RecommendedSteam player
It's called white knuckle because the game is so good you white all over your knucklesShow moreShow less
30 hours at review410 people found this helpful
Written during Early Access
White Knuckle
White Knuckle is for players who want to push upward alone through precise climbing, quick decisions and inventory management. Weigh $16.99 at 
Steam against how much this focused solo experience appeals to you. Its Steam player rating is 98% across 14,366 reviews, offering a broad reference alongside the game's distinctive challenge. At $16.99 from Steam, the focus is a solo climbing run; Steam players rate it 98% across 14,366 reviews.
All-time low ~ $10.91across Steam & third-party stores
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Price History
Past 36 months · Updated dailyHistorical Low~ $10.912025-09Current Low Across Stores~ $16.99Steamvs. Historical Low+56%
Prices cover Steam and 39 authorized stores; only legitimate offers are counted. The chart shows weekly market-wide lows and Steam's official price across the past 36 months.
01About White Knuckle
White Knuckle is a first-person roguelite about climbing at speed through a vast underground structure. Use precise momentum-based movement, tools and resources to ascend, while managing your inventory and evading threats. Steam players rate it 98% from 14,366 reviews. The Steam PC version offers full controller support.
Credits
Developer
Dark Machine Games
Publisher
DreadXP
Lowest recorded in 36 months
$10.912025-09-29 · SteamBase game · same records as the chart above; USD history, not a regional Steam low.Language support
| Language | Interface | Subtitles | Audio |
|---|---|---|---|
| English | Yes | — | Yes |
Steam PC edition data · 2026-10-23
02Before you buy
Controls and language
The Steam PC version has full controller support. English is the only confirmed language, with full audio.
Play mode
White Knuckle is single-player; no other play mode is confirmed.
03Frequently asked questions
How does climbing work?
You climb in first person using momentum-based movement and precise grabs.
What does inventory management involve?
Manage your inventory: carrying too much can make you fall, and retrieving needed items in time matters.
Is there progression between runs?
Run-based meta-progression unlocks varied augmentations.
What is inside the structure?
The escape crosses distinct regions with their own threats and gameplay challenges.
Popular Steam reviews
Native-language selection · 10 reviewsSelected helpful reviews in this language show both recommendations and criticisms. This selection does not represent the overall positive rating; opinions reflect the version reviewed.
Not recommendedSteam player
Great concept for a game, mostly great execution. The problem with the game comes during Act 3. I won't spoil anything, but Act 3 is longer than Act 2 and Act 1 mostly because it's not about speed at that point but about smarts. There is only one section in Act 3 where you really have to go fast otherwise you'll die. But I'm getting off track here. What's the problem? The save system. A lot of players seem to like the roguelike "die and start over from the beginning" aspect of the game and I mostly do too. The gameplay during Act 1 and 2 is fast, so you don't really mind losing as you'll get to where you were fairly quick and keep doing it until it just "clicks" and you'll start getting past it like any other sections you've had trouble with. Act 2 ends with a really difficult part but once you figure it out, you'll get past it 50% of the time (with the other 50% consisting of dumb mistakes like missing a grab). Act 3 is... different. Like I said, fast gameplay doesn't apply here save for one section, which makes you spend more time planning and thinking. This is fine and I like this direction, but it doesn't work well with the save system the game has. For context, you can save during certain parts of the game only and even then it's not so much a save as it is a "limited life." Once you run out of them, you're back to the beginning and the items you need to save are fairly rare. You'll mostly be working with 1-2 additional lives for a section. Because Act 3 takes longer, the "I don't mind starting over because it's fast" aspect goes out the window. If I die during Act 3 right at the end after getting past most of it and spending almost an hour in it, then I won't want to play through it again. And by the time I decide to come back to it, I will have already forgotten how to get past certain sections resulting in even more deaths. Which means I won't get to ever finish Act 3 and see what this game's world and story is actually all about. There's around 7 acts in total planned for this game and if they continue in this non-fast paced direction, I think the game would really benefit from a better save system. Otherwise, very few people will actually finish the game (that they paid money for). That's why right now, I can't really recommend the game. Even to people that love roguelikes like me. Roguelikes punish your mistakes by making you start over and that's fine in the case of RPG-like roguelikes where you're forced to make a new character and go through a different story all-together or in the case of Hades where the gameplay loop remains consistent throughout the entire game. Mastering it is what allows you to get through the entire game in one go (which is what this game seems to want it's players to do). But unlike this game, that loop never changes. It's the same throughout. Let me be clear though that I love everything else about this game. The climbing mechanics are really fun and having to constantly be on the run pushes you to make risky decisions. It gets your blood pumping. I really enjoyed Act 1 and Act 2. I even love the new environments in Act 3 and the enemy designs are really cool and fun to work around. I think the issue with the pacing could be solved by having Act 3 be shorter than Act 1 & 2. Instead, you have to go through three sections that each have it's special gimmick enemy you have to work around. Act 3 could have been better by only having one instead of multiple. You'd essentially be spending just as much time on it as the previous acts, but instead of constantly moving, you'd be forced to stop and think things through. TL;DR: Game is almost perfect, Act 3 just needs a little tweaking or the game needs a better save system.Show moreShow less
