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Fatum Betula

Fatum Betula

Bryce Bucher · released Jun 19, 2020

AdventureCasualIndiePCXbox OneNintendo Switch

Placed in a world without change, you must create fate by watering an ancient plant. Determine a future and live with it.

88
VGC Score
Decliningmedium confidence +10 since launch

launched at 78, updates lifted it to 88

78%
At launch
96%
Steam all-time
65%
Press
92%
Recent sentiment

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.

ComponentPositiveQuality (0-100)Weight (pseudo-reviews)
Press reviews (Metacritic)6512
All-time Steam reviews96%91590
Metacritic user ratings0
Post-patch Steam reviews (trust-weighted)92%864
Calibration prior (typical game)7250

Acclaim gate: the raw blend lands at 88.7, but scores above 88 must be earned in front of a mass audience; this verdict rests on 1,185 player reviews, a largely self-selected fanbase. As more players weigh in, the ceiling rises (full scale unlocks at 100,000 reviews).

Scoring window: last 30 days (no significant patch detected) · 11 reviews sampled · 10 total reviews in window · weighted 3.6 up / 0.3 down · computed 2h ago · full methodology →

Press & Creators reviews (4)

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
    trust 65Feb 10, 2022

    As a player, Fatum Betula hosts fulfilling gameplay, rewarding exploration with an atmosphere of thick nostalgia and childhood fear. As a curator, it is a brief exploration into auteur theory, and that direction is never necessarily important, only context.

    read full review ↗
  • 60
    trust 61Jan 28, 2022

    Again, I appreciated the retro visual style, and for all the weirdness of the experience I found myself wanting to see what the next ending would bring. That it is so short to run through is a blessing, but once more I’m not sure I could recommend this to anyone who isn’t really into esoteric, indie experiences.

    read full review ↗
  • 50
    trust 57May 9, 2022

    Fatum Betula is a strange game geared towards a very specific niche. I can’t say I’m in that niche, but if you are, it’s probably going to be right up your alley.

    read full review ↗
  • 70
    trust 52Jan 31, 2022

    Fatum Betula is a game - and an experience - that feels old school yet completely new and unique in the same breath. The lack of guidance is something that will split the gaming community, but it must be agreed that the surreal visual design is fascinating, disturbing, and brilliantly designed.

    read full review ↗

Patch history