You Have to Win the Game on Steam - User reviews, Price & Information

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You Have to Win the Game is a free exploration platformer with a retro 1980s PC aesthetic.

You Have to Win the Game is a metroidvania, free to play and retro game developed and published by Minor Key Games.
Released on May 06th 2014 is available in English on Windows, MacOS and Linux.

It has received 5,675 reviews of which 5,271 were positive and 404 were negative resulting in a rating of 9.0 out of 10. 😎

The game is free to play on Steam.

The Steam community has classified You Have to Win the Game into these genres:

Metroidvania Free to Play Retro Platformer Indie 2D Pixel Graphics Difficult Singleplayer Precision Platformer Action Adventure Exploration Old School Arcade Side Scroller Great Soundtrack Classic Controller Open World

Media & Screenshots

Get an in-depth look at You Have to Win the Game through various videos and screenshots.

You Have to Win the Game screenshot
You Have to Win the Game screenshot
You Have to Win the Game screenshot
You Have to Win the Game screenshot
You Have to Win the Game screenshot

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 SP2
  • DirectX: Version 9.0c
  • Storage: 20 MB available space
  • Additional Notes: 32-bit executable
MacOS
  • OS: OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard
  • Storage: 20 MB available space
  • Additional Notes: 64-bit executable
Linux
  • OS: Ubuntu 12.04 LTS or similar
  • Storage: 20 MB available space
  • Additional Notes: 64-bit executable

User reviews & Ratings

Explore reviews from Steam users sharing their experiences and what they love about the game.

April 2017
A fun little game that reminds us of the retro platformers. But, sometimes the game is a little too hard and can...um...make you RAGE (a lot). Overall, though, it is a free platforming game by an indie developer that is well polished and well made. However, the lose thing towards the end set me back to the beginning - and that was really iritating. 9/10
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Feb. 2017
A game which fulfills some of that metroidvania itch without being complicated or costing any moolah. There's a distinct lack of music so you may want some 8-bit chiptunes playing in the background. :) This game will also remind others of super meat boy in it's structure. You can spend hundreds of lives at a specific point, but there are many checkpoints and unlimited lives (in normal mode). These allow you to become comfortable with the controls and gameplay, not to mention giving an endorphin rush for getting to the next bell after a particularly challenging section. One small downside I noticed is that the cling power-up has some issues on moving platforms, but those areas that necessitate it are few and far between. I would easily pay at least $5.00 for games which provide a similar experience, and that's saying something because I'm an extreme cheapskate. I say you should totally grab it for the current price of $0.00 because it is a really good game. I also will highly recommend you support the creator because it's not often that one can find a quality product provided with no strings attached like this.
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Feb. 2017
Look here if you are a fan of good ol' retro platformers that give you a fair challenge, then this is a game for you, and did I mention (or need to) that it is FREE. What's stopping you? I mean it's free, as in 0 dollars and 0 cents, click the button already and enjoy.
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Jan. 2017
You have to win the game is the best f2p platformer i have played. i wasn't a big fan of the curved edges, but the art and colors looked great! the extra spicy campaign was pretty cool too. if you didn't win, it's okay because once you win it's easy to beat it again. i got this gmae because i was bored and was very pleased. the only complaint i have is that some parts are tedious, and frustrating. mainly the "never could see any other way" and "leap of faith". parts like these make me question how anyone could beat this game without dying. overall i give it a 8/10
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Jan. 2017
This is a great game if you like wandering and exploration. Winning the game itself isn't that hard, but a 100% completion might take awhile because it's easy to miss one item and have to go backtracking for it. If you're up for an even bigger challenge, try the Extra Spicy campaign, or try to win on YOLO mode. Good luck, I recommend using a D-pad for some of the maneuvers if you're having trouble.
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Frequently Asked Questions

You Have to Win the Game is free to play on Steam.

You Have to Win the Game is not on sale because is already free to play on Steam.

You Have to Win the Game received 5,271 positive votes out of a total of 5,675 achieving a rating of 8.97.
😎

You Have to Win the Game was developed and published by Minor Key Games.

You Have to Win the Game is playable and fully supported on Windows.

You Have to Win the Game is playable and fully supported on MacOS.

You Have to Win the Game is playable and fully supported on Linux.

You Have to Win the Game is a single-player game.

You Have to Win the Game does not currently offer any DLC.

You Have to Win the Game does not support mods via Steam Workshop.

You Have to Win the Game does not support Steam Remote Play.

You Have to Win the Game does not currently support Steam Family Sharing.

You can find solutions or submit a support ticket by visiting the Steam Support page for You Have to Win the Game.

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 03 June 2025 16:21
SteamSpy data 09 June 2025 22:24
Steam price 03 June 2025 16:21
Steam reviews 12 June 2025 21:58

If you'd like to dive deeper into the details about You Have to Win the Game, 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 You Have to Win the Game
  • SteamCharts - Analysis of You Have to Win the Game concurrent players on Steam
  • ProtonDB - Crowdsourced reports on Linux and Steam Deck You Have to Win the Game compatibility
You Have to Win the Game
Free to play
9.0
5,271
404
Game modes
Online players
4
Developer
Minor Key Games
Publisher
Minor Key Games
Release 06 May 2014
Platforms
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