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Dust: An Elysian Tail on Steam
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Immerse yourself in a gorgeous hand-painted world on a search for your true identity. As the mysterious warrior, Dust, your action-packed journey will take you from peaceful glades to snowy mountaintops and beyond.
Dust: An Elysian Tail is a action, platformer and metroidvania game
developed by Humble Hearts LLC
and published by Xbox Game Studios.
Released on May 24th 2013 is available on Windows, MacOS and Linux.
It has received 18,638 reviews of which 17,758 were positive and 880 were negative resulting in an impressive rating of 9.3 out of 10. 😍
The game is currently priced at 13.99€ on Steam, but you can find it for 4.35€ on G2A.
The Steam community has classified Dust: An Elysian Tail into these genres:
Media & Screenshots
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System requirements
These are the minimum specifications needed to play the game. For the best experience, we recommend that you verify them.
Windows
- OS *: Windows Vista
- Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo 2.8Ghz or equivalent
- Memory: 1 GB RAM
- Graphics: DirectX 10 compatible video card with shader model 3.0 support
- Direct X®: 10, Windows Media Player
- Hard Disk Space: 1.5 GB HD space
- Sound: 100% DirectX 9.0c compatible sound card and drivers
- Input: Keyboard
MacOS
- OS: Snow Leopard 10.6.8, 32/64-bit
- Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo 2.8Ghz or equivalent
- Memory: 2 GB RAM
- Graphics: OpenGL 3.0+ support (2.1 with ARB extensions acceptable)
- Hard Disk Space: 1.5 GB HD space
- Input: Keyboard
Linux
- OS: glibc 2.15+, 32/64-bit (S3TC NOT required)
- Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo 2.8Ghz or equivalent
- Memory: 2 GB RAM
- Graphics: OpenGL 3.0+ support (2.1 with ARB extensions acceptable)
- Hard Disk Space: 1.5 GB HD space
- Input: Keyboard
Steam Price & Best Deals
User reviews & Ratings
Explore reviews from Steam users sharing their experiences and what they love about the game.
This game is hands-down the BEST platformer-storyteller game I've ever played. The art style is incredible, the subtle snark the characters have in dialogue is witty and fun, the movement mechanics are impeccable, the story is AMAZING, the soundtrack is MOVING! The characters themselves are well-thought out, just everything about this game is top-tier! Everything in it just /works/. Maybe the only criticism I could have of it is there's no hint system for finding that last bit of loot in a chest or cage if you're trying to 100% the areas. The best you get is that it's "in this tile" in the area, which could be a huge tile. That, and IT NEEDS A DANG SEQUEL!!! PLEASE MAKE A SEQUEL FOR DUST!!!!!!!!! That cliffhanger at the end RIPS ME TO SHREDS Q_Q I've been wanting to play this game all the way through for over a decade, from when I watched a youtuber do a full playthrough of it. The fact that it's made by a solo developer over the span of 3 years is very impressive, the fact that it still holds up as a 2013 title in 2026 is mind-blowing. My favorite part HAS to be helping little mushroom boy get that snow to make his 'pa proud... Don't ever blame yourself or anyone else for what happened, kid. You're loved, and you're good enough <3 I've been there. That's me. Amazing game, I rate 15/10. Play this game. You will not regret it.
As I am a completely new at metroidvania games and so I pulled Dust out of my (dusty) backlog, as this game has been recommended as a great introduction to the genre. I can happily say I had a really fun time completeing the main story arc and exploring the different places and meeting the various characters sprinkled through-out the world. The graphics are pleasing and wholesome, there is no gore. The story is simple..and that's ok. I played on easy mode and felt maybe even for my noob self this was way too simple. However gliding thru the game I began to understand what the principles of a metroid game demands of the player (to push towards completion.). I look forward to my second playthru on either Tough or Hardcore difficulty ( for the "Above And Beyond The Call" Achievement) . If you are interested in metroidvania games, I humbly suggest you start with this one.
