Screenshots & trailers
What players say
Why the number is what it is: aspect mentions counted across 369 sampled Steam reviews (293 positive / 76 negative), recent and most-helpful. Plain keyword counting, fully reproducible; nothing here is written by a machine.
What positive reviews talk about
- Progression & loot14% mention it
- Grind & repetition11% mention it
- World & exploration11% mention it
- Visuals & art10% mention it
- Story & writing6% mention it
What negative reviews complain about
- Bugs & crashes33% mention it
- Grind & repetition24% mention it
- Performance22% mention it
- Controls & UI22% mention it
- Visuals & art18% mention it
Satisfaction by hours played
Same score, different games: see how sentiment holds up the longer people play.
Under 5h
49%
35 reviews
5-15h
79%
39 reviews
15-40h
80%
79 reviews
40-100h
83%
101 reviews
100h+
85%
115 reviews
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) | – | 69 | 14 |
| All-time Steam reviews | 75% | 70 | 1000 |
| Metacritic user ratings | – | – | 0 |
| Post-patch Steam reviews (trust-weighted) | 81% | 75 | 1208 |
| Calibration prior (typical game) | – | 72 | 50 |
Scoring window: since the last significant patch (Aug 27, 2026) · 144 reviews sampled · 1208 total reviews in window · weighted 88.8 up / 26.2 down · computed 2h ago · full methodology →
Press & Creators reviews (24)
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.
- 30
“Icarus has an interesting concept that could work in the future, but now? At the stage the game is at, there is nothing more to talk about than the early beta phase of an interesting project that may one day be more than just a survival title.”
read full review ↗ - 40
“Unfinished, buggy, and broken, Icarus should not have released at this stage. With mind-numbing repetition and baffling design decisions, it's a survival game that's more frustrating than challenging.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“As I said about Icarus is a hardcore game, the systems and how they interact with each other is quite deep. This isn’t the easy-going experience of Ark, and with little to no direction given to players, I can see players being turned off. And then there is the terrible UI system; as I said above Icarus had received updates during the review period so hope remains strong that the developers can yet address these issues.”
read full review ↗ - 68
“Icarus arrives on consoles and sets the tone straight away: forget about relaxing strolls; this is a survival game from Dean Hall featuring a magnetic yet ruthless gameplay loop, where devastating storms and ferocious predators will keep you constantly on your toes. Planning every move to survive the relentless environmental physics will give you an unrivalled adrenaline rush. However, be prepared to battle against a technical side that’s still a bit shaky: noticeable frame drops, clunky menus and a truly slow early-game farming phase risk melting your wax wings before their time. Despite these flaws and a bestiary that is at times inconsistent, Icarus remains a fascinating hardcore experience, recommended without reservation to veterans of the genre; novices, however, are warned: the fall could be disastrous.”
read full review ↗ - 75
“Icarus is a solid survival game, especially with friends. The threat of running out of oxygen is a welcome addition to the genre, as many survival games don't take place on a planet that failed terraforming. The lack of some direction may throw off newcomers, as well as some poor UI choices, but genre die-hards will almost find this game cozy at times, given the freedom to go it alone or with three other friends. Icarus shows the genre still has a lot of life in it, provided you can survive the night.”
read full review ↗ - 60
“ICARUS is a good survival game that is held back by the way technology is effectively time-gated behind levelling up. The actual experience of playing is good, provided you can ignore a handful of bugs, deal with the UI, and don't mind burning time for the sake of earning XP.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“ICARUS: Console Edition is a good game with a port that still needs room to grow. If you have the patience for its brutal onboarding, a willingness to learn systems through trial and error or external guides, and preferably friends for co-op, you’ll find hundreds of hours of genuinely satisfying alien survival.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“Despite the many flaws, the superior picture quality and solid basic experience make ICARUS still have a lot of potential.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Icarus is a great survival video game, and it is certainly good on consoles. It delivers a breathtaking view of the world and a challenging survival experience. However, the UI design on consoles is still terrific and confusing initially. Moreover, the progression in Icarus is a bit grindy. If you are a Solo player, then you might not crave it. Icarus is more fun with your friends, so I strongly recommend that you play with your friends to have fun and progress simultaneously.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“Icarus arrives on consoles offering a challenging and immersive extraction survival experience, delivering on its promise of a hostile alien world. The deep progression system and varied game modes, including missions, open world, and outposts, provide substantial content. However, the console adaptation suffers from a frustratingly poor interface with a slow cursor and tiny icons, hindering inventory management and crafting. Graphical fidelity is reduced compared to PC, with frame rate drops and texture pop-ins. Cooperative play is highly recommended to mitigate the difficulty.”
