Why ENCHAIN Is Trending
ENCHAIN is the kind of game that makes the indie scene worth watching. A solo-developed passion project years in the making, it launched into Early Access on February 13, 2026 with 97% positive reviews — an extraordinary achievement for any game, let alone one made by a single developer. The game blends retro Quake-style FPS action with Super Smash Bros.-inspired juggling mechanics, all wrapped in a Metroidvania-style afterlife world.
The core hook: you use a lantern chain to grapple enemies mid-air, juggle them in combo strings, and blast them apart with a snappy arsenal of guns — all while platforming through dark, vertical environments. Inspired by Quake, Super Smash Bros., and classic Metroidvanias, ENCHAIN carves out a completely unique niche and executes it brilliantly. The gaming community has taken notice.
Key Stats
Trending in the Steam — category with 13 concurrent players and Trending on Steam this week.
What Players Are Saying
✅ Reasons to Play
- 97% positive Steam reviews — one of the best-reviewed Early Access launches of 2026
- Completely unique combat: grapple-juggle-shoot combo system feels incredible in motion
- Solo dev passion project with years of polish — responsive to community feedback
❌ Things to Consider
- Early Access — content is still growing, full release timeline TBD
- High skill ceiling; movement and combat can feel overwhelming at first
- Dark fantasy aesthetic may not appeal to everyone's visual preferences
What the Community Is Saying
put some 50 hours into the demo and i expect i'll put a lot more time into the full game, too. incredible movement, great gunplay, and a world wherein every area feels connected. there's never really a moment where i feel like i'm somewhere that doesn't make sense to be where it…
Did I waited 4-5 years since I saw Funke video about that game +played demo in 2022? Yes. Was It worth it? Absolutely. Is It worth of buying? There is already a lot of things to do when I checked, so yes. Also, support dev and don't wait for sale.
I've been waiting for this game since 2022, and boy was it worth the wait! I was in grade 8 when I first played the demo, now i'm in grade 12, amazing timing. Everything is just as smooth as I remember, it's really amazing and a true testimate to the dev's (matt) skills. Also he…
Very gud game, Demo was good and early access is good, just disable slowmo
The moment I fell in love with this game is when I went out the stone well, ignored the great expanse in front of me, wall climbed up the stone wall behind, got to a pedestal that said "Press Z to Zoom In", and saw a little soul orb on top of the mountain silhouette on the other…
Should You Play ENCHAIN?
ENCHAIN holds overwhelmingly positive reviews on Steam with a 98% positive rating, one of the most celebrated games in its genre on Steam. It attracts 13 players at its recent 24-hour peak, showing strong player retention for a — title. The combination of strong developer support and passionate community has kept it highly rated over time.
ENCHAIN is mid-range priced at $16.99 on Steam, developed by Steam (Early Access). Players who enjoy the — genre and want something currently trending on Steam will find ENCHAIN worth checking out.
Should You Play ENCHAIN?
ENCHAIN holds overwhelmingly positive reviews on Steam with a 98% positive rating, one of the most celebrated games in its genre on Steam. It attracts 13 players at its recent 24-hour peak, showing strong player retention for a — title. The combination of strong developer support and passionate community has kept it highly rated over time.
ENCHAIN is mid-range priced at $16.99 on Steam, developed by Steam (Early Access). Players who enjoy the — genre and want something currently trending on Steam will find ENCHAIN worth checking out.
Is ENCHAIN Worth Playing in 2026?
Is ENCHAIN worth playing in 2026?
Absolutely, especially for fans of boomer shooters, movement FPS games, or solo-dev passion projects. With 97% positive Steam reviews at launch, ENCHAIN has clearly resonated with its target audience. At $16.99 it's an excellent value — part Quake, part Metroidvania, part Super Smash Bros.
What type of game is ENCHAIN?
ENCHAIN is a first-person shooter platformer with hack-and-slash combo mechanics. You use a lantern hook to grapple and juggle enemies mid-air while blasting them with a retro arsenal of guns. The game borrows movement from Quake, combo systems from fighting games, and progression structure from Metroidvanias.
Is ENCHAIN an Early Access game?
Yes. ENCHAIN launched into Early Access on Steam on February 13, 2026. The developer (solo creator mattlawrdev) has been transparent about the roadmap and has incorporated community feedback throughout development. Early Access content is already substantial, with full release planned as development continues.
Who made ENCHAIN?
ENCHAIN is a solo passion project by mattlawrdev (Matthew Lawrance), who spent years developing it. The game embodies the spirit of independent development — one person building and shipping a vision with direct community involvement. It stands as one of the most technically ambitious solo-dev FPS games ever made.
Is it free to play?
No, ENCHAIN costs $16.99 on Steam. It is not a free-to-play game, though Steam sales occasionally offer discounts.
How many people play ENCHAIN?
Player counts for ENCHAIN vary. It appears in TrendingGames.gg's top-1000 tracked games, indicating active Steam followers and community interest.
