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) | – | 65 | 58 |
| All-time Steam reviews | 59% | 59 | 589 |
| Metacritic user ratings | – | – | 0 |
| Post-patch Steam reviews (trust-weighted) | 58% | 58 | 2 |
| Calibration prior (typical game) | – | 72 | 50 |
Scoring window: last 30 days (no significant patch detected) · 6 reviews sampled · 4 total reviews in window · weighted 2.3 up / 1.7 down · computed 2h ago · full methodology →
Press & Creators reviews (90)
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.
- 50
“Windbound is an exploration game whose sense of exploration is painfully rigid.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“Windbound is most certainly not the Zelda-lite adventure that you may have expected it to be, but it still manages to pull off an impressively well-made survival experience that's fun to roam around in for a few hours. The open-ended progression, pleasing art style, and relaxing pace make this one an easy recommendation for fans of the survival genre, though it's held back from greatness due to issues with repetition. Still, it's tough to go wrong with what's on offer here; you might want to give this one a look.”
read full review ↗ - 40
“Whatever potential Windbound had went down with the ship.”
read full review ↗ - 85
“Starting out with an admission I’ll say that, in general, I’m not typically an automatic fan of survival games...”
read full review ↗ - 60
“The start of Windbound feels very promising - the world looks beautiful, the sailing wonderful, and the development of the crafting system well done. However, after the first few hours, things start to fall apart. The repetitive nature and lack of growth of the core mechanics really hold it back from what it could have been. There's still an enjoyable experience here, but it is obvious it could be so much more, and ultimately feels a little unfinished. This is only the second game to come from indie developer 5 Lives Studios, and it's exciting to see what the team comes up with next.”
read full review ↗ - 65
“Windbound has lovely visuals and some solid ideas. But it's held back by how old the game's loop gets. Plus, the sailing is so slow and janky that it really . . . takes the wind out of the game's sails. Okay, I'm sorry about that one.”
read full review ↗ - 65
“Windbound shines at first glance for its beautiful landscapes and a mix of survival themes with good sea-navigation mechanics, yet it falls short putting these ingredients into action. It's a game that becomes fun if you manage to overcome the learning curve, but it becomes very tedious and frustrating after a few hours.”
read full review ↗ - 85
“undefined.Windbound succeeds in how it balances so many different elements. Sometimes it can get precarious - sailing definitely had some moments of exasperation - but more often than not, the world of the game was in harmony, with exploration feeding into crafting, combat leading to rewarding resources, and sailing providing the calm middle. Every aspect works together to provide a winning, endearing experience that makes Windbound a special game on the Switch, especially if you're looking for a survival game with a little bit of Zelda.”
read full review ↗ - 60
“Windbound is a fantastic adventure wrapped in a questionable package.”
read full review ↗ - 60
“In the end, after figuring out every Chapter was essentially second verse, same as the first, I stopped exploring. I stopped trying to get better gear. All I needed was enough food to keep me alive as I sail from one island to the next, climbing towers, activating beacons, rinse, and repeat.”
read full review ↗ - 68
“So overall, Windbound is a lighter survival experience that I would recommend if you’re looking for a more relaxing experience. Regardless of the modes, there’s never anything that will outright destroy your rafts or kill you because you landed on its island. Taken at your own pace, this is perfect for those quiet Sunday afternoons where you have nothing planned and simply want to listen to the sounds of the waves or some light ambient music.”
read full review ↗ - 40
“Windbound has a promising survival‑adventure concept, but its repetitive structure, technical issues, and frustrating sailing mechanics drain the joy out of the experience. Frequent crashes and poor guidance ultimately make the game more exhausting than rewarding. Hopefully some updates fix the biggest issues.”
read full review ↗
Slant Magazine
Nintendo Life
VGChartz
Nindie Spotlight
Cubed3
PC Invasion
LevelUp
NintendoWorldReport
ZTGD
Siliconera
Chalgyr's Game Room
KonsoliFIN…and 78 more tracked reviews.
Patch history
- Windbound's Third DLC - Out Now (and Free)Feb 18, 2021significant · resets scoring window
- Windbound's Second DLC - Out Now (and Free)Dec 21, 2020significant · resets scoring window
- Windbound's First DLC - Out Now (and Free)Oct 30, 2020significant · resets scoring window
- Windbound Update 2 – September 2020Sep 23, 2020