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) | – | 72 | 14 |
| All-time Steam reviews | 76% | 71 | 1000 |
| Metacritic user ratings | – | – | 0 |
| Post-patch Steam reviews (trust-weighted) | 100% | 97 | 1 |
| Calibration prior (typical game) | – | 72 | 50 |
Scoring window: last 30 days (no significant patch detected) · 3 reviews sampled · 1 total reviews in window · weighted 0.7 up / 0 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.
- 80
“198X is one of the brightest and deepest dedications of the history of arcade games. If you want to know how modern blockbusters started, you will not find the best chance in an interactive form.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“A passionate love letter to a bygone age, 198X celebrates 2D, arcade-based gaming brilliantly and wraps it up in some of the best hand-drawn art we've seen in years. ”
read full review ↗ - 85
“As a child of the 70s and 80s who spent an enormous amount of time in the arcades there’s no doubt 198X was made for me...”
read full review ↗ - 90
“Understanding the experimental and purposeful design of 198X goes a long way toward appreciating it. Rather than a fun, traditional game experience, it's best viewed as a bold and thought-provoking work that reminds us of a time before wireless controllers and console wars. Back when all you really needed was a quarter and some courage.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“198X is a grounded tale of growing up lost and finding salvation in an unlikely place. Arcade games are the anchor for this character and for many players out there this story rings true.”
read full review ↗ - 50
“198X is a throwback mash-up of five very brief genre excursions with an overwrought story of growing up thrown on top.”
read full review ↗ - 85
“198X feels like it was made specifically for me and my nostalgia. Despite it being very short, I love everything 198X is trying to do and I think it succeeds with excellent results. I can't wait to see what kind of games they will bring in part two.”
read full review ↗ - 50
“A mawkish attempt to glorify the 80s that features some gorgeous visuals and music but offers no real insight into the era's culture or games.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“198X delivered exactly what the trailer promised, great looking and sounding nostalgia fueled reminiscence of the 80s video games. However, if you've been burned by episodic game series in the past, tread carefully.”
read full review ↗ - 50
“198X is a true love letter to the old arcade genre : through a retro trip of five different mini games, Hi-Bit's celebration only manages to copy and paste tiny bits of classic ones. Thanks to a clich' narration, 198X does nothing but tell how good the past used to be, and how much the present suck. If you still possess the original, there is not much need to play this wanabee experience.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“For all of us 1980’s and 90’s kids out there, 198X is a coming of age story that could honestly tell the tale of any one of us. Set in Suburbia just outside the City, it’s the youthful journey of Kid as he discovers the local Arcade and realizes that, through the power of video games, he can escape reality.. be anyone or anything.. and not worry about the obligations of adulthood that are knocking on his door. The latest Kickstarter success story to officially release, I want to give a fair warning now before we dive any further into the review. 198X is episodic, and unfortunately we didn’t find this out until the game was prepping for release on Steam.”
read full review ↗ - 64
“Instead it comes off more like a homage to similar tales.”
read full review ↗
GameMAG
Nintendo Life
Nindie Spotlight
NintendoWorldReport
Forever Classic Games
GameSpot
GameGrin
Metro GameCentral
SomHráč.sk
Gameblog
Level Down Games
AusGamers…and 18 more tracked reviews.
Patch history
- KEYBOARD INPUT DETAILEDJun 28, 2019
- ACHIEVEMENTS GET!Jun 24, 2019