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) | – | 82 | 10 |
| All-time Steam reviews | 91% | 85 | 610 |
| Metacritic user ratings | – | – | 0 |
| Post-patch Steam reviews (trust-weighted) | 100% | 97 | 2 |
| Calibration prior (typical game) | – | 72 | 50 |
Scoring window: last 30 days (no significant patch detected) · 5 reviews sampled · 6 total reviews in window · weighted 2.3 up / 0 down · computed 3h ago · full methodology →
Press & Creators reviews (16)
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.
- 80
“[Umurangi Generation's] unfolding story, unnerving setting and atmosphere, hip soundtrack, and simple breezy gameplay are enough to make this an adventure that stands out amidst its indie peers.”
read full review ↗ - 50
“Put the neat PS1-era retro visuals, its strong atmosphere, and the meaty and fits-like-a-glove OST aside, and what's left is a first-person photography sim that's charming, but not fun. Exploration should be engrossing and challenging, but is just boring and unpolished, and taking photos, basically the core of whole thing, is an unimaginative chore that doesn't put your skills to the test - it just puts you to sleep. It's hard to hate this, though, as it's an obvious labour of love that simply didn't manage to be as entertaining as it could be.”
read full review ↗ - 75
“It's still enjoyable to play on Switch, but you do have to deal with compromises in both handheld and docked mode. However, look past these issues and you'll find a unique indie photography game that stands on its own and tackles a story that goes beyond the basic photographer-experience. It's definitely a game that should be preserved for future generations.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Photography opens up a complex world of timely, timeless narrative.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“An acute reflection of recent crises, Umurangi Generation is an excellent glimpse into a dystopian future that's looming all too close.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Under its bleak red skies, Umurangi Generation is scrappy at times, but it's also a bold photography sandbox game that isn't afraid to fill each frame of your lens with stark warnings of a world at crisis point. It's more than a game about capturing a good shot, but captures the very times we live in.”
read full review ↗ - 95
“You should play this game because it’s a good game, and could actually teach you something about photography. But if you looked at the last year and felt ambivalent about it all, maybe there’s a lot more you can learn from the red sky generation.”
read full review ↗ - 55
“Umurangi Generation is a game with a lot of worthwhile things to say but the miserable state of optimization in the Special Edition make this Switch rerelease an experience which is difficult to recommend. Although the inclusion of the previously separate Macro story DLC may seem an appealing prospect, players with any degree of access to a capable PC should under no circumstances purchase this vastly inferior port.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Umurangi Generation is a stirringly unique look at the end of the world. It’s a creative toolbox that presents you with an endless stream of inspiration. It’s a story that resonates deeply with the world we live in. It’s a damn good video game, and you should play it.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“Although the subject matter is dark, the tone is devastating, and the outlook initially bleak, I firmly believe that anyone over the age of 12 should play this game. Many will cite Animal Crossing: New Horizons as their game of the pandemic, and with 200 hours of playtime, I’d have likely done the same. However, having recently played through Umurangi Generation, it is this that will stick with me in the years that follow.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“Umurangi Generation's camera granted players the agency to capture a despairing world and reframe it however they pleased. Macro expands this objective across four profoundly photogenic locales and tosses in a giddying pair of roller skates. Vicious social commentary, newly material to 2020's unique ills, serves as a compliment to Umurangi Generation's existential dread and completes one of the most powerful and relevant games assigned to this cursed year.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“While not the definitive way to play Umurangi Generation, this is still a stunning game. With a unique vision of the future, informed in part by current times, it has a strong message, delivered with fascinating gameplay and unique style. If you have the option to play on PC, I would recommend doing so. If not, however, Umurangi Generation is well worth your time on any platform. This is a deeply felt game tailor-made for our times.”
read full review ↗
Kakuchopurei
Cubed3
NintendoWorldReport
Eurogamer
GameSpot
TheSixthAxis
JumpCut PLAY
TechRaptor
Gaming Fyx
Rapid Reviews UK
Digital Chumps
Hey Poor Player…and 4 more tracked reviews.
Patch history
- A long overdue patchMay 30, 2022significant · resets scoring window
- Casual Patch 12/10/2021Oct 12, 2021significant · resets scoring window
- PC Patch Notes 1.16Sep 6, 2021significant · resets scoring window
- Umurangi Generation Update June 2021Jun 8, 2021significant · resets scoring window
- Hot Fix 3Aug 24, 2020significant · resets scoring window
- Hot Fix 2Jun 16, 2020
- Hot fix notes [ENG]May 27, 2020significant · resets scoring window