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) | – | 88 | 29 |
| Creator reviews (2 tracked) | – | 88 | 1 |
| All-time Steam reviews | 84% | 77 | 1000 |
| Metacritic user ratings | – | 78 | 22 |
| Post-patch Steam reviews (trust-weighted) | 80% | 74 | 6 |
| Calibration prior (typical game) | – | 72 | 50 |
Scoring window: last 30 days (no significant patch detected) · 16 reviews sampled · 11 total reviews in window · weighted 9 up / 2.2 down · computed 2h ago · full methodology →
Press & Creators reviews (108)
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.
- 90
“Owlboy may have a few annoying navigational hangups, but none are enough to counter the overwhelming magic of the adventure at hand. Beautiful in both a visual and aural sense, littered with lovely characters, and home to a number of jawdropping combat encounters, Owlboy is a game almost ten years in the making that doesn’t show a trace of development hell. D-Pad made a game to be proud of, and it’s one I have no problem recommending.”
read full review ↗ - 95
“Owlboy is an awesome game with an amazing soundtrack, classic feel, and relatable characters.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Beautifully crafted adventure game. Some of the best pixel graphics to come out as of late and with a fantastic soundtrack to match.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“The warm atmosphere of the fairy tale, reminiscent of Hayao Miyazaki's movies and Team ICO's games, great gameplay in the best traditions of classics from Nintendo and a stunning soundtrack make Owlboy one of the most interesting independent projects in the gaming industry of recent years.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“Owlboy is a three-pronged attack of success: the gameplay is tight, satisfying, and remains fresh throughout; the game's world is visually stunning thanks to some truly masterful pixel art; and you'll find yourself really caring about the cast of characters and the world surrounding them thanks to a compelling storyline and background lore. The game could be improved with the inclusion of map to aid exploration, but when that is the only real thing we can pick at as a negative point it is clear that we're on to a winner.This is a game that is absolutely worth your time; if anything we've mentioned above has you even remotely intrigued by this game, we urge you to consider giving it a go.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“An engaging, enjoyable action-platformer with a strong story, a neat partner mechanic, a masterful soundtrack, and some opulent pixel art.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Overall I had a fabulous time playing through Owlboy, and the fact that it surprised me with some regularity was a huge bonus. While most indie titles tend to move in the direction of a very specific style of play it manages to be a little more diverse, helping it stand out among its peers beyond its good looks. Throw on a non-traditional story and hero and you have a game that doesn’t get everything right but that, without question, invested a great deal of effort in being notable.”
read full review ↗ - 85
“In summary, Owlboy is a near-perfect retro adventure that doesn’t emulate classic 16-bit titles so much as it gives us what we remember them to be. Sprawling and epic, even in the confines of a 2D plane, full of likeable protagonists, nefarious villains, tough encounters, and an uplifting story that you’ll walk away from satisfied.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“Owlboy is impressive if anything for its amazing visuals and animation. The gameplay gets by thanks to it being competent enough, but won't really inspire anyone. This is a pretty straightforward 2D action-adventure game that does a bit more heart than the average. Do not expect much replay value since it seems the developers poured their heart and soul into the main story and could not spare much more to have side content or any diversions to mix up the action. Also, do not go in expecting a metroidvania, because it is not.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“All told, Owlboy is a delightful game full to bursting with character. Otus' bittersweet tale is engrossing, the supporting cast is consistently charming, and there's an admirable level of polish across the board. From its stunning visuals and soundtrack to its fun, responsive gameplay, Owlboy is rock solid from top to bottom. It took them 10 years, but D-Pad Studio has created one of the best 2D adventure titles in recent memory.”
read full review ↗ - 95
“Although the game has been under construction for nine years, the quality of the final product shows that the creators have spent all their effort and obsession to create a memorable game during this time, and the result is a work whose impact remains in the gamer's mind for a long time.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“Owlboy is a joy to play from start to finish and, on top of that, a sensational audio-visual experience. It may be just a hunch, but I think this great adventure will be remembered fondly as a classic in years to come.”
read full review ↗
The Jimquisition
Pure Nintendo
cublikefoot
GameMAG
Nintendo Life
VGChartz
Nindie Spotlight
Nexus Hub
Cubed3
Push Square
Zoomg…and 96 more tracked reviews.
Patch history
- Owlboy Patch 25th of May 2022May 25, 2022
- Owlboy Patch 4th of May 2022May 4, 2022
- Owlboy Patch 2nd May 2022May 2, 2022
- Owlboy Patch 28th Apr 2022Apr 28, 2022
- Hotfixing the hotfix! Version 1.3.6613.28019Feb 8, 2018
- Hotfixing the hotfix! Version 1.3.6613.28019Feb 8, 2018
- Minor hotfix - version 1.3.6612.16848Feb 7, 2018
- Minor hotfix - version 1.3.6612.16848Feb 7, 2018
- Beta & Alpha Update!Nov 22, 2017significant · resets scoring window
- Beta & Alpha Update!Nov 22, 2017significant · resets scoring window
- Minor hotfix - version 1.3.6515.23925Nov 2, 2017
- Minor hotfix - version 1.3.6515.23925Nov 2, 2017
- D-Pad Bonanza: Owlboy Language Update!Nov 1, 2017
- D-Pad Bonanza: Owlboy Language Update!Nov 1, 2017
- Minor bugfixing update - 1.2.6380.40070Jun 20, 2017
- Minor bugfixing update - 1.2.6380.40070Jun 20, 2017
- Owlboy For Mac And Linux!Jan 26, 2017
- Boguin Cannon Race Update! - v1.1.6233.23511Jan 23, 2017
- Boguin Cannon Race Update! - v1.1.6233.23511Jan 23, 2017significant · resets scoring window
- Version 0.0.6211.37502 - minor hotfixJan 3, 2017
- Version 0.0.6211.37502 - minor hotfixJan 3, 2017
- Now Testing - The Boguin Cannon UpdateDec 13, 2016
- Now Testing - The Boguin Cannon UpdateDec 13, 2016
- Version 0.0.6184.23706 - Save system updateDec 6, 2016
- Version 0.0.6184.23706 - Save system updateDec 6, 2016significant · resets scoring window
- Version 0.0.6158.30868Nov 10, 2016
- Version 0.0.6158.30868Nov 10, 2016