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) | – | 70 | 11 |
| All-time Steam reviews | 94% | 88 | 25 |
| Metacritic user ratings | – | – | 0 |
| Post-patch Steam reviews (trust-weighted) | 100% | 97 | 8 |
| Calibration prior (typical game) | – | 72 | 50 |
Scoring window: since the last significant patch (Dec 21, 2023) · 7 reviews sampled · 8 total reviews in window · weighted 2.7 up / 0 down · computed 4h ago · full methodology →
Press & Creators reviews (14)
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
“As an action/adventure game, Helvetii falls just a bit short on some elements of gameplay and storytelling. However, it's still a solid entry with very appealing looks, sounds, and mechanics.”
read full review ↗ - 60
“Helvetti has buckets of charm, offering delightful 2D visuals that will impress any player with ease. Unfortunately, the feathery, button-mashing combat is less appealing, whilst the uninspired rogue-like mechanics never really click.”
read full review ↗ - 60
“Helvetii has arcade-style gameplay that makes it enjoyable. It is fun in short bursts but is unbelievably aggravating in long sessions and a lot of that has to do with the rogue-like foundation. Rogue gameplay can be enjoyable and has its place. When it is used to artificially lengthen a game, it becomes too obvious and the strings that support the illusion become all too distracting, making the game unengaging.”
read full review ↗ - 70
- 80
“Helvetii's roguelite action approach, its trio of well crafted characters, plenty of frantic moments, a stunning looking visual environment, as well as an exquisite soundtrack make this a game that's more than worthy to be on the Nintendo Switch of every player who enjoys like-minded games. The experience will keep players around the game for a long time and have them come back for more.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“With repetitiveness being part and parcel of the roguelike genre, those familiar with it probably won’t be too aggrieved with the lack of randomness in Helvetii. Some, though, may come to appreciate its combat and visuals but perhaps wish they’d been served up in a straight-up action game. In any case, perhaps its greatest crime is that it doesn’t try to do anything original. But you can tell that developer Team KwaKwa has put some love into this release, and the end result is sure to delight roguelike fans eager for something new to sink their teeth into.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“Helvetii is a hack ‘n slash game set around Celtic and Gaelic mythology. The hack ‘n slash genre is an acquired taste, or so I feel. I’m no expert in the genre, but the gameplay often feels frantic but directionless. However, I am a big fan of any and all mythologies, and games that explore cultural folklore always grab my interest. So I loaded up Helvetii with high anticipation.”
read full review ↗ - 60
“Despite gorgeous visuals, a strong soundtrack, and solid combat, Helvetii stumbles on basic game design. With this little variety within each area, the choice to make it a roguelite was a mistake and quickly left me wanting to move on to a different title. There’s certainly fun to be had here, but whether you’re looking for a great roguelite or action game, better options exist to meet your needs.”
read full review ↗ - 72
“An original setting and fun, albeit hectic fights make a very good first impression. Unfortunately, "Helvetii" does not manage to maintain this freshness for a long time. The 2D brawler is by no means bad, but the roguelike genre harms the fun because the different passes lack variation. "Helvetii" can be fun for quite a while, and especially the very different playable characters help. Sooner or later, however, this rustic Swiss fairy tale runs out of steam.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Helvetii is beautifully crafted, blending handcrafted art and solid movement and combat mechanics into a challenging roguelike structure that is sure to please any fan of the genre. However, the exploration of the environments and the relatively slow progression are not the best of its qualities.”
read full review ↗ - 50
“Helvetii is an unfulfilling action roguelike that contains a few conceptually neat ideas not strongly delivered on any front. The practical nonexistence of effective feedback during combat heavily mires the gameplay and incentive to keep going.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“Helvetii is a decent indie effort and combines decent presentation and gameplay but it does drag a bit and the roguelike aspects aren't balanced all that well. With faster progression and better upgrade options this could have been better but for now it'll keep fans of the genre busy for a while.”
read full review ↗
Pure Nintendo
TheSixthAxis
Niche Gamer
PS3Blog.net
Starbit
GameSpew
Rapid Reviews UK
Hey Poor Player
GAMES.CH
PSX Brasil
Noisy Pixel…and 2 more tracked reviews.
Patch history
- 1.1 patch | New food, new foe and new blowsDec 21, 2023significant · resets scoring window
- Helvetii 1.1 Patch NotesDec 21, 2023significant · resets scoring window
- Patch Notes - 1.0.1Feb 10, 2023
- Demo update and coming events !Sep 8, 2022
- Small Demo UpdateOct 6, 2021significant · resets scoring window