9.5 hours at review53 people found this helpful
Written during Early Access
RecommendedSteam player
First you think it's a ragebait "weird controls" stream game, then you actually like the controls, then *really* like the controls. Then you realize It's a horror game Then you realize it's a speed game Then you realize it's a roguelite Then you realize you've been having fun the whole time.Show moreShow less
4.1 hours at review362 people found this helpful
Written during Early Access
Not recommendedSteam player
A negative review? Don't be fooled - I do like this game, but there's one major issue I have: this game truly does not respect the time of new players. I would like to be able to actually save and quit without using my bugs, thank you. A run takes way too long to get to the next section, let alone complete the whole run, and buying a save costs a significant portion of my critters. I can accept not being great at the game, but the ability to save and quit implies it's a known issue that people need to stop their runs to do things in their lives, so I would prefer if it either was entirely not there, or more accessible.Show moreShow less
6.6 hours at review35 people found this helpful
Written during Early Access
RecommendedSteam player
I saw this game thanks to Markiplier. it looked really fun. Turns out that is completely true! Thanks for a great game, graphics are artistically grainy, but feels like it was intentional and i like it, adds to the horror feel of it. The climbing aspect is great as well. One critic i have is that i would like to have numbers on the inventory weight restriction, does it slow me down? when does it start to slow me down? why does a bug weigh as much as a metal stick with a bomb on it? Or is it number of items? how much am i slowed down based on each item in my inventory? These are things i would like to be visible as i like to know what consequences my actions haveShow moreShow less
11.8 hours at review295 people found this helpful
Written during Early Access
Not recommendedSteam player
It's a great climbing game, just not for everyone. If you loved last level of Lorn's Lure then you are the prime target audience for White Knuckle, go for it! However, if you are expecting thoughtful, careful climbing - being able to take time to plan your routes and measure your jumps - then this game is not for you. Its levels are mostly tight time challenges intertwined with very short break rooms (sometimes also containing sudden panic inducing time challenges). I wish there was a non-time sensitive campaign.Show moreShow less
71.7 hours at review35 people found this helpful
Written during Early Access
RecommendedSteam player
I really like this game, but I want to love it and sadly I don't right now. The core gameplay is really fun and satisfying, the art style and atmosphere is top tier. I absolutely love exploring this setting and just soaking in the creepy vibes of this games world, and the minimalist narrative is really compelling. My big issue with the game is the roguelite elements. The game features perma-death, meaning when you die your run is over and you have to restart at the very beginning. However in certain safe rooms you can buy a save disk which allows you to respawn at the safe room after dying and make one additional attempt to escape or reach the next safe room. The save rooms are very rare and each time you use one the cost raises, meaning it gets harder to save the further you progress. This is for the most part a good system however I feel like it doesn't really fit with the structure of the game. The game is a linear narrative where you progress through zones in a specific order, with set piece moments linking each zone. There is very little in the way of meta-progression in the game, so you don't feel like you've made any permanent progress with each run. Nor is there anything that causes significant differences between one run and another, like different route options or upgrades that have synergies or significantly change gameplay systems like in the Binding of Issac or Hades. There is procedural generation of rooms in each zone but the amount of prefab rooms feels quite limited at this time and I think proc gen alone is not enough to make runs feel unique. As a result of these issues each run feels very samey, and each time I die rather than it feeling exciting to start another run, it feels like a chore to start again and progress through the early zones, because I'm getting more or less the same experience each time. I think in its current state the Campaign mode would work really well as a linear horror narrative if they added infinite respawns at set checkpoints, and had permadeath as an option. As a roguelite it just doesn't feel all that compelling. But judging by the reviews clearly I'm an outlier with this opinion :)Show moreShow less
4.9 hours at review225 people found this helpful
Written during Early Access
Not recommendedSteam player
I loved the game but the Abyss update is seriously the most untested, most unballanced update so far, the new area is absolutely senseless, while the entire game before was and still is balanced enough, once you'll reach the Abyss you seriously have a difficulty spike that's designed for players who have excessive knowledge about the machanics and or have gotten through it multiple times, I've so far dedecated over 5 hours to beat the Void but it's sincerely not designed to be there where it is and especially with how long drawn out it gets. Every single thing that's terrible with the Abyss: 1. You're supposed to carry every single save disk to the Abyss save point, if you put in your disks beforehand you'll end up respawning at the earlier point's you inserted them at, completely disregarding the fact that this system made sense for the previous sections of the game cause you quickly were able to come back to them, now you're supposed to go to the void in one run without dying once while carrying all these discs holding you back from using and collecting items. 2. Shortcuts were finally introduced- are they good? yes they're amazing, but they not only don't give you discs, but make you miss out on Golden and Platinum roaches which slowly over time you will run out which means no more good perks for you if you don't wanna spend another few hours grinding for a few more fair attempts. 