Action · November 14, 1997

POSTAL (1997)

calendar_todayAge 18+trophy27 achievementsextension1 DLCgroup1M–10M ownersrecommend2.5k recommendations
Take control of The POSTAL Dude in his infamous first outing as he battles to survive in a world gone mad! POSTAL is a classic isometric shooter filled to the brim with fast-paced explosive action. Crazed gunmen out for your blood await you around every corner, and your only choice is to get them before they get you. Fight back with a destructive arsenal as make your way through a violence-stricken town. It's time to go POSTAL! New control options - use your mouse or dual analog sticks. None of that tank control insanity! Get your friends together for LAN Multiplayer - co-op or deathmatch for up to 16 players. Blast your way through 22 levels: Includes the original 16 level campaign, 4 from the Special Delivery expansion and 2 previously Japanese-exclusive levels. Test yourself with one of 22 bonus Challenge stages, across 4 categories. Or play through all of them in The Gauntlet. 9 devastating weapons: Defend yourself with varied tools of mayhem. Take aim with the Scatter Gun! Clear out rooms with Grenades, Mines, and the almighty Napalm Launcher! Whip out Heatseeker Rockets for those big groups! Wide range of foes: Defend yourself from Molotov-tossing Grenadiers, gun-toting Infantryman, rocket-firing Heavy-Weapons Experts (don't forget to duck!), and angry Ostriches! Non-stop, guns-blazing, adrenaline-fueled action! Fully-voiced Japanese audio available!

Peer Action titles

Comparable titles in the same genre and review-volume band — ranked by Steam positive percentage.

Position in Action

MetricThis titleGenre position
Review volume11.0k Steam reviewsTop 38% in Action
Positive rating91% positiveGenre average: 83% — this title sits in top 32%
Metacritic56/100Genre average 77 — top 97% of Action titles
Engagement hours8 h averageTop 55% for session depth among Action

Community Tag Signals

Tag weights reflect how many Steam users voted each descriptor — larger pills = stronger consensus.

  • Horror · 339
  • Villain Protagonist · 339
  • Psychological Horror · 334
  • Top-Down Shooter · 326
  • Shooter · 308
  • Twin Stick Shooter · 308
  • Isometric · 306
  • Difficult · 297
  • Dark Humor · 296
  • Top-Down · 282
  • Dark Comedy · 281
  • Surreal · 265
  • Action · 263
  • 1990's · 262
  • Psychological · 261

Reception Metrics

Steam community

91%Very Positive · 11.0k reviews

10.0k positive · 992 negative

Metacritic

56/100 critic aggregate

Open Metacritic page

Metacritic user score

6.5/10

Curator recommendations

2.5k

Engagement Profile

All-time avg

8h

short (5–15 hours)

Median

4h

Typical completion time

Achievements

27

Steam unlocks available

Release & Availability

Release dateNov 14, 1997
DeveloperRunning With Scissors
Base priceFree-to-play
Required age18+
DLC / Add-ons1 released
PlatformsWindows, macOS, Linux
Estimated owners1M–10M
External linksOfficial site · Metacritic page · Support · [email protected]

Features & Capabilities

Community

  • Steam Achievements
  • Steam Trading Cards

Input & Comfort

  • Full controller support

Other

  • Single-player
  • Family Sharing

Content Notes

POSTAL contains Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Nudity, and Strong Language.

More from Running With Scissors

Running With Scissors has 4 titles indexed — all listed below.

Editions & Packages

  • Buy POSTAL