for meaningful aggregates. The Steam percentage is the more honest signal, and it is solidly positive with a loud minority.

What the Critics Said

• TheSixthAxis (launch-day): positive but guarded — "tough-as-nails bullet hell that feels really rewarding when you get a god build going early in the run," but flags enemy and boss variety as the replayability ceiling. Co-op was still in beta during their window.
• Tech-Gaming: praise for the "this is clicking" moment — Pass the Fear "nails that feeling better than most of its peers."
• TheBigBois (the most enthusiastic launch take): "One of the most satisfying build-crafting roguelikes we've played this year," with real caveats: "translation, balance volatility."

The through-line across all three: when the build clicks, the game is exceptional; the question is how long variety holds up.

The Strengths

1. The build layer is genuinely deep. Five loot systems (weapons + parts, affixes, relics + Forge, tarot, elemental statuses) stack into chains, transmutations, and looping ultimates — the build system guide unpacks it. Reviewers repeatedly describe the "one more run" pull as the real product.
2. Co-op is where it comes alive. Up to 4 players, revives, item sharing, and a persistent damage panel — TheBigBois' "clutch saves, item swapping" and the DPS graph turned their sessions into "nearly thirteen hours" that vanished. Full setup in the co-op guide.
3. A strong hunter roster. Seven distinct kits at launch, with an S-tier pair (Long Tong, Jenny) that justifies the characters guide on its own.
4. An honest difficulty ladder. Six tiers with the Chaos Battle Scar boon/curse system and a triple-unlock on Hard clear — endgame structure that reviewers noted as unusually generous.

The Weaknesses

1. Enemy and boss variety. The most repeated complaint in the positive reviews: the roster of foes thins out over a five-chapter run, and the confirmed boss list is still small.
2. Localization. The English translation of the Chinese-developed game is rough in places — patch notes and item text confuse mechanics ("Embercation," "destination" for Embarkation effects). Update 8.5 added English voice acting, which helped, but text rough edges remain.
3. No autofire. The "No autofire, NO THANKS!!" thread on the Steam Community hub is one of the most-liked discussions in the game's first weeks — hold/click-to-fire fatigues some players.
4. Performance on extreme builds. The developers themselves apologized in Update 7.30 for stuttering, freezes, and lost saves caused by the "absurd" endgame builds; the 7.28-8.x patches (max frame rate option, effect quality tiers, VSync default) have been the ongoing fix.

Pass the Fear vs the Comparisons

• vs Enter the Gungeon — Gungeon is the tighter, more polished twin-stick dungeon-crawler; Pass the Fear trades Gungeon's room-by-room craft for deeper build math and co-op. If Gungeon's single-player gauntlet is your benchmark, Pass the Fear's variety will feel thinner; if you want builds and friends, Pass the Fear wins.
• vs Brotato — Brotato is the pure survivor fantasy; Pass the Fear has a real world, chapters, and bosses instead of an arena. The Brotato bundle exists because the audiences overlap, not because the games play alike.
• vs Pathogenic — the r/roguelites launch comparison thread (Pathogenic or Pass The Fear?) landed mostly on Pass the Fear for build depth and co-op, with Pathogenic favored for atmosphere.

The Verdict

Pass the Fear is worth its $18.99 if you want a build-crafting bullet hell, especially with friends. The honest summary: the build layer and 4-player co-op justify the price on their own, the difficulty ladder and aggressive post-launch support are genuine value, and the caveats — enemy/boss variety, localization edges, autofire debate — are friction rather than walls.

If you want a pure twin-stick shooter, other games do that cleaner. If you want "crazy builds and cool boss fights with friends," this is the strongest launch-week argument in its price band — and the price guide covers the bundle math if you are deciding between single purchase and bundles.

Per the official Steam store page: "Every time your build comes together, it turns into a wildly satisfying run you will not want to put down." — the review consensus is that this sentence is the accurate one.

FAQ

Is Pass the Fear worth it?

Yes for build-crafting fans and co-op groups: the build layer, difficulty ladder, and 4-player co-op justify $18.99. The caveats are enemy/boss variety, rough English localization, and the autofire debate. Steam's 77% Mostly Positive rating backs the buy.

What is the Pass the Fear Metacritic score?

70 from one critic review as of mid-August 2026, with no user score yet — too early for meaningful aggregates. The Steam 77% rating is the more honest signal.

Is Pass the Fear better than Enter the Gungeon?

Different priorities: Gungeon is the tighter single-player twin-stick crawl; Pass the Fear has deeper build math and 4-player co-op. Choose Pass the Fear for builds and friends, Gungeon for polished solo room-craft.

What are the biggest problems with Pass the Fear?

Limited enemy and boss variety over a five-chapter run, rough English localization (improved by Update 8.5's English VO), no autofire option, and launch performance issues on extreme builds — the latter being actively patched since 7.30.

Who should buy Pass the Fear?

Build-crafting roguelite fans, co-op groups of 2-4, and players who liked the demo's loop and want the full five-chapter experience. Skip it if you want a pure twin-stick shooter or need console versions.

Related Guides

• Pass the Fear Wiki & Complete Guide
• Pass the Fear Price & Bundles
• Pass the Fear How Long to Beat Guide
• Pass the Fear Best Builds
• Pass the Fear Co-op & Multiplayer Guide
• Pass the Fear Reddit & Community Hub

Official resources: Steam store page · Metacritic page · TheBigBois review · TheSixthAxis review

Last updated: August 13, 2026 — review status through Update 8.7 (V1.0.491, August 7, 2026).