An absolute classic from the Xbox 360 which still holds up across its art style, music, exploration, and level design. The combat, while controlling well and looking flashy, does give you limited options as you progress through the game with low enemy variety and most ability upgrades pertaining to exploration. Nonetheless, it is still fun to fly across the screen, hitting combos, and parrying blows from stronger foes. The story and dialogue are solid if at times a bit stilted, but added on to the rest of the overall presentation is effective at conveying the narrative. It is certainly one of my favorite Metroidvanias of all time, and I think you'll enjoy your time with it.
Dust: An Elysian Tail is a game that leaves me conflicted. It is clearly the product of talented people who cared deeply about what they were making, yet it is also a game that constantly reminds me of how much potential was left unrealized. The result is a good game with genuine heart, but one that falls short of greatness because its gameplay never reaches the same level as its presentation. The first thing that stood out to me was the voice acting. Normally I do not pay much attention to voice performances in games, but the cast here is so strong that it becomes impossible to ignore. Every major character feels believable and memorable. The writing deserves equal praise. The dialogue is well written, the characters are likable, and the world has a charm that kept me interested from beginning to end. Combined with the excellent animation work, Dust creates a cast and setting that feel alive in a way many games struggle to achieve. Unfortunately, the gameplay tells a different story. Dust is a 2D action Metroidvania built around extremely fast combat. The protagonist can launch enemies into the air, juggle entire groups, and tear through large crowds with flashy attacks. Initially this feels exciting, but over time it exposes one of the game's biggest flaws. The combat is built around fighting waves of enemies rather than carefully designed encounters. Nearly every screen throws large groups of opponents at the player, often so many that individual enemies stop mattering. Because the game expects the player to fight entire crowds at once, enemy design remains extremely simple. Different enemies may look unique, but many behave almost identically. Their attacks rarely force the player to adapt or think differently. This creates a fundamental problem. If an encounter contains twenty enemies at once, there is little room for complex attack patterns or meaningful interactions. The player cannot realistically read and react to a large number of unique attacks happening simultaneously. As a result, enemies become simplified and repetitive. The combat remains flashy throughout the game, but beneath the visual spectacle there is surprisingly little depth. Personally, this reminds me of a common anime trope where a single stylish hero effortlessly defeats entire armies. I have never found that idea particularly interesting, and Dust leans heavily into it. The protagonist spends most of the game mowing through huge groups of enemies rather than engaging in thoughtful encounters. The game wants the player to feel powerful, but that power comes at the cost of meaningful combat design. This weakness becomes even more noticeable because Dust is a Metroidvania. The genre is built around exploration, progression, and backtracking through a large interconnected world. Such games need variety to stay engaging over many hours. New abilities, new enemy types, and new challenges constantly refresh the experience. Dust struggles in all of these areas. The protagonist receives very few transformative upgrades, meaning the core gameplay remains largely unchanged from beginning to end. Enemy variety is limited, and many encounters blend together. Because the game is fairly long and requires frequent backtracking, this repetition becomes increasingly difficult to ignore. The RPG and crafting systems are similarly shallow. Most equipment upgrades simply provide larger numbers rather than introducing interesting effects, unique mechanics, or alternative playstyles. There are few pieces of equipment that genuinely change how the game is played. Progression becomes a matter of increasing statistics rather than discovering new possibilities. The level design is another disappointment. While the environments are visually attractive, they rarely feel alive or memorable. Exploration lacks the excitement and sense of discovery that define the best games in the genre. In some ways the world design feels less refined than classic Castlevania titles released more than a decade earlier. The game also suffers from a lack of polish. Small but noticeable issues such as seeing enemies' drop intersect with the environment occur throughout the adventure. In a large 3D game, occasional physics problems can be understandable. In a 2D platformer, however, such issues stand out far more clearly. They contribute to a feeling