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Not For Broadcast

Not For Broadcast

NotGames · released Jan 25, 2022

AdventureIndieSimulation

A new political Party has won a landslide in the General Election, and for some reason the editor at the news station you work at has done a runner. Now it’s up to you, the Janitor, to take over the editing booth in this tumultuous time - will you help the government, or stand in their way?

Steam page ↗OpenCritic ↗
87
VGC Score
■Stablehigh confidence
88%
At launch
94%
Steam all-time
87%
Press
79%
Player sentiment
94%
Recent sentiment

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.

ComponentPositiveQuality (0-100)Weight (pseudo-reviews)
Press reviews (OpenCritic)–8716
All-time Steam reviews94%881000
Metacritic user ratings––0
Post-patch Steam reviews (trust-weighted)94%8835
Calibration prior (typical game)–7250

Scoring window: last 30 days (no significant patch detected) · 99 reviews sampled · 78 total reviews in window · weighted 64.1 up / 4.4 down · computed 6h ago · full methodology →

Press & Creators reviews (18)

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.

  • 100
    INDIANTVCZINDIANTVCZ
    trust 78Apr 12, 2022

    “Not For Broadcast is - in today's gaming industry - a fresh touch full of absurd humor, frustrating chaos, and surprisingly severe topics. If you are bothered by anything in the game, you can change everything in the settings, so you have no reason not to enjoy this title.”

    read full review ↗
  • 80
    Jump Dash RollJump Dash Roll
    trust 76Feb 11, 2022

    “Not For Broadcast isn't for everyone, but fans of 2013's Papers, Please will not find a better title on the market.”

    read full review ↗
  • 75
    ZTGDZTGD
    trust 68Apr 14, 2023

    “Not for Broadcast was a good time, while the later levels will test the reflexes of most due to the sheer number of things that are needed to juggle I never hated my time playing the game. The wit and humor here always managed to get a chuckle from me and the ability after each broadcast to replay your creation to see it uncut as the public did is a nice touch. Not for Broadcast feels quite timely as I said before with the amount of news that we see on any given day now, the developers managed to walk a line that won’t offend anyone but will instead get some laughs from them.”

    read full review ↗
  • 64
    GamesCreedGamesCreed
    trust 66Mar 31, 2023

    “Not For Broadcast does have its fun moments, you don’t get enough time to appreciate them, and the game ends up feeling more like a chore to play. However, the Not For Broadcast: Live & Spooky DLC throws away the dull and monotonous gameplay and replaces it with over-the-top spooky gags that actually make the game fun, even for a short while.”

    read full review ↗
  • 85
    Checkpoint GamingCheckpoint Gaming
    trust 66Feb 1, 2022

    “Not For Broadcast ambitiously challenges the player to reconsider their ethical framework, political values, and personal loyalties through its incredibly clever combination of stressful management sim gameplay and acid-tongued writing. It’s not for the faint of heart, but balances its dystopian terrors with biting satire. With exceptional performances from its cast, a unique and varied system of mechanics that changes with each broadcast, and tonnes of extra story content, any budding media mogul will be both delighted and horrified with all that Not For Broadcast has to offer.”

    read full review ↗
  • 80
    FingerGunsFingerGuns
    trust 66Apr 13, 2023

    “NotGames have commandeered the airwaves with Not For Broadcast. An immensely funny satirical romp through the lens of news broadcasting that really hasn’t been done before. Its specifically British tone might not click, but the surreal and poignant narrative is one to admire. The gameplay is overwhelming and it doesn’t develop, leaving me wanting more. However, if you like your FMVs and branching narratives, this one has it in spades.”

    read full review ↗
  • 95
    GameGrinGameGrin
    trust 65Feb 1, 2022

    “Quite possibly the best FMV game ever, Not For Broadcast had me both laughing and scrambling in a panic when the channel's viewership dropped. Even if you've never had any interest in FMV games before, Not For Broadcast will surely change your mind.”

    read full review ↗
  • 85
    PC GamerPC Gamer
    trust 64Feb 21, 2022

    “Deeply silly and all the better for it, the missed political targets really don't matter.”

