Screenshots & trailers
What players say
Why the number is what it is: aspect mentions counted across 297 sampled Steam reviews (286 positive / 11 negative), recent and most-helpful. Plain keyword counting, fully reproducible; nothing here is written by a machine.
What positive reviews talk about
Positive reviews don't converge on specific aspects.
What negative reviews complain about
- Progression & loot27% mention it
Satisfaction by hours played
Same score, different games: see how sentiment holds up the longer people play.
Under 5h
88%
16 reviews
5-15h
97%
34 reviews
15-40h
93%
61 reviews
40-100h
98%
86 reviews
100h+
98%
100 reviews
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 (OpenCritic) | – | 86 | 34 |
| All-time Steam reviews | 96% | 91 | 1000 |
| Metacritic user ratings | – | – | 0 |
| Post-patch Steam reviews (trust-weighted) | 98% | 94 | 423 |
| Calibration prior (typical game) | – | 72 | 50 |
Acclaim gate: the raw blend lands at 91.2, but scores above 88 must be earned in front of a mass audience; this verdict rests on 41,264 player reviews, a largely self-selected fanbase. As more players weigh in, the ceiling rises (full scale unlocks at 100,000 reviews).
Scoring window: since the last significant patch (Aug 11, 2026) · 299 reviews sampled · 423 total reviews in window · weighted 267.9 up / 4.2 down · computed 34m ago · full methodology →
Press & Creators reviews (21)
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.
- 90
“Timberborn is undoubtedly one of the best building strategy games out there. The developers really put a lot of effort into the game, and the content will keep players entertained for dozens of hours while also making them think. That’s what I call the perfect combination. I’m also very curious to see how the developers will handle the game going forward and whether we can expect any substantial updates with new content.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“Timberborn is a unique and engaging take on the city-building formula. Its charming presentation draws you in, while deep mechanics hook you completely. It reimagines the city-building genre with compelling water management challenges. While it has rough edges and a steep learning curve for beginners, the experience is both memorable and rewarding. Timberborn is one of the best city builders I’ve played, earning a 9 out of 10.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“Timberborn is a brilliant and deeply rewarding city-builder where water management, vertical construction, automation, and faction identity come together into one of the most original strategy experiences in years. Its late-game systems can overwhelm less patient players, and the beaver AI occasionally struggles with complex builds, but the sheer satisfaction of shaping the land, taming every drop of water, and watching your wooden machine come alive is hard to match.”
read full review ↗ - 85
“Timberborn has spent a long time in early access now, and all that time was clearly worth it because the game is incredibly well-crafted with only a few minor caveats. If you are looking for a city builder with a more naturalistic tone and some cute beavers to protect, this might be the one for you.”
read full review ↗ - 85
“The game offers an original and thoughtful building simulator, which stands out especially for its emphasis on water management and active environment modification. Despite the absence of a story mode and occasional repetitiveness, it offers a deep and satisfying strategic experience.”
read full review ↗ - 82
“Timberborn is a good, almost natural, marriage of two genres that couldn’t quite surpass its own issues to become something greater than the sum of its parts. Late mechanics implementation, lower replayability than expected for a 1.0, and unhelpful tutorials all drag down an otherwise amazing game. There’s much holding it back and much holding it up, amounting to a great, but imperfect title overall.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Timberborn is a colony simulator with a fantastic core identity and some genuinely unique systems driving it, particularly when it comes to water management. While I personally found that the challenge, urgency, and sense of direction began to fade as I became more familiar with the mechanics, there is still a lot here to enjoy for players who like slower-paced, methodical colony builders, or those who really want to build a series of intricately designed beaver dams.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Timberborn is an excellent dynamic and satisfying title, with engaging management gameplay that can also turn into a real challenge if we really wanted it or had the time to dedicate to it.”