3. around 1/3 of the new perks feels like filler and or not good enough to justify picking them while wasting time and space on the only two upgrade consoles in the campaign mode for actually important Perks. Half the time you basically need to reset your run now, cause whoooops, we accidentally gave you bad rng this run, time to roll back another 20 minutes again. It's simply stupid and till now I cannot understand the design decision of not implimenting another station just for upgrades, even if they would just be the temporary perk ones. 4. You need to beat the game on hardmode to unlock infinite abyss climb etc. Why? why lock a base mode which helps players like me avoid stress and frustration by putting the training mode behind a wall for players who don't even need it anymore? if you can beat the Abyss on hardmode then you don't need to practice it anymore and even if why lock it behind hard mode? why not when you die there your first time? why not make it in any other way accessable for people other for the ones who already don't struggle with it anymore? 5. The Abyss is terribly designed, it forces you to play perfectly for a section that lasts around 6-8 Minutes. While I do adore the asthetic design choices made here, the gameplay ones I do not. What you're supposed to do here is basically juggle 3 items while crossing over- well- the abyss and while being semi chased by an entity. The premise is cool and engaging at first- but with all the above mentioned issues plus that you now are supposed to not fall down once or you die, do basically blind jumps half the time, while the level design is partially randomized and the later parts feature new enemy types that are a slog to go around at while some even can hit you cross map without any way to do anything against it. the Abyss is literally just you jumping between largely spaced between platforms that sometimes have ropes which are awfully slow to climb without the right perks, you're not supposed to stay still outside of certain fixed points which bring in new mechanics which aren't at all explained in the slightest in game, you're just supposed to know out of the get go or are supposed to use the wiki to find out information that isn't mentioned anywhere. 6. The entire update also seems like it has brought uppon a few balance changes that quite certainly make no sense, blood bugs are hyper agressive now and are much more of a threat while spawning more frequently. New types of roaches can spawn which attack you, they're mostly fine but are annoying cause they offten spawn in double inside of vents just blocking your way for ♥♥♥♥♥ and giggles, barely doing any damage while taking three hammer swings to smash making them just a roadblock slowing you down instead of a threat in any way. Idk if it's just me but it seems like that the sewers also have been made harder by making the steam make you take much faster and harder knockback than before (idk if that one is true though. All in all I love the update but holy hell redesign and balance the Abyss please, it's the most and only terrible section so far in the game.Show moreShow less
51.1 hours at review31 people found this helpful
Written during Early Access
RecommendedSteam player
The only negative thing I have to say about this game is that it has ruined every other game for me that has climbing mechanics or grab mechanics. I am so addicted but also so distraught that there is nothing else like this game on the market right now. The ambient storytelling is top notch, the monster designs are distressing, and the climbing is well... a good as it's ever been, maybe in the history of ever. Do yourself a service and buy this game, or at the very least play the demo. Even in early access, I feel this game is feature complete, and there is nowhere to go but up. Super hyped for the future of White Knuckle.Show moreShow less
12.6 hours at review193 people found this helpful
Written during Early Access
Not recommendedSteam player
Great game but the "water" rises WAY TOO FAST. Especially in the second interlude! Also everything past that does way too much of a jump in difficulty. I get that it’s supposed to be a hard game but dying because a turret shot you a few times right at the end and having to restart EVERYTHING is just not fun. There are also way too few Upgrades to get in a run, especially if you get unlucky and only find temporary ones at the one midpoint. It’s really sad that this absurd jump in difficulty makes the game so much less enjoyable, at least for me. Edit: Just died 3 times in a row to the first turret encounter. Not the first and not the last time. Every time they immediately just killed me in a few shots, no chance to do anything. These things should not kill in my opinion, they should only make you loose your grip. Another edit: I beat the game, but not because I learned to deal with the turrets. Im talking about the vertical rooms where two turrets are on the side and behind them is the console to disable them. There is where I always ended up dying. On my winning run the turrets just disabled themselves in all four of these rooms I encountered, no idea why that happened. The three turrets on the low gravity ascend are not that hard, you can easily climb behind them and disable them. I still think the turrets are too powerful and that there are parts where the game is just unnecessarily hard. Like why is there only one breakroom? Why can all options in that breakroom be temporary or just items? Great I now have either a temporary effect that will be gone once I reach the actual hard parts or a few good items that will just make me heavier until I get to the hard part where they would be useful. You can also find a save disk before you get to the turret sequence after the chase, but there is no save station before the ending even though a save there would be great. So yeah, game is great but still can’t recommend it. Another another edit: It's crazy how many people show up just to say 'you're bad,' even though their profiles are private or they haven't beaten the game themselves. Some people really seem to get their kicks from trying to insult others — what a sad existence.Show moreShow less
12.7 hours at review28 people found this helpful
Written during Early Access
Source: original Steam user reviews. Helpful votes are an archived snapshot, not live data. Last collected: 08/15/2026.