that the game needed additional refinement before release. What makes all of this frustrating is how much potential Dust possesses. It has excellent writing, memorable characters, strong voice acting, beautiful animation, and an appealing world. It contains many of the ingredients that would later make the Metroidvania genre incredibly successful. Yet those strengths are never fully supported by the gameplay itself. The lack of polish also raises questions about the project's development. The game often feels like something that may have been released without all the time or resources it needed. Whether that was due to publisher pressure, financial realities, or other production challenges is impossible to know from the outside. However, the rough edges are noticeable enough that they become part of the experience. At the same time, I do not believe every issue can be blamed on external circumstances. Many of the game's shortcomings appear to stem from design decisions rather than production limitations. What is especially telling is that several years later the studio released another game in an entirely different genre, yet many of the same complaints resurfaced. Despite changing genres, the combat still lacked depth, progression remained simplistic, and the overall design felt shallower than it should have been. That suggests a broader design problem rather than a genre-specific one. This is why Dust leaves such a mixed impression on me. The artists, writers, animators, and voice actors delivered something memorable. There is real passion behind the project, and that passion is visible throughout the game. Yet passion alone cannot compensate for shallow mechanics, repetitive encounters, weak progression systems, and uninspired level design. In the end, Dust: An Elysian Tail is a good game. I enjoyed my time with it and would give it a 7/10. It has soul, charm, and a memorable world. What it lacks is a deeper understanding of how its gameplay systems should support those strengths. The game succeeds because of the talent of the people who brought its world and characters to life. It falls short because the design never evolves beyond a collection of good ideas that are only partially realized.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Dust: An Elysian Tail is currently priced at 13.99€ on Steam.
No, Dust: An Elysian Tail is currently not on sale. You can purchase it for 13.99€ on Steam.
Yes, Dust: An Elysian Tail received 17,758 positive votes out of a total of 18,638 achieving an impressive rating of 9.29.
😍
Dust: An Elysian Tail was developed by Humble Hearts LLC and published by Xbox Game Studios.
Yes, Dust: An Elysian Tail is playable and fully supported on Windows.
Yes, Dust: An Elysian Tail is playable and fully supported on MacOS.
Yes, Dust: An Elysian Tail is playable and fully supported on Linux.
This information about Dust: An Elysian Tail is not available yet.
This information about Dust: An Elysian Tail is not available yet.
No, Dust: An Elysian Tail does not support VR.
Dust: An Elysian Tail is a single-player game.
No, Dust: An Elysian Tail does not currently offer any DLC.
No, Dust: An Elysian Tail does not support mods via Steam Workshop.
Yes, Dust: An Elysian Tail supports Remote Play on TV. Discover more about Steam Remote Play.
Yes, Dust: An Elysian Tail is enabled for Steam Family Sharing. This means you can share the game with authorized users from your Steam Library, allowing them to play it on their own accounts. For more details on how the feature works, you can read the original Steam Family Sharing announcement or visit the Steam Family Sharing user guide and FAQ page.
You can find solutions or submit a support ticket by visiting the Steam Support page for Dust: An Elysian Tail.
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Additionally, we incorporate data from the SteamSpy API, which offers insights into game sales and player statistics. This helps us present a comprehensive view of each game's popularity and performance within the gaming community.
Last Updates| Steam data | 20 September 2026 10:09 UTC |
|---|---|
| SteamSpy data | 13 October 2026 10:14 UTC |
| Steam price | 26 October 2026 20:02 UTC |
| Steam reviews | 21 October 2026 06:08 UTC |
If you'd like to dive deeper into the details about Dust: An Elysian Tail, we invite you to check out a few dedicated websites that offer extensive information and insights. These platforms provide valuable data, analysis, and user-generated reports to enhance your understanding of the game and its performance.
- SteamDB - A comprehensive database of everything on Steam about Dust: An Elysian Tail
- SteamCharts - Analysis of Dust: An Elysian Tail concurrent players on Steam
- ProtonDB - Crowdsourced reports on Linux and Steam Deck Dust: An Elysian Tail compatibility
Game modes
Features
Online players
8
Developer
Humble Hearts LLC
Publisher
Xbox Game Studios
Release
24 May 2013
Platforms
Remote Play
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