Shank on Steam - User reviews, Price & Information
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Shank is the cult-classic revival of the sidescrolling beat-em-up. Play as Shank in an over-the-top grindhouse game, packed to the rim with enemies, bosses, combos, and more by the award-winning team at Klei Entertainment.
Shank is a action, beat 'em up and indie game
developed and published by Klei Entertainment.
Released on October 25th 2010 is available in English on Windows, MacOS and Linux.
It has received 3,757 reviews of which 3,379 were positive and 378 were negative resulting in a rating of 8.7 out of 10. 😎
The game is currently priced at 9.99€ on Steam.
The Steam community has classified Shank 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 XP/Vista/Windows 7
- Processor:Intel Pentium 4 running at 1.7 GHz or Greater; Athlon 64 running at 1.7GHz or greater with support for SSE2 instructions
- Memory:1 GB of ram, 1.5 GB (Vista and Windows 7) GB RAM
- Graphics:ATI Radeon X1800 GTO 256MB and the Nvidia GeForce 6800 Ultra 256MB cards
- DirectX®:9.0
- Hard Drive:2 GB HD space
MacOS
- OS:OS X 10.6.6 or later
- Hard Drive:1.5 GB HD space
Linux
- Processor: Intel Pentium 4 running at 1.7 GHz or Greater; Athlon 64 running at 1.7GHz or greater with support for SSE2 instructions
- Memory: 1.5 GB or more
- Graphics: ATI Radeon X1800 GTO 256MB and the Nvidia GeForce 6800 Ultra 256MB cards, or better
- Hard Drive: 2 GB HD space
User reviews & Ratings
Explore reviews from Steam users sharing their experiences and what they love about the game.
Stylish and Brutal Combat but lacks Depth Shank is a side-scrolling, beat 'em up game with a striking comic book art style and over-the-top, violent gameplay. The game specifically stands out for its fluid animation and brutal combat mechanics. The hand-drawn, comic book-inspired art and vibrant, gritty atmosphere set the tone for a game that feels like you're playing through an interactive graphic novel. The combat is incredibly satisfying with its smooth combos, brutal executions, and a variety of weapons at your disposal. Every swing of Shank's blade, every gunshot, and every body slam is executed with a level of visual flair that keeps the player engaged. The animations are consistently impressive throughout the game, giving it a unique cinematic feel, especially during the more intense combat sequences. The character designs are exaggerated and iconic, fitting perfectly with the game’s tone. At its core, Shank is about one thing: brutal combat. The protagonist, Shank, fights his way through waves of enemies using a variety of weapons, including knives, swords, guns, and even chainsaws. The combat system offers a mix of light and heavy attacks, grapples, and a variety of combos. The responsiveness of the controls allows players to execute stylish moves, while the game rewards skillful use of its mechanics. One of the game's key features is the ability to switch between melee and ranged weapons in the middle of a fight, making combat feel dynamic and strategic. Shank’s arsenal also includes powerful special moves that can clear out groups of enemies, making the combat feel intense but satisfying. Executions—cinematic, brutal finishing moves—add a layer of flair to the violence, enhancing the game's already exaggerated combat style. However, despite the satisfying combat, Shank can get repetitive over time. The gameplay consists largely of combat encounters with relatively little variation in enemy types or tactics, which can lead to a sense of monotony as you progress through the game. The few boss fights breaks up the monotony but doesn’t drastically change the overall flow of the game. One thing it really needed was - more bosses, which I hope, is there in Shank 2. The plot of Shank is a simple revenge tale. The story is driven by Shank’s quest for vengeance, leading him through a series of increasingly difficult levels filled with thugs, mercenaries, and corrupt figures from his past. While the story isn’t groundbreaking, it serves its purpose: to provide context for the constant action. The narrative is told through animated cutscenes that match the game's overall art style. These sequences, though brief, are often visually striking and effectively build upon the emotional weight of Shank’s journey. That said, the plot itself doesn't delve too deeply into character development, and the motivations of the supporting characters are fairly shallow. Shank features a variety of levels that span different environments, from seedy urban streets to elaborate criminal hideouts. However, while the setting