read full review ↗ - 100
“Timberborn is a standout survival city-builder that combines creativity and strategy with the unique power of beavers. The game offers extensive freedom with vertical building, dam systems, and a focus on managing future challenges like droughts and badtide events. With diverse maps, two factions, and strong mod support, it promises hundreds of hours of engaging gameplay without feeling repetitive. ”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Timberborn has a few minor hiccups and more than a few structural ones. Despite this, the game manages to gnaw itself into your hearts with its furry cast of beavers. Whether you are drawn by the practical, logical management or the aesthetic and pleasing city-building, you will be left enamored and hooked by the game.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“Timberborn is a fantastic city builder that hides surprising complexity behind its adorable beaver aesthetic. Although its systems are not always clear at first glance, building dykes and dams to tame waterways proves to be an incredibly satisfying and addictive experience, capable of keeping you mesmerised for hours on end. Essentially, each map is a survival sandbox that begs to be solved, subtly transforming into a game of management and automation.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Timberborn felt slow to start with however once you have grasped the fundamentals there is a lot to be focussing on. From gathering resources, and unlocking items through science, to building and looking after your furry minions, can you maintain your colony? For a game that has been developed by only a handful of people working from their homes, it is impressive to see such a well-refined game. The devs have been listening to the players and each update brings new concepts that have been based on feedback received. It is fantastic to see a company want to work with their audience and among other things, this has helped Timberborn be so successful. Timberborn receives the Thumb Culture Gold Award!”
read full review ↗
Gaming Professors
Invision Community
JsemGamer
Checkpoint Gaming
SECTOR.sk
Game8
Try Hard Guides
CrazyGameCommunity.it
Gameliner
NoobFeed
IGN
Thumb Culture…and 9 more tracked reviews.
Patch history
- Patch notes 2026-08-31 (experimental)Aug 31, 2026
- Patch notes 2026-08-17 (experimental)Aug 17, 2026
- Patch notes 2026-08-11 (Experimental)Aug 11, 2026significant · resets scoring window
- Patch notes 2026-07-16 (hotfix, experimental)Jul 16, 2026
- Patch notes 2026-07-15 (experimental)Jul 15, 2026significant · resets scoring window
- Patch notes 2026-06-22 (experimental)Jun 22, 2026significant · resets scoring window
- Patch notes 2026-06-11 (experimental)Jun 11, 2026significant · resets scoring window
- Timberborn 1.1 now live on the experimental branchJun 10, 2026significant · resets scoring window
- Patch notes 2026-05-06 (main branch)May 6, 2026significant · resets scoring window
- Patch notes 2026-05-04 (experimental)May 4, 2026significant · resets scoring window
- Patch notes 2026-04-20 (main branch)Apr 20, 2026significant · resets scoring window
- Patch notes 2026-04-16 (experimental)Apr 16, 2026significant · resets scoring window
- Patch notes 2026-04-09 (main branch)Apr 9, 2026
- Patch notes 2026-04-08 (experimental)Apr 8, 2026
- Patch notes 2026-04-07 (main branch)Apr 7, 2026significant · resets scoring window
- Patch notes 2026-04-02 (experimental)Apr 2, 2026
- Patch notes 2026-04-01 (experimental)Apr 1, 2026
- Patch notes 2026-03-25 (experimental)Mar 25, 2026significant · resets scoring window
- Patch notes 2026-03-23 (main branch)Mar 23, 2026
- Patch notes 2026-03-17 (experimental)Mar 17, 2026significant · resets scoring window
- Patch notes 2026-03-13 (main branch)Mar 13, 2026
- Timberborn 1.0 is live!Mar 12, 2026significant · resets scoring window
- Patch notes 2026-03-12 (hotfix, experimental)Mar 12, 2026
- Patch notes 2026-03-11 (experimental)Mar 11, 2026
- Patch notes 2026-03-10 (experimental)Mar 10, 2026
- Patch notes 2026-03-09 #2 (experimental)Mar 9, 2026
- Patch notes 2026-03-09 (experimental)Mar 9, 2026
- Patch notes 2026-03-06 (experimental)Mar 6, 2026significant · resets scoring window
- Patch notes 2026-03-04 (experimental)Mar 4, 2026
- Patch notes 2026-03-03 (experimental)Mar 3, 2026
- Timberborn - One More 1.0 ThingMar 2, 2026significant · resets scoring window
- Patch notes 2026-02-24 (experimental)Feb 24, 2026significant · resets scoring window
- Timberborn 1.0 launch delayed by a weekFeb 23, 2026
- Patch notes 2026-02-18 (experimental)Feb 18, 2026significant · resets scoring window
- Patch notes 2026-02-16 (hotfix, experimental)Feb 16, 2026
- Patch notes 2026-02-16 (experimental)Feb 16, 2026
- Patch notes 2026-02-11 (Experimental)Feb 11, 2026significant · resets scoring window
- Timberborn lore trailer and 1.0 release dateFeb 5, 2026significant · resets scoring window
…and 50 earlier patch announcements.