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 (OpenCritic) | – | 75 | 24 |
| All-time Steam reviews | 78% | 73 | 865 |
| Metacritic user ratings | – | – | 0 |
| Post-patch Steam reviews (trust-weighted) | 88% | 82 | 4 |
| Calibration prior (typical game) | – | 72 | 50 |
Scoring window: last 30 days (no significant patch detected) · 10 reviews sampled · 7 total reviews in window · weighted 5.2 up / 0.7 down · computed 3h ago · full methodology →
Press & Creators reviews (30)
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.
- 60
“Before We Leave promises to be "gentle" and "relaxing" city-building game, and it is until you reach its game-breaking bugs. I guess you can't expect the post-apocalypse to be all fun all the time.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“If you're looking for a quiet, building respite without violence, but not expecting an easy passage and where you'll spend a few hours, Before We Leave is the one for you. From the first steps, all the way through to a universe-wide empire, this game will keep you coming back for more.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Smart strategic city-building and a pro-environment vibe help this sim stand out as something enjoyable”
read full review ↗ - 80
“I’m actually surprised by how disarmingly cute, charming and engaging Before We Leave really is. I’ve always been able to fire up strategy games and wind up losing a few hours before I’ve realized what’s happening, but Before We Leave is especially good at it. It’s the perfect lazy evening game for when you kind of want to build up a colony and watch it grow but don’t fancy all the moral schtick of Frostpunk or the complexity of something like Cities Skylines. Balancing Monkey Games have done a terrific job.”
read full review ↗ - 75
“It is a combination of having limited real estate to display a lot of information, and then picking all the wrong information to show in that space. When you're not wrestling with it, the actual moment-to-moment gameplay is very satisfying. It looks sharp and sounds fantastic. There are some hurdles to make it over, but it is hard to deny the underlying charm of Before We Leave.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Before We Leave is a peaceful city-building and resource management game that follows in the footsteps of titles like Anno 1800, but without war or enemies. Players rebuild civilization by expanding from one continent to entire planets and eventually the solar system, managing logistics, trade, and citizen happiness. The game features procedurally generated worlds, hex-based building, and strategic layout bonuses, encouraging efficient and aesthetically pleasing city planning. While relaxed and user-friendly, some UI limitations and late-game micromanagement can slightly hinder flow. Developed by the small team at Balancing Monkey Games, it’s a charming and ambitious indie title offering thoughtful expansion-focused gameplay in a conflict-free setting.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“Before We Leave is a comforting and accessible city building simulator that will entice and equally challenge you. The momentum occasionally stutters and micro-managing your ever-expanding cities can be a pain at times, but your Peeps will never cease to entice you back in. Helping this fledging society of tiny cute figures colonise islands and planets from neanderthal to fully-developed modern society is a fundamentally lovely experience. Saving them from space whales is certainly tough, but it’s also a wholesome, worthwhile endeavour.”
read full review ↗ - 75
“Hexagon non-violent city building strategy offers much more as it seems. Find your new home in stars and reveal big space mystery.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Before We Leave is a relaxing take on the post-apocalypse and city building, with enough benefits to overcome its hiccups.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Before We Leave is a relaxing and colorful city builder that is fun for a few hours but starts to grow a bit repetitive in the long term. The focus on just building your civilization without dealing with threats is something I quite enjoyed but the game needed a bit more variety in the late game as I felt like I had seen all it had to show me by that time. Fans of the genre who seek more depth in their city builders may want to look elsewhere but if you want one that is just a bit more chill then Before We Leave may be for you.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“The non-violent aspects of Before We Leave won’t suit every strategy fan, especially those who enjoy a good war strategy. For those that enjoy exploration and resource management mixed with some strategic thinking, Before We Leave fits the bill! At the moment Before We Leave is a decent strategy game. With future updates to the game and the possibility for more exploring and juggling resources, this is one for strategists to keep an eye on.”
read full review ↗ - 71
“Cute little city-builder with big ambitions and even bigger cosmic cetaceans.”
read full review ↗
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Patch history
- ❗Update RequiredOct 3, 2025
- Before We Leave Patch Notes v.1.0346May 4, 2023significant · resets scoring window
- One Last Update for 2022Dec 13, 2022significant · resets scoring window
- Before We Leave patch v1.0340Nov 3, 2022significant · resets scoring window
- We're working on the sequel to Before We Leave!Oct 18, 2022significant · resets scoring window
- Before We Leave news - A Quick Update!May 3, 2022
- Before We Leave Wasteland Patch Notes v1.0336Apr 28, 2022significant · resets scoring window
- Before We Leave Hotfix v1.0330Apr 1, 2022
- The Wasteland Update - Available now!Mar 14, 2022significant · resets scoring window
- The Wasteland Update celebration broadcast!Mar 10, 2022
- The Wasteland Update - Coming March 14th!Mar 7, 2022significant · resets scoring window
- Before We Leave news - Meri Kirihimete!Dec 16, 2021significant · resets scoring window
- The Wasteland Update Beta is here!Dec 3, 2021significant · resets scoring window
- The Wasteland Update Preview!Nov 26, 2021
- Before We Leave news - An Update on our UpdateNov 12, 2021
- Before We Leave Update 1.0307Oct 7, 2021significant · resets scoring window
- Weekly News - Beyond the Planet EditorSep 22, 2021significant · resets scoring window
- Before We Leave: Planet Editor Update - Live Now!Sep 8, 2021significant · resets scoring window
- Weekly News - 2nd September 2021Sep 3, 2021significant · resets scoring window
- Weekly News - 26th August 2021Aug 27, 2021significant · resets scoring window
- Weekly News - 19th August 2021Aug 20, 2021significant · resets scoring window
- Before We Leave is now available on macOS!Aug 18, 2021significant · resets scoring window
- Weekly News - MacOS is coming soon!Aug 13, 2021significant · resets scoring window
- A Planet-sized update is coming soon...Jul 19, 2021significant · resets scoring window
- Patch 1.0250 - Now Live!Jun 29, 2021significant · resets scoring window
- Updated roadmap and studio news!Jun 16, 2021significant · resets scoring window
- Patch 1.0241 - Now Live!Jun 3, 2021significant · resets scoring window
- Patch 1.0238 - Now Live!May 20, 2021significant · resets scoring window