changes, the core gameplay loop remains the same: fight your way through enemies until you reach the boss. The levels are well-designed in terms of visual appeal, but they can sometimes feel repetitive in terms of layout and progression. There’s a distinct lack of environmental interaction, and the constant barrage of enemies can start to feel like a slog after a while. The boss fights are where Shank shines, with larger-than-life characters that require different strategies to defeat. These fights are usually challenging, with unique attack patterns and a higher level of difficulty compared to regular enemies. The boss designs are creative and fit well within the game’s gritty, exaggerated aesthetic. The sound design of Shank is solid, with punches, gunfire, and slashing noises all satisfying to hear as you carve through enemies. The music, while mostly fitting, isn't particularly memorable or impactful, often blending into the background. Still, the sound effects and voice acting provide enough immersion to keep you engaged with the action. Shank doesn’t offer a lot of replay value in the traditional sense. Once you’ve completed the main campaign, there’s little incentive to revisit the game unless you're chasing achievements or attempting to perfect your combat skills. There’s no multiplayer mode or additional content outside of the main story, which limits the longevity of the experience. However, there is an option where you can play couch co-op. Final Verdict: 7.5/10
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I love this game! It's awesome,however the censoring is annyoing and 100% pointless. You can fix it,but god. It removes important things like how shank got his weapons,why the guys in the bar were attacking shank,etc. WHY??? If you want it uncensored,heres a simple guide to do so so you can enjoy the good shank. 1. Go to your library,and right click. 2. Go all the way down to "properties". 3. Go to "Betas" 4. There is a space to enter a code. You won't need this. Click the box above and select "classic" And bingo,bango,bongo,there you go. Note,this will erase any progress you made and it will take times to update it.
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It is fine fun short game despite being having repetitive combat and not having good, smooth controls with unpolished hitboxes 6.5/10
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This was the first game that i tried on my computer and my first actual game that i played other than mobile games. i brought an controller for this and i never regreted it. The boss are hard but when you know how to beat them its very easy.
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SHANK -Has great hack-n-slash mechanics. -Has a nice art style to it. -Has a cliche' revenge story. -Has a mature tone. -Has lots of gore. Great title & fun to play.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Shank is currently priced at 9.99€ on Steam.
Shank is currently not on sale. You can purchase it for 9.99€ on Steam.
Shank received 3,379 positive votes out of a total of 3,757 achieving a rating of 8.66.
😎
Shank was developed and published by Klei Entertainment.
Shank is playable and fully supported on Windows.
Shank is playable and fully supported on MacOS.
Shank is playable and fully supported on Linux.
Shank offers both single-player and multi-player modes.
Shank offers both Co-op and PvP modes.
Shank does not currently offer any DLC.
Shank does not support mods via Steam Workshop.
Shank supports Remote Play on TV and Remote Play Together. Discover more about Steam Remote Play.
Shank 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 Shank.
Data sources
The information presented on this page is sourced from reliable APIs to ensure accuracy and relevance. We utilize the Steam API to gather data on game details, including titles, descriptions, prices, and user reviews. This allows us to provide you with the most up-to-date information directly from the Steam platform.
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 | 25 January 2026 08:25 |
|---|---|
| SteamSpy data | 27 January 2026 04:42 |
| Steam price | 28 January 2026 20:46 |
| Steam reviews | 27 January 2026 21:52 |
If you'd like to dive deeper into the details about Shank, 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 Shank
- SteamCharts - Analysis of Shank concurrent players on Steam
- ProtonDB - Crowdsourced reports on Linux and Steam Deck Shank compatibility
Game modes
Features
Online players
2
Developer
Klei Entertainment
Publisher
Klei Entertainment
Release
25 Oct 2010
Platforms
Remote Play