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) | – | 84 | 16 |
| Creator reviews (2 tracked) | – | 91 | 1 |
| All-time Steam reviews | 89% | 83 | 104 |
| Metacritic user ratings | – | 80 | 6 |
| Post-patch Steam reviews (trust-weighted) | 71% | 68 | 2 |
| Calibration prior (typical game) | – | 72 | 50 |
Scoring window: last 30 days (no significant patch detected) · 5 reviews sampled · 2 total reviews in window · weighted 2.4 up / 1 down · computed 5h ago · full methodology →
Press & Creators reviews (40)
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.
- 75
“Shovel Knight: King of Cards is a master-class in platforming, design, pixel art, and much, much more. Offering a good amount of new content, as well as the all-new card mini-game, Joustus, you have an overall package that is hard not to recommend, even if good portions of this feel wholly the same as the original Shovel Knight and its successive releases.”
read full review ↗ - 90
- 90
“ This is likely the last we’ll see of the ‘core’ Shovel Knight series for some time, and King of Cards acts as a worthy swansong for a now-legendary platformer. Bravo.”
read full review ↗ - 85
“King of Cards delivers a great epilogue for an even greater Shovel Knight saga. It is cleverly designed, has that old school vibe we all love, and a really cool move set for our new hero. Joustus, the card game is a great addition, but since it is pretty much a mandatory element, it may throw the entire tempo of the game down to the danger zone.”
read full review ↗ - 80
- 90
“While I haven’t formally reviewed any of the previous Shovel Knight games I’ve been a quiet fan of the series since it started...”
read full review ↗ - 75
“Despite my misgivings with our royal protagonist’s moveset, King of Cards is an excellent cap on what’s become a downright amazing collection of games.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“King of Cards is a wonderful send-off for the Shovel Knight saga thanks to its excellent campaign and addictive card game.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“Shovel Knight: King of Cards continues the series' route in bringing more and more exquisite expansions to the original game. A crowning achievement of the Shovel Knight series, this expansion adds some very original new levels, a welcome new character with new mechanics and the series' trademark art style and sound environment. King of Cards is the expansion that Shovel Knight could want the most and it's recommended without any reservation to all Nintendo Switch owners.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Shovel Knight: King of Cards repeats some elements from previous entries, but it ultimately delivers one of the largest and more refined expansions in the series yet.”
read full review ↗ - 60
“A disappointing way to end an otherwise epic series (especially if you take into account Showdown) but the retro visuals and excellent 2D platforming can still delight.”
read full review ↗ - 75
“King of Cards is another excellent addition to the Shovel Knight saga - an exciting and grand finale for the series.”
read full review ↗
Pure Nintendo
Fintendo
Nintendo Life
PLAY Zine
VGChartz
Nindie Spotlight
NintendoWorldReport
Easy Allies
FNintendo
GameSpot
Metro GameCentral
TechRaptor…and 28 more tracked reviews.
Patch history
- March 1st, 2021 Update - Mac Big Sur OS FixesMar 2, 2021significant · resets scoring window
- 4.1 - Terra FirmaFeb 19, 2020significant · resets scoring window
- 4.0B - Spinning In The New YearDec 17, 2019significant · resets scoring window
- 4.0A Hotfix - Regal RedrawDec 12, 2019