Screenshots & trailers
Review sentiment over time
Weekly positive-review rate (green) and review volume (bars). Dashed lines mark significant patches; the amber line is the start of the current scoring window. Hover the dots to see what drove a dip or a jump.
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) | – | 79 | 6 |
| Creator reviews (1 tracked) | – | 77 | 0 |
| All-time Steam reviews | 96% | 91 | 1000 |
| Metacritic user ratings | – | 82 | 2 |
| Post-patch Steam reviews (trust-weighted) | 94% | 89 | 8 |
| Calibration prior (typical game) | – | 72 | 50 |
Acclaim gate: the raw blend lands at 89.8, but scores above 88 must be earned in front of a mass audience; this verdict rests on 8,612 player reviews, a largely self-selected fanbase. As more players weigh in, the ceiling rises (full scale unlocks at 100,000 reviews).
Scoring window: last 30 days (no significant patch detected) · 24 reviews sampled · 20 total reviews in window · weighted 17.2 up / 1 down · computed 2h ago · full methodology →
Press & Creators reviews (37)
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.
- 80
“If the writing were as clever as the gameplay it supports, Orcs Must Die would be a comedy masterpiece. It oscillates perfectly between states of calm, cool and collected design and panicked damage control, and rewards your diligence with a gorgeous sight: A finely-tuned whirling chamber of death, which gnaws up enemies with tactical brutality reminiscent of Tecmo's Deception series, and a gory kind of whimsy reminiscent of Grape Escape.”
read full review ↗ - 60
“Orcs Must Die is fun but in a limited, begrudgingly acknowledged sense. It's lacking a spark: something compelling to make you play beyond the first five minutes, or even through the first five minutes.”
read full review ↗ - 85
“An amazingly fun game that definitely causes hours to pass without you noticing. The mixture of action and tower defense should really please fans of both, and the casual difficulty makes experimenting with different strategies a lot of fun without consequence.”
read full review ↗ - 91
“In Orcs Must Die! a split-second of inattention can mean the difference between victory and defeat-but that's part of why it's such an exciting game.”
read full review ↗ - 83
“Orcs Must Die! is a wonderful addition to the tower defense genre spiced up with enough action to make it even more interesting and addictive.”
read full review ↗ - 85
“A brilliant little game, Orcs Must Die! lives up to its name with gusto. At 1,200 MSP ($15 USD) for 24 levels of highly polished, Orc-killing fun, Orcs Must Die! offers up a satisfying balance of challenge, personality and strategy.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Don't get us wrong: Orcs Must Die! is lots of hyperactive fun. Just don't expect lavish long-term depth that'll keep you slaughtering for weeks.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“Rewarding and frustrating in equal measure, but rarely boring, it's a memorable dose of mass slaughter.”
read full review ↗ - 75
“With numerous traps, weapons, and an endless supply of one-liners, Orcs Must Die! dispenses death with satisfying variety.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“The action mixes well with the entertaining strategy elements of trap placement. The visuals are good and the sound is a definite high point. I only wish Orcs Must Die! Was longer; the game can be completed in around five hours, and after completing each level there's little incentive to keep playing.”
read full review ↗ - 87
“Orcs Must Die! is one of those rare games that arrived exactly as promised. It's a fun tower defense romp with a twist, and plenty of strategy to keep the brain-gears spinning, nothing more and nothing less.”
read full review ↗ - 40
“The problem with Orcs Must Die isn't necessarily Orcs Must Die. The problem is Toy Solders: Cold War, Plants vs. Zombies, Defender Chronicles, and Dungeon Defenders. Because a good tower defense game is just the first step to a good full-featured tower defense game.”
read full review ↗
GameWatcher
ZTGD
Worth Playing
Eurogamer
GameSpot…and 25 more tracked reviews.
Patch history
- Windows Update 24H2 FixMar 31, 2025
- Orcs Must Die! Unchained is now available!Apr 19, 2017significant · resets scoring window
- Orcs Must Die! Unchained is now available!Apr 19, 2017significant · resets scoring window