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) | – | 70 | 20 |
| All-time Steam reviews | – | – | 0 |
| Metacritic user ratings | – | 60 | 33 |
| 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 (29)
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.
- 85
“Below presents a very evocative proposal, with a captivating atmosphere and a multitude of secrets to discover. It is a difficult game to recommend to everyone because its absence of information is not accessible from the beginning and takes place in a slow progression. Even so, we have a roguelike exploration adventure with Zelda inspiration and a very original design. ”
read full review ↗ - 60
“Below's extreme demands for patience and tolerance remain right through to the game's mysterious ending. But despite its assured aesthetic and the initial pleasures of discovery, Below will eventually turn into a slog for all but the most committed of players.”
read full review ↗ - 60
“Uncompromising to a fault, Below is a unique and often hauntingly beautiful game but its punishing design eventually becomes a tedious slog, sucking out any intrigue or enjoyment of its initial hours.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“A frustrating mix of survival game and roguelike, that has absolutely no respect for your time and yet still hides an enthralling and rewarding action adventure within its murky depths.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“Although it has a tendency to frustrate, both in terms of design and execution, Below offers a compelling adventure set in a mysterious world that's just begging to be explored.”
read full review ↗ - 69
“Below simply leans too hard on roguelike and crafting elements, which create an urgent pace and conflict with its more admirable design ideas. ”
read full review ↗ - 40
“There's a tacked on feeling permeating throughout the game's skeleton that it's hard to shake the feeling that maybe even after six years in constant development by Capybara, Below was simply unready for its time in the dark.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“A special experience for a certain type of gamer. Try it if you're brave.”
- 40
“Below’s moody gloom and atmosphere is spoiled by mechanics that really cramp its central quest.”
read full review ↗ - 60
“Its art style is unique but darkly opaque and as action/survival/roguelikes go, it doesn’t add much new to the genre. With wildly erratic difficulty spikes, the necessity for uninspired grinding and the inevitable and frequent loss of progress, Below is a niche game for a specific target audience that has enormous patience and determination. ”
read full review ↗ - 65
“Below’s strongest element is its gripping visual and sound design.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“It’s loaded with intrigue but resistant to modern methods of approach, creating a Rorschach test where losing patience with its internal contradiction is as credible of a reaction as relishing its idiosyncratic isolation and adversity. Ultimately, Below is a curiosity in which gratification is dependent on personal resolve.”
read full review ↗
SomosXbox
GameSpot
GameGrin
Metro GameCentral
We Got This Covered
IGN
Screen Rant
VideoGamer
Darkstation
DualShockers
Digital Chumps…and 17 more tracked reviews.