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) | – | 80 | 61 |
| Creator reviews (1 tracked) | – | 90 | 1 |
| All-time Steam reviews | 92% | 86 | 1000 |
| Metacritic user ratings | – | – | 0 |
| Post-patch Steam reviews (trust-weighted) | 94% | 89 | 7 |
| Calibration prior (typical game) | – | 72 | 50 |
Scoring window: last 30 days (no significant patch detected) · 19 reviews sampled · 20 total reviews in window · weighted 8.7 up / 0.5 down · computed 2h ago · full methodology →
Press & Creators reviews (76)
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.
- 70
“The Artful Escape is a wonderful four-hour musical performance with some epic guitar solos and an incredible visuals.”
read full review ↗ - 85
“Putting the gamepad down, I want to turn on Van Halen, grab an air guitar and dash for the stars.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“The Artful Escape is a thrill. It's true that the most joyous bits of action are underused, in terms of both playtime and what they could give the story, and some scarce but present graphical issues on Switch are a shame. Overall, though, the strengths are major, the niggles minor, and it will strike a chord with any pipe-dreaming rock star.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“I love the messaging and narrative of The Artful Escape. But as a game, it’s just a few steps above being a vapid walking simulator. Still, you shouldn’t miss out on this gem of a tale featuring space trips and sick riffs.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“One opportunity that the smaller teams and budgets behind typical indie games have is to take bigger risks, either blending together or warping genres to create experiences that are difficult to categorize...”
read full review ↗ - 80
“It's also worth mentioning there are some substantial performance issues. The frame rate dropped considerably fairly often, pulling us out of its gorgeous world. There were also a few occasions where dialogue on the screen was not voiced, which felt very odd. However, these issues aside, The Artful Escape is absolutely an adventure worth taking. It contains some magical moments, an engaging narrative and the best soundtrack in a game all year. It doesn't always hit the mark, but when it does, it smashes it out of the park.”
read full review ↗ - 85
“Overall, The Artful Escape isn't a long journey, nor is it a short one. It’s the “just right” sort of journey that you really want to see with a game like this, and I very much enjoyed my time with it.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“Here we have a game that I can say should be played at least once by everyone who loves their games relaxing and that will bring a smile to your face with every twist and turn. The only downside is that anyone who hates music will struggle here but I suspect that may be a mere few. Annapurna Interactive has delivered a delightful game, a fabulous game, a psychedelic adventure that simply is an experience to behold and then some. Psychedelic supremacy has arrived. Now, where’s my Fender?!”
read full review ↗ - 70
“The adventure does ultimately end up being a worthwhile one, with interesting characters, an incredible art style, and great music. But if there were more to the gameplay, the game, and its world, could have offered so much more.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Francis's story is memorable and powerful, and the environments he shreds through are truly a sight to behold. People who enjoy the aesthetics of artists like the late David Bowie should absolutely give this game a look, especially if they also happen to be musicians themselves. You might learn a bit about what you actually want for yourself in life and become inspired to visit a Cosmic Extraordinary of your own.”
read full review ↗ - 84
“The Artful Escape is a narratively daring game, original and unique in its artistic section, and with a sound treatment both in the soundtrack and in the casting of stellar voices. Although it has flaws that may detract from its attractiveness for many users, it is a highly recommended title and that, in one way or another, will be recorded on your retina.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“It is a space opera full of beautiful visuals that you can't take your eyes off. If you don't mind action and enjoy it as if watching SF movie, it will totally satisfy you so much.”
read full review ↗
GameMAG
3DNews
Nintendo Life
Kakuchopurei
Nindie Spotlight
Pure Xbox
Prima Games
Last Word on Gaming
Push Square
NintendoWorldReport
SomosXbox
INVEN…and 64 more tracked reviews.
Patch history
No patch announcements found on Steam yet.