Screenshots & trailers
How this score was computed
The VGC Score is a weighted blend on a press-comparable 0-100 quality scale. Steam approval rates are first calibrated (95% positive on Steam ≈ 89.5 quality, since Steam approval skews high). Press and tracked creator reviews each count ~2x a player review and share one cap against player evidence (creator buy/skip calls pool into an approval rate, calibrated like Steam approval); all-time sentiment is capped and halved (it's context, not verdict); reviews of the current build carry the most weight when a fresh patch anchors the window; and a 'typical game' prior keeps small samples from pegging the scale. Because press reviews and Metacritic user aggregates describe the launch build, their weight decays as the game ages (3-year half-life after a 1-year grace). That's how a game that launched rough can outgrow its old reception once updates win players over. Reviews under 2h playtime (the refund window), non-Steam activations, and free copies are downweighted.
| Component | Positive | Quality (0-100) | Weight (pseudo-reviews) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Press reviews (Metacritic) | – | 75 | 20 |
| All-time Steam reviews | – | – | 0 |
| Metacritic user ratings | – | 80 | 52 |
| Backloggd ratings | – | 76 | 640 |
| PlayStation store ratings | – | 78 | 750 |
| Xbox store ratings | – | 80 | 108 |
| Post-patch Steam reviews (trust-weighted) | – | – | 0 |
| Calibration prior (typical game) | – | 72 | 50 |
Scoring window: last 30 days (no significant patch detected) · 0 reviews sampled · 0 total reviews in window · weighted 0 up / 0 down · computed 2h ago · full methodology →
Press & Creators reviews (24)
Individual verdicts from outlets we track: scored reviews first, most trusted outlets first among them. The small badge is each outlet's trust score: how well its scoring history aligns with players.
- 71
“Endling: Extinction Is Forever is a survival game with a clear message about the need to protect the environment. However, it never rises above mediocrity in any of its individual elements, but the shocking ending really saves the day. ”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Endling is about survival and a deep maternal feeling, thanks to which even in a depressed catastrophic world there is still hope for salvation and at least some kind of future. And that's why it makes sense to fight until the last breath. And that's why it's worth playing this game with its message of sacrifice and love.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Endling: Extinction is Forever is a poignant piece of emotive short-form storytelling, telling a tale of survival that isn’t just a conversation starter, but one that asks for immediate change.”
read full review ↗ - 85
“I hereby announce that Endling as the animal game of the year. I'm sorry Stray.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“While the survival elements of Endling - Extinction is Forever would benefit from balancing and glitch patches, the gut-wrenching story is more than enough to keep players moving forward.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“A charming survival game carrying an ecological message. It can narrate without words and it clearly shows the dangers of living day to day in a hostile nature. But the most important thing? There are foxes!”
read full review ↗ - 50
“Endling: Extinction is Forever hides a monotonous experience behind a striking visual aesthetic and an empty message about the relationship between humanity and the environment. The gameplay never fully commits to building the relationship between the mother and her cubs, which leaves the whole story feeling emotionless and bare. The end result is more “call of the mild” than Call of the Wild.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“Endling: Extinction is Forever is a tech-savvy game built around well-built gameplay. The repetitive process of hunting for survival and exploring whenever possible seems intentional and draws the player into this world. There are no ordinary moments in this wild nature, and any moments of routine or boredom quickly end with a bear trap or an encounter with a Scavenger. Endling knows what he wants to achieve and doesn't try to overdo it or over complicate it. Every choice matters to the designers, as well as to you when you're trying to survive and feed your puppies.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“Endling: Extinction Is Forever is a visually beautiful game with a heart-touching journey and a unique perspective. The simple controls allow you to take in the world and manage the stress of the situations without it being overly complex. The developers have done a beautiful job creating situations that make you feel attached to your fox and her babies and generate stress as the world around them changes. This is a lovely addition to any gaming library and had me gripped for hours. If you want a fresh survival experience, look no further.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Endling isn’t the sort of game you might settle down to play after a long day of doomscrolling through social media; it’s the sort that forces you to confront the monstrous scale and toll of human activity on the ecosystem and the planet. And yet, even as a deeply apocalyptic look at what feels like the imminent end of our world, the game’s profound pessimism doesn’t stray too far from the truth. Scientists have already warned that we are in danger of losing 20 to 50 percent of all species by the end of this century; the bulk of this is due to human activity.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“Endling - Extinction is Forever gives a cold hard look at what pollution and human cruelty are doing to the environment. The message is driven home as you fight tooth and claw to raise your fox cubs while navigating a dangerous world. Exploration and survival aspects make for a unique experience, but if your pups die it can be heart-wrenching.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“Endling: Extinction Is Forever is not only a beautiful, touching and important game, but also a unique one, as you control a mother fox, the last of its kind, trying to keep its cubs alive in a world devastated by humans. The problem is, Endling’s gameplay loop is painfully repetitive and the game begins to get boring about halfway through.”
read full review ↗
SECTOR.sk
TheSixthAxis
Screen Rant
Inverse
GameSpace
Noisy Pixel
Windows Central
CD-Action…and 12 more tracked reviews.