Is Shadow of the Beast on Steam?

No. Shadow of the Beast is not distributed on Steam, so there is no Steam Charts or SteamDB player count for it. Its live popularity is tracked here via Twitch viewership instead.

When did Shadow of the Beast release?

Shadow of the Beast was first released on October 1, 1989.

Shadow of the Beast

Oct 1, 1989PlatformHack and slash/Beat 'em upCommodore VIC-20Commodore C64/128/MAXZX SpectrumAtari Lynx Super Nintendo Entertainment System

Shadow of the Beast — frequently asked questions

Is Shadow of the Beast on Steam?: No. Shadow of the Beast is not distributed on Steam, so there is no Steam Charts or SteamDB player count for it. Its live popularity is tracked here via Twitch viewership instead.
What platforms is Shadow of the Beast on?: Shadow of the Beast is available on Commodore VIC-20, Commodore C64/128/MAX, ZX Spectrum, Atari Lynx, Super Nintendo Entertainment System, Sega Mega Drive/Genesis, Atari ST/STE, FM Towns, Amiga, Turbografx-16/PC Engine CD, Amstrad CPC, Sega Master System/Mark III, Atari ST, Commodore 64, Genesis / Mega Drive, Master System, TurboGrafx-CD, MS-DOS.
When did Shadow of the Beast release?: Shadow of the Beast was first released on October 1, 1989.

About Shadow of the Beast

Shadow of the Beast is a platform game developed by Reflections and published by Psygnosis in 1989. The original version was released for the Amiga and later ported to many other systems. The game was known for its graphics, with many colours on screen and up to twelve levels of parallax scrolling backdrops, and its atmospheric score composed by David Whittaker, which used high-quality instrument samples.

Summary via IGDB.

Game details

Platforms: Commodore VIC-20, Commodore C64/128/MAX, ZX Spectrum, Atari Lynx, Super Nintendo Entertainment System, Sega Mega Drive/Genesis, Atari ST/STE, FM Towns, Amiga, Turbografx-16/PC Engine CD, Amstrad CPC, Sega Master System/Mark III, Atari ST, Commodore 64, Genesis / Mega Drive, Master System, TurboGrafx-CD, MS-DOS
Developer: Reflections Interactive
Publisher: Psygnosis
Game modes: Single player
Themes: Action, Fantasy, Horror

Details via IGDB.

Reception

IGDB rating

66/100

from 30 ratings

Every version compared

Prices, contemporary reception and the studio credited for each release

Platform	Year	Loose	Complete	Sealed
Atari Lynx	1992	$21	$35	$37

Also released on: Commodore VIC-20 · Commodore C64/128/MAX · ZX Spectrum · Super Nintendo Entertainment System · Sega Mega Drive/Genesis · Atari ST/STE · FM Towns · Amiga · Turbografx-16/PC Engine CD · Amstrad CPC · Sega Master System/Mark III · Atari ST · Commodore 64 · Genesis / Mega Drive · Master System · TurboGrafx-CD · MS-DOS. We haven’t priced or authenticated those versions yet.

Collector value & authenticity

Atari Lynx · PriceCharting sold data · Verified 2026-08-07

Loose

$21

Complete

$35

Sealed

$37

Region: NA+EU
Released: 1992
Authenticity: Low

Never re-released — the original cartridge is the only way to playLow counterfeit risk

Atari Lynx prices, all games & how to spot a fake

The Amiga showpiece shrunk to a handheld, with most of what made it famous left behind.

Digital Developments handled the 1992 Lynx conversion for Atari, the first of two Psygnosis titles brought to the handheld — Lemmings followed. The original’s reputation rested on thirteen layers of parallax scrolling and a Tim Wright soundtrack on Amiga hardware; the Lynx version keeps the art direction and the brutal difficulty but cannot keep the spectacle.

A period reviewer put the platform’s problem well: the criticism that has dogged EVERY version of Shadow of the Beast is that it sacrificed entertaining gameplay for graphical excellence, and the Lynx version is “at times open to that argument” — while crediting Digital Developments for exploiting the hardware’s scaling at every opportunity to compensate. A contemporary German review scored it 65% graphics, 50% music, 49% sound effects, which is about right.

What the press said at the time

“Although the Lynx graphics can't hold up to those on the ST, they are state-of-the-art for the Lynx, including finely detailed creatures, well rendered backgrounds, and parallax scrolling for a realistic 3D effect... Shadow of the Beast is a terrific game, one that'll have you exploring and grinning for weeks. Don't miss it.”
— Atari Explorer, November/December 1992

Cartridge & preservation record

Cartridge ROM capacity 2 megabit (256 KB), measured from the preserved cartridge image.

Catalogue part number PA2081

Cartridge data from the No-Intro preservation database (metadata only — names, sizes and checksums, no game data).

How the Atari Lynx version differs

One of the titles a reader cited in Electronic Games (June 1993) when complaining the magazine had reviewed no Lynx games in six issues.

Also on other platforms

Amiga · Atari ST · Commodore 64 · Genesis / Mega Drive · Master System · TurboGrafx-CD · MS-DOS

Amiga. Psygnosis's 1989 Amiga original is the reference version and the one the Lynx conversion was measured against in period coverage — EGM #39 introduced the Lynx release as 'the computer classic from the Amiga'.