Murim Survival Review: A Martial Arts Roguelite 1.0

Updated 2026-10-14: We removed the review score and every passage that described our own runs, builds and companion picks. Nobody on staff played Murim Survival for this review. It now rests on the Steam page, the developer's patch notes and Steam player reviews, and it corrects how companions are recruited (through Hideout quests, not mid-run).

Current status: October 2026

Murim Survival is a completed 1.0 release at $7.99. Steam's all-language count stands at 291 reviews, 222 of them positive, which Steam labels Mostly Positive. The latest patch, on October 7, optimized RAM usage "for low-end devices and long play sessions", following balance, translation and quality-of-life patches in May. The launch announcement says there are no large-scale new-content or DLC plans.

Murim Survival review: key takeaways

• Murim Survival 1.0 launched May 4, 2026 after an Early Access period
• Developer and publisher Sunwood Games; Mostly Positive on Steam in the October snapshot
• Roguelite RPG with 15-20 minute expeditions, more than 60 types of permanently obtainable equipment and a martial arts Mastery system
• Mastery carries into your next expedition; companions are recruited through NPC quests in the Hideout
• AI use in "some of the arts and BGM" is disclosed on the Steam page
• Worth $7.99 for survivors-like fans who like slow, gear-heavy progression; not for players who want fast, flashy runs

Murim Survival review: overview

Sunwood Games pitches Murim Survival as a roguelite RPG "inspired by Vampire Survivors and Diablo" and "focused on equipment looting and character growth." You fight waves of monsters across a ruined martial-arts world until a boss arrives after 15 to 20 minutes. The story follows Sowoon, a fighter trying to cure the Madness spreading through a Murim that has been in decline since its Righteous Sects were wiped out.

The Vampire Survivors influence is explicit, and the store page names it. What Sunwood built on top is a loot layer (equipment drops you keep permanently), active and passive martial arts that combine with equipment and Traits into builds, and the Mastery system. Ascension difficulty unlocks after you clear Normal.

Sunwood Games' official launch trailer (YouTube).

Caption: The expedition map from the Steam store screenshots. Image: Sunwood Games / Steam.

What players say about the loop

The Steam reviews agree on what the game is and split on how it feels. One player with about four hours called it "Nothing truly innovative to the Vampire Survivor genre, but a nice polished take worthy to fans of the genre" (Steam review). Another, at around five hours, warned that "meta progression is slow, as are the individual runs" and that "If you want a slow, grueling challenge, though, this game is perfect" (Steam review).

The longest-playing positive review in the recent set, at 38 hours, comes from someone who left it in their library before returning: "Once you start collecting active skills and upgrade points you can truly make some monstrous builds" (Steam review).

The sharpest criticism is structural. A player at about ten hours described "a mostly competent survivor clone, hampered by some baffling decisions," chiefly that progression is limited "by which maps you have cleared," so you "can get 'stuck' if you cannot clear a map boss" (Steam review). Another asked for fewer, stronger drops and said "a synergy guide would be helpful" because the game doesn't flag which items combine (Steam review). The Murim Survival builds guide and the Murim Survival endgame guide cover those combinations and Ascension.

The mastery system

Mastery is the feature that separates Murim Survival from a reskin. The store page puts it plainly: "as you repeatedly use martial arts to build up your Mastery, you will surely reach a higher level in your next expedition." Equipment is the first progression track; Mastery is the second, and it carries over between runs.

That changes what a failed run means. A run that ends at the boss still trains the techniques you used, so the next attempt starts stronger. The mastery tips guide turns that into a practical early-run plan. It also explains the "slow" complaint: progress comes from repetition, and players who want each run to stand alone will feel the grind.

Companions sit beside this. The store page says you grow "by interacting with NPCs you meet in the Hideout" and that you "Recruit companions by clearing quests," so they are a Hideout-side reward rather than a mid-run pickup. One mixed-positive review called the companion system "kinna tossed in" (Steam review).

The AI question

Sunwood Games states on the Steam store page: "AI was used in the creation of some of the arts and BGM."

This is a disclosed partial use, not a full AI-generation disclaimer, and the page does not say which assets are affected. Whether that matters is your call: it's a paid game, the disclosure is there, and the systems players praise (gear, martial arts combinations, Mastery) are design work rather than art assets.

Verdict

Caption: A dense wave from the Steam store screenshots. Image: Sunwood Games / Steam.

Murim Survival 1.0 is a modest, finished survivors-like with one real idea of its own. Mastery gives repeated runs a reason to exist beyond unlocks, and players who stick with it describe builds getting "monstrous." The trade-off is pace: runs and meta progression are slow, map clears gate progress, and the game doesn't spell out its synergies.

Buy it at $7.99 if you like the Vampire Survivors structure and want a slower, gear-heavy version with a martial-arts story. Skip it if you want fast, flashy runs, if a boss wall that blocks progression sounds miserable, or if AI-assisted art and music rule a game out for you.

For other takes on how roguelites handle a second progression layer, see our Die in the Dungeon review, Blood Vial, a micro-FPS where health and movement share one resource, and Gambonanza.

Frequently asked questions

Is Murim Survival worth buying at launch? If you like Vampire Survivors-style roguelites and the martial arts theme interests you, yes: especially at its $7.99 price point (check Steam for any active discount). The mastery system adds depth the genre usually skips. The AI art and music is a legitimate concern for players who care about handcrafted visuals.

What is the martial arts mastery system in Murim Survival? Mastery works through repetition: you build it up by using martial arts in combat, and Sunwood's store page says it carries you to "a higher level in your next expedition." It's a cross-run investment layer running parallel to your equipment progression.

How long are Murim Survival runs? Individual expeditions run 15-20 minutes before the boss arrives. Gear, Mastery and Ascension progress accrue across many runs, and several Steam reviewers describe the meta progression as slow.

Does Murim Survival have an endgame? Yes. Ascension difficulty unlocks after you clear Normal difficulty, designed for players who want a harder challenge once they've built up gear and martial arts mastery across multiple runs.

What happened with the AI art in Murim Survival? Sunwood Games disclosed on the Steam store page that "AI was used in the creation of some of the arts and BGM." It's a partial use rather than full AI generation. Which specific assets are AI-generated is not broken out on the store page.

How does Murim Survival compare to Vampire Survivors? Both are wave-survival roguelites with short run windows, and Sunwood names Vampire Survivors (and Diablo) as inspirations. Murim Survival adds more than 60 types of permanently obtainable equipment and a martial arts Mastery mechanic that carries between runs.

Related Reading

• Murim Survival Complete Guide: Builds, Endgame, Tips: the full hub rounding up every Murim Survival guide on the site, from builds to the review verdict.
• Murim Survival Tips: Mastery, Builds, and Early Survival: Murim survival tips covering the mastery system that never resets, equipment synergies worth building toward, and how to....
• Murim Survival Builds Guide: Best Archetypes (2026): Murim Survival builds guide: the three core archetypes that hold up in Ascension mode, which equipment items matter,....
• Murim Survival Endgame Guide: Surviving Ascension Mode: Murim Survival endgame is Ascension mode: enemy density rises, stagger recovery speeds up, and most builds break. Here's....
• Best Indie Games Under $20 in 2026: where Murim Survival ranks among the best-value indie picks.

References

• Murim Survival on Steam
• Murim Survival official launch trailer
• Murim Survival official announcements: 1.0 patch and post-launch fixes
• Vampire Survivors on Steam