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) | – | 81 | 30 |
| All-time Steam reviews | 93% | 88 | 821 |
| Metacritic user ratings | – | – | 0 |
| Post-patch Steam reviews (trust-weighted) | 93% | 87 | 1473 |
| Calibration prior (typical game) | – | 72 | 50 |
Scoring window: since the last significant patch (Feb 13, 2026) · 300 reviews sampled · 1473 total reviews in window · weighted 151.3 up / 8.2 down · computed 2h ago · full methodology →
Press & Creators reviews (15)
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.
- 85
“Phonopolis is Amanita Design at their most technically ambitious and one of the most visually singular games released in 2026. In an age where AI-generated imagery is making handcrafted art feel like a deliberate protest statement, this cardboard dystopia built frame by painted frame has real weight as an artistic object. The puzzle design rewards tinkerers over logicians, the runtime is short, and the narrator will divide fans of the studio’s earlier wordless work. None of that changes what Phonopolis is: a beautiful, human, thoroughly considered piece of work from a studio that has been making these consistently for decades. Play the free demo first if the price is a concern. You’ll know within twenty minutes whether this is worth $22 of your time. It probably is.”
read full review ↗ - 65
“Amanita’s handmade charm shines through, even if Phonopolis’ uneven puzzle design holds it back.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Phonopolis is a vibrant and beautiful adventure game you can finish in one evening. Challenging enough to stay engaging, and just dark enough without losing its harmless sense of humor.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“Phonopolis has a derivative story and a brilliant art style, and you reach the credits because you want to see everything the developers have crafted. But the game barely comes close to matching Amanita's best releases.”
read full review ↗ - 85
“Phonopolis proves that Amanita Design is a master at creating distinctive worlds that are living mechanisms brimming with symbolism. The cardboard metropolis serves as both a metaphor and a playable space, blending hand-drawn art with digital rendering into a unique visual experience. The story of control, propaganda, and burgeoning resistance serves more as an atmospheric backdrop, but this makes the setting all the more powerful. Although the journey upward isn’t always smooth, the game as a whole leaves a strong impression of a world that refuses to be forgotten, even though the Absolute Tone has long since faded away.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“If you enjoy adventure games, original artistic design, or grew up playing games like Machinarium, you definitely shouldn't miss Phonopolis.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“An unconventional, visually striking and imaginative adventure that takes you through a city full of propaganda, mechanisms and strange characters. It's not long, but it offers plenty of good puzzles.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Phonopolis is another little gem from Amanita Design: a short, beautiful, and very special adventure that wins you over more with its personality, humor, and world than with the complexity of its puzzles. It’s unique and captivating, and above all, it knows how to genuinely entertain you throughout the entire journey.”
read full review ↗ - 87
“Phonopolis is an excellent example of a game constructed carefully in terms of its narrative, structural design, and gameplay. It bears the signature of Amanita Design but takes things in a very stylized manner. While the game can be loved or disliked, there is certainly enough material in it visually, audibly, and structurally to make it memorable.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Amanita has added yet another success to its impressive track record with Phonopolis. It's no easy feat to present a dystopian future through an adventure that's this vibrant and occasionally humorous, but Phonopolis pulls it off beautifully, delivering the experience alongside visuals that feel like works of art.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Phonopolis’s driving narrative force, Felix, is a lovable everyman kind of character. A bit too trusting, maybe, but a good-hearted, bumbling person that finds his way forward through the red tape of bureaucracy and injustice, much like most players will when roadblocked by some of the game’s truly stumping puzzles. A must-play for audiophiles, Phonopolis sings a memorable melody against the backdrop of intriguing game design that moves to its own drummer’s beat.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Phonopolis lasts around four to five hours, which feels like the perfect length for a game trying to communicate such meaningful themes while fully immersing the player in its audiovisual artistry. Not every puzzle is as polished as it could have been, but this is still a powerful and thoughtfully crafted indie title.”
read full review ↗
TheBigBois
TheReviewGeek
GameMAG
3DNews
Gaming Professors
SomGeek
SECTOR.sk
PCMGAMES
NoobFeed
Oyungezer Online
So Many Games
WayTooManyGames…and 3 more tracked reviews.
Patch history
- Phonopolis | 1.0.4 Patch NotesJun 8, 2026
- Phonopolis | 1.0.3 Patch NotesMay 28, 2026
- Phonopolis Demo - Update #2 (16 Languages Added)Feb 20, 2026
- Phonopolis Demo - Update #1Feb 13, 2026significant · resets scoring window