Why Elin Is Trending
Elin launched in Early Access on Steam in November 2024 after 17 years of solo development — the spiritual successor to the legendary Japanese roguelike RPG Elona. The gaming press dubbed it "somehow another roguelike RPG 17 years in the making" that "quietly became one of 2024's most-loved indie games." GamesRadar highlighted how it earned 4,700+ glowing reviews "in near-total silence," without major marketing.
In early 2026, Elin hit a massive milestone: over 100,000 copies sold and a 95% approval rating from nearly 3,500 players — qualifying for Steam's coveted "Overwhelmingly Positive" label. Word-of-mouth continues to drive discovery as players compare it favorably to Caves of Qud and Dwarf Fortress for its sheer depth and eccentricity.
Key Stats
Trending in the Steam — category with 2,235 concurrent players and +218/wk followers gained this week.
About Elin
Elin is a vast open-world roguelike RPG set in the land of Ylva, where you can adventure as a warrior, crafter, mage, rancher, or a combination of all the above. The game inherits Elona's famously bizarre and charming world — filled with procedurally generated dungeons, quirky NPCs, and emergent stories — and expands it dramatically with home-building mechanics, farming, pet management, and a deeply customizable character system.
The developer describes it as a game about "adventure, survival, crafting, home-building, myths passed down, and stories of humans and Elea spun." What stands out is how each playthrough feels genuinely different depending on your build choices, and how the game's systems interact in unexpected ways. It's one of the few games that can genuinely surprise a veteran RPG player hundreds of hours in.
What Players Are Saying
✅ Reasons to Play
- Overwhelmingly Positive reviews — one of Steam's highest-rated Early Access games
- Hundreds of hours of content: adventure, crafting, farming, home-building
- Active solo developer with consistent updates and strong community feedback
❌ Things to Consider
- Still in Early Access — some systems feel unfinished
- Steep learning curve; the game teaches you very little upfront
- Deliberately old-school presentation may alienate players expecting modern UX
What the Community Is Saying
I can give harpies weed and convince them to join my farm to make harpy milk and an unstoppable mobile militia with shotguns and magic spells.... yeah keep reading, it gets better. You can literally do ANYTHING in this game, for better or worse. I've never played a game, in…
This is an eccentric game by an eccentric developer. That said, it's a very good game. IF you've played ADOM or CDDA (or one of it's many forks) then this game is very similiar, but with a Japanese developer. The previous title made by this Dev, Elona, had quite a lot of jank…
The good A roguelike masterpiece that combines some of the best aspects of western RPGs with Japanese themes. The game is still in early access but what is there is great. You build settlements (or not) that create wealth. You have a vast variety of skills you can develop and…
Yes, this game is worth buying regardless of the EA tag. A solo developer has somehow managed to blend JRPG, Roguelike, base building, and a plethora of other elements into one product without having one overshadow the other. Despite this, the game sports enough depth and…
aside from the obvious contender of スーパーリアル麻雀PV, many people are saying that elin is the greatest game of all time, and they've got a point. enslave your friends and foes. play the panty as an instrument. become a gigolo. eat cat meat. it has everything and more.
I really want to love Elin, and I probably will when the game is more developed, but the late game doesn't seem to be balanced by any standpoint. Currently the most effective way to gain stats is eating, you can relatively easily craft min-maxed food that increases these stats…
Should You Play Elin?
Elin holds overwhelmingly positive reviews on Steam with a 96% positive rating, one of the most celebrated games in its genre on Steam. It attracts a healthy 2,235 players at peak, showing strong player retention for a — title. The combination of strong developer support and passionate community has kept it highly rated over time.
Elin is mid-range priced at $19.99 on Steam, developed by Lafrontier. Players who enjoy the — genre and want something currently trending on Steam will find Elin worth checking out.
Should You Play Elin?
Elin holds overwhelmingly positive reviews on Steam with a 96% positive rating, one of the most celebrated games in its genre on Steam. It attracts a healthy 2,235 players at peak, showing strong player retention for a — title. The combination of strong developer support and passionate community has kept it highly rated over time.
Elin is mid-range priced at $19.99 on Steam, developed by Lafrontier. Players who enjoy the — genre and want something currently trending on Steam will find Elin worth checking out.
Is Elin Worth Playing in 2026?
Is Elin worth playing in 2026?
Absolutely. Elin has Overwhelmingly Positive Steam reviews from over 3,000 players, a 95% approval rating, and continues to receive active updates. At $19.99, it's a remarkable value for a deep roguelike RPG with hundreds of hours of content.
Do I need to play Elona to enjoy Elin?
No — Elin is a standalone successor. While fans of Elona will appreciate the callbacks and expanded world, new players can jump in without any prior knowledge. The game explains its systems at its own quirky, deliberate pace.
Is Elin still in Early Access?
Yes, as of early 2026 Elin remains in Steam Early Access, with Lafrontier expecting one to two years of development before the full 1.0 release. However, the current build already offers an enormous amount of content and is very polished for Early Access.
How much content does Elin have?
Elin is one of the deepest indie RPGs on Steam, with multiple playstyles (adventurer, crafter, rancher, mage, and more), a home-building system, a sprawling open world, and hundreds of quests. Players routinely log 100+ hours before feeling they've seen everything.
Is it free to play?
Elin is a paid game on Steam. Check the Steam store page for current pricing and any active discounts.
How many people play Elin?
Player counts for Elin vary. It appears in TrendingGames.gg's top-1000 tracked games, indicating active Steam followers and community interest.