read full review ↗ - 60
“ICARUS: Console Edition is a compelling survival game wrapped in an unfriendly welcome mat. If you can push through the opaque start, there’s a rewarding, systems-heavy experience underneath, but it really needs a better on-ramp.”
read full review ↗ - 40
“This version of ICARUS just isn’t for me. Hopefully things will improve over time for the console port. The game looks great and like it probably has a lot of enjoyable things in it, but the awkward controls, interface, and failure to just naturally feel playable on the console aren’t going to keep me around. ICARUS on PS5 is going to be a Thumb Culture Bronze Award from me.”
read full review ↗
INDIANTVCZ
PC Invasion
ZTGD
Analog Stick Gaming
TheSixthAxis
GameHall
Gamersky
Rectify Gaming
Entertainment Geekly
Thumb Culture…and 12 more tracked reviews.
Patch history
- Icarus Week 247 Update | Slinker SaddlesAug 27, 2026significant · resets scoring window
- Icarus Week 246 Update | Metal Weapon RackAug 20, 2026significant · resets scoring window
- Icarus Week 245 Update | Tusker Breeding & PhenotypesAug 13, 2026significant · resets scoring window
- Icarus Week 244 Update | In-World FishAug 6, 2026significant · resets scoring window
- Icarus Week 243 Update | Livewire RevampJul 30, 2026significant · resets scoring window
- Icarus Week 242 Update | Workshop FlashlightJul 24, 2026significant · resets scoring window
- Icarus Week 241 Update | Single Barrel LauncherJul 17, 2026significant · resets scoring window
- Icarus Week 240 Update | Foundry UpdateJul 10, 2026significant · resets scoring window
- Icarus Week 239 Update | MXC Oxite DissolverJul 3, 2026significant · resets scoring window
- Icarus Week 238 Update | Cured Leather BackpackJun 25, 2026significant · resets scoring window
- Icarus Week 237 Update | Expanded Norex TraderJun 18, 2026significant · resets scoring window
- Icarus Week 236 Update | Ubis Husbandry & PhenotypesJun 12, 2026significant · resets scoring window
- Icarus Week 235 Update | Deep Cycler & Obsidian VeinsJun 5, 2026significant · resets scoring window
- Icarus Week 234 Update | Curved Building & Railing UpdateMay 29, 2026significant · resets scoring window
- Icarus Week 233 Update | Timber Extraction UnitMay 22, 2026significant · resets scoring window
- Icarus Week 232 Update | Gribbler HusbandryMay 14, 2026significant · resets scoring window
- Icarus Week 231 | New Unique Fish & OptimizationMay 8, 2026significant · resets scoring window
- Icarus Week 230 Update | Boar Husbandry & Tame SlaughteringMay 1, 2026significant · resets scoring window
- Icarus Week 229 Update | Atmospheric UpdateApr 24, 2026significant · resets scoring window
- Icarus Week 228 Update | Ruby Resource PackApr 17, 2026significant · resets scoring window
- Icarus Week 227 Update | Repair Bench QoLApr 10, 2026significant · resets scoring window
- Icarus Week 226 Update | Workshop ModulesApr 3, 2026significant · resets scoring window
- Icarus Week 225 Update | Bull CartsMar 27, 2026significant · resets scoring window
- Icarus Week 224 Update | Forest Wolf HusbandryMar 19, 2026significant · resets scoring window
- Icarus Week 223 Update | Dangerous Horizons & Kepler fixesMar 13, 2026significant · resets scoring window
- Icarus Dangerous Horizons Expansion & Free Kepler UpdateMar 5, 2026significant · resets scoring window
- Hotfix Version: 2.4.1.149492-rel-HomesteadFeb 27, 2026
- Hotfix Version: 2.4.1.149477-rel-HomesteadFeb 27, 2026
- Icarus Week 221 Update | Mendel/Homestead FixesFeb 27, 2026significant · resets scoring window
- Hotfix Version: 2.4.0.149177-rel-HomesteadFeb 22, 2026
- Hotfix Version: 2.4.0.149162-rel-HomesteadFeb 20, 2026
- Icarus Week 220 Update | MendelFeb 20, 2026significant · resets scoring window
- Icarus Week 219 Update | New Workshop SicklesFeb 13, 2026significant · resets scoring window
…and 57 earlier patch announcements.