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) | – | 71 | 10 |
| All-time Steam reviews | 81% | 75 | 259 |
| Metacritic user ratings | – | – | 0 |
| 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 4h ago · full methodology →
Press & Creators reviews (20)
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
“Dry Drowning is one of the best visual novels of the 2019 thanks to a great story, a lot of choices and well-written characters that you care about and for which you make the most accurate decisions with minimal negative consequences. Music and style thicken the atmosphere of a dark future, where the world has long been on the verge of destruction. It is a pity that due to the lack of translation for most of the Russian players, this stylish story will go unnoticed.”
read full review ↗ - 60
“The writing is clichéd and the gameplay linear, but Dry Drowning provides enough quirks for fans of the visual novel genre to warrant a look.”
read full review ↗ - 66
“Operating somewhere between a visual novel and a classic adventure Dry Drowning is a bit of an odd bird...”
read full review ↗ - 50
“As far as presentation goes, Dry Drowning does put its best foot forward. The excellent sound direction pairs well with the muted, almost gritty art style. Unfortunately, for as aesthetically and stylistically pleasant as the visual novel is, its script leaves quite a bit to be desired.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“Dry Drowning is a fun experience that uses its format well and has clearly been created by people with a lot of love for the genre. Even if you don’t ordinarily play visual novels, I think there’s a lot more to keep you engaged than you would expect. There’s a real sense that your choices craft the narrative and Mordred’s journey, and whilst there is a lot happening the game does a good job at keeping you on track. If you’re in the mood to play detective, you’ll definitely find something to enjoy here.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“In spite of its spotty localization, Dry Drowning is a compelling blend of visual novel and adventure game, providing a gritty cyberpunk world to explore, a brutal case to uncover, and Orwellian politics to navigate.”
read full review ↗ - 81
“In short, playing Dry Drowning is a pleasure from all points of view: from the purely playful side, the title of Studio v proposes a visual novel formula with shades of Noir and Thriller perfectly amalgamated into a narrative that fascinates from the first moment, accompanied by an artistic sector that is simply amusing, while from the most introspective and mentally stimulating part, the game offers settings that seem to cling to us in a vice of raw realism cloaked in a dystopia that moves away from us but not too much: within these the characters and our consciences move together with theirs. Nova Polemos is truly an exasperated version of our cities, and the dilemmas that Mordred foley faces are, under a terribly human magnifying glass, the same ones we are subjected every day. Society, morals, interest are the bonds that we must bring into life as in Dry Drowning. Under the aegis of which of these will we take our steps within one of the most interesting games of recent years? And in our lives?”
read full review ↗ - 70
“Dry Drowning offers an engaging story that keeps its quality in almost every game moments. The hard decisions and dilemmas also add more spice to the experience. However, when it comes to some of the gameplay mechanisms such as the Living Nightmare system, the game is not quite satisfying. ”
read full review ↗ - 60
“Dry Drowning blends hard-boiled detective tropes with an interesting dystopian mystery, which just about manages to cover its gameplay restrictions.”
read full review ↗ - 75
“I was pleasantly surprised by Dry Drowning. The setting was interesting, the choices mattered, and the story was compelling enough to make me want to see it through to the end. While not all of the socio-political story elements were original, there were still plenty of mysteries and twists that kept me captivated.”
read full review ↗ - 75
“I enjoyed Dry Drowning very much. My hope is that we get to see more of this world and Mordred Foley in the future. With an established cast, clearer direction, and a grasp of how to make compelling fiction, Studio V are onto something big. Fingers crossed they get some of the issues ironed out before the game hits Xbox next year.”
read full review ↗ - 82
“If you’re looking for a dark and gritty murder mystery, filled with suspense and crime-solving, Dry Drowning is for you! With multiple endings, lots of Moral Choices that alter the narrative and events, and creative puzzles to solve, this is much more than a Visual Novel, it’s an interactive serial killer hunt with you in the driving seat. The soundtrack builds the atmosphere, pulling you into the futuristic dystopian city, but the lack of voice acting means you’re not fully absorbed by the immersion. One thing to note, some of the text is comically small, so if you have bad eyesight, playing it on the TV may be your best bet.”
read full review ↗
GameMAG
Jump Dash Roll
Nindie Spotlight
Cubed3
JumpCut PLAY
TechRaptor
Serial Gamer Italia
Pardis Game
Screen Rant
WayTooManyGames
Expansive
GamePitt…and 8 more tracked reviews.
Patch history
- Dry Drowning's new Major Update introduces the German language!Feb 11, 2021significant · resets scoring window
- A Small Update!Oct 27, 2020
- GAME MAJOR UPDATESep 30, 2020
- v.1.0.5 - Patch notesDec 9, 2019
- New English version available!Nov 9, 2019
- BUILD 1.0.3 - Patch notesSep 20, 2019
- IMPROVED DEMOSep 11, 2019
- BUILD 1.0.2 - PATCH NOTESAug 18, 2019significant · resets scoring window
- IMPORTANT UPDATESAug 7, 2019