    read full review ↗
  • 80
    GameSpewGameSpew
    trust 61Jan 20, 2022

    “Entertaining, funny and thought-provoking in all the right places, Not For Broadcast is a hugely engrossing foray into the nightly news arena. You’ll laugh your face off at times, but like the best satire, it’s also disquieting enough to have you uncomfortably squirming in your seat.”

    read full review ↗
  • 90
    Screen RantScreen Rant
    trust 61Jan 25, 2022

    “Not For Broadcast provides players with a seamless simulator experience, steadily building tension while maintaining constant satirical humor. The propaganda simulator is worthy of several playthroughs to unlock various endings and experience different dialogue, but the game’s humor is enough to make any player come back for more.”

    read full review ↗
  • 80
    WayTooManyGamesWayTooManyGames
    trust 60Mar 29, 2023

    “If like myself you’ve never played Not For Broadcast, and if you happen to own a VR device, then you are in for a treat. This might possibly be the ideal way to experience this sleeper hit from 2022. Not For Broadcast VR is a darkly humourous FMV game that puts you right in the middle of a propaganda wheel. It’s a textbook example of a VR conversion that makes excellent use of the technology in question to immerse you into its unique story.”

    read full review ↗
  • 95
    GameSpaceGameSpace
    trust 58Mar 4, 2020

    “Overall Not For Broadcast has a satirical story that is well written, dark and has some great acting in it. The core game of being the News Producer and editing everything on the fly is a really well-done sim that can at times be stressful as more things get introduced every level. I really enjoyed my time playing Not For Broadcast and was sad that is was over so soon, but I am excited to see how this all ends.”

    read full review ↗

…and 6 more tracked reviews.

Patch history

  1. Timeloop Hotfix
    Sep 4, 2024
  2. Timeloop Fix 1 - Patchnotes
    Sep 3, 2024
  3. Patch Notes 2023.03.29a
    Mar 30, 2023significant · resets scoring window
  4. Spiritjammer hotfix
    Mar 24, 2023
  5. Hotfix
    Mar 23, 2023
  6. Hotfix 2023.02.09a
    Feb 9, 2023
  7. Patch Notes 2023.02.07a
    Feb 7, 2023
  8. Hotfix 2023.01.26a
    Jan 26, 2023
  9. Patch 2023.01.24b - New Year, New Fixes and Optimisations
    Jan 24, 2023significant · resets scoring window
  10. Chinese Dubbing and Profile Update
    Mar 4, 2022
  11. 2022.03.03c Patch Notes - Chinese Dubbing
    Mar 3, 2022
  12. Week 1 Fixes Update
    Feb 7, 2022significant · resets scoring window
  13. Patch 2022.01.28b
    Jan 28, 2022significant · resets scoring window
  14. Hotfix January 26th, 2022
    Jan 26, 2022
  15. Challenge Accepted Patch II
    Oct 15, 2021
  16. Challenge Accepted! Day 1 Patch
    Oct 1, 2021
  17. The 'Challenge Accepted!' Update is OUT NOW!
    Sep 30, 2021
  18. A Tasty Patch
    Sep 7, 2021
  19. The 'Play Your Way' Update is OUT NOW
    Jun 3, 2021significant · resets scoring window
  20. Dubbing Update - Out Now!
    Mar 4, 2021
  21. Always Look On The Patched Side Of Life
    Feb 12, 2021significant · resets scoring window
  22. Another Week Another Patch
    Feb 5, 2021significant · resets scoring window
  23. Episode Two: The First Of Fixes
    Jan 29, 2021significant · resets scoring window
  24. Telethon Quality of Life Patch
    Oct 21, 2020
  25. Telethon Patch
    Sep 29, 2020
  26. The Telethon Update is coming on September 30th!
    Sep 17, 2020
  27. Community Update - Keeping You In The Loop
    Aug 28, 2020significant · resets scoring window
  28. Week 2 Update: Steam Cloud Support, Lockdown Rushes and MORE
    Jul 14, 2020
  29. Lockdown - Week 1 Patch
    Jun 30, 2020
  30. Store Tutorial Bug Fix
    Mar 5, 2020
  31. Tutorial Hangup Retry Patch
    Mar 2, 2020
  32. Hang Up The Tutorial!
    Feb 28, 2020