Seattle hip-hop blog 206UP picked this record as one of the “Top 10 Albums of 2013,” saying that:

Producer/MC Key Nyata carries the Rvdxr Klvn flag in the Pacific Northwest region of their dominion, and the rap scene here is benefiting from it. Electronic howls, muted explosions, piano keys in the dark, and of course trunk-rattling low end, are Key’s calling cards. The Shadowed Diamond‘s left-of-center aesthetic is definitely the star of the show, though Key Nyata’s prayerful shit-talk adds additional shades of color. Witness him dismiss “wave riding” hipsters on the title track, and non-apologetically recount his hustler days alongside Fresh Espresso’s P Smoov on “We Dwell on Planet E4rth”.

Before it was released, Key Nyata announced that It’s A Long Game would be his last project under this moniker. Given the major buzz this project has received, you have to wonder if he’s still committed to hanging up his brand. Us Versus The World praises these “10 feel-good tracks … an emotional ballad, a grimy banger… Key Nyata does his thing on every single track.” All Hip-Hop presents this record as a mix of “classic West-Coast sounds of the ’90s with bars from today—a funky juxtaposition the rap game is primed to embrace.”