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) | – | 68 | 19 |
| All-time Steam reviews | 93% | 87 | 692 |
| Metacritic user ratings | – | – | 0 |
| Post-patch Steam reviews (trust-weighted) | 100% | 97 | 3 |
| Calibration prior (typical game) | – | 72 | 50 |
Scoring window: last 30 days (no significant patch detected) · 9 reviews sampled · 8 total reviews in window · weighted 8.6 up / 0 down · computed 2h ago · full methodology →
Press & Creators reviews (34)
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
“Great art, great music, gameplay that actually doesn’t feel like a distraction from the main story, and a story that’s both unique and well-written. The two games have a lot going for them and the fact that they’re actually decent PC ports is also a nice bonus. It’s about time we got them on PC and now it’s just a wait to complete the trilogy with the release of Prelude to the Fallen.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“While the visual novel elements far outweigh its strategy side, the story - despite being sequel bait - had us enthralled till the very end. If you're looking to try something out of the ordinary, Mask of Deception is a fun romp. We would however suggest picking it up with along its sequel when that hits later in the year, rather than leaving the story halfway.”
read full review ↗ - 60
“When things finally get going in the second half, it suddenly becomes a much more engaging experience, but the change will come too late for many.”
read full review ↗ - 60
“Yet while its objective flaws stand out, they don’t weigh Mask of Deception down quite enough to diminish its entertainment value. It lands awkwardly between a serious SRPG-VN and a quirky Aiun-inspired harem anime a mere stone’s throw from its eroge origins, yes. But will that do anything to turn off its target demographic? Probably not.”
read full review ↗ - 60
“Overall, I found Mask of Deception to be a slow affair with big chunks of the game being text-based and the battle sections few and far between. I’ve played a few other VN’s in the past so I knew what to expect but I wasn’t expecting it to be that text-heavy. There were moments where I’ve set the text to autoplay, and I’ve not touched the controller for a few hours. The battle sections are very enjoyable to play, although at first, they can be quite confusing to understand. Mask of Deception isn’t a bad game, the story is very enjoyable, blending in humour and seriousness very well, and the artwork along with the background music are some of the best I’ve seen in a Japanese game.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Go in expecting a chill visual novel and not a grand strategy epic, and you’ll have a good time. There’s a lot here to like, so long as you don’t mind your strategy games with more drinking parties than battles.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“Utawarerumono: Mask of Deception is an amazing game and after playing it I understand why it got so much praise over seas. It was funny, exciting, charming, and so much more. I cannot wait for the second part to come here. If you are looking for a game that has a great sense of humor and amazing gameplay all throughout this is the one I would recommend. It is also one of those games that I had a hard time even trying to find a flaw with. It was great being able to have a refreshing experience that you were able to just sit back and really enjoy everything it offered without being overwhelmed or feel like there's just so much to do and so little time. By far one of the better games I have played so far this year.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“Jump into Utawarerumono: Mask of Deception expecting a traditional Japanese visual novel experience, and you'll no doubt be a little disappointed… but look past its intermittent battle sections and there's a fulfilling character-driven tale just waiting to be uncovered.”
read full review ↗ - 60
“Utawarerumono: Mask Of Deception is an old fashioned visual novel. The main story gets lost between all the badly written erotic content and the necesity of showing girls in non-natural position just for the fans.”
read full review ↗ - 85
“In the end, this game is pretty out there in terms of it doing what it’s doing, as while the SRPG elements are good, there are so few far in between the amount of good yet bloated story content there is it feels like there’s no real point these SRPG parts. That said though, the SRPG elements while not terribly difficult, are certainly fun to play.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“I have to admit I was disappointed at first and then found myself absolutely loving it.”
read full review ↗ - 72
“Utawarerumono: Mask of Deception functions well as a visual novel. Unfortunately, the rest of the game suffers, with a battle system devoid of difficulty or punishment and an agonizingly slow start. Be prepared for hours of boredom before getting to the good parts.”
read full review ↗
cublikefoot
Gadgets 360
RPGamer
Gamer Escape
Japan Curiosity
JRPG.moe
Level Down Games
GameSpew
IGN
Gaming Gamma
PowerUp!
RPG Fan…and 22 more tracked reviews.
Patch history
No patch announcements found on Steam yet.