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) | – | 73 | 82 |
| All-time Steam reviews | 89% | 83 | 1000 |
| Metacritic user ratings | – | – | 0 |
| Post-patch Steam reviews (trust-weighted) | 89% | 83 | 42 |
| Calibration prior (typical game) | – | 72 | 50 |
Scoring window: last 30 days (no significant patch detected) · 120 reviews sampled · 82 total reviews in window · weighted 64 up / 7.9 down · computed 2h ago · full methodology →
Press & Creators reviews (120)
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.
- 75
“This is a solid, well-written entry in the Dark Pictures Anthology, typified by excellent characterization for Jason and Salim. It may not be the best game of the year, but like an old acquaintance who drops by around the holidays, this is a welcome distraction and a fun way to pass some time.”
read full review ↗ - 50
“House of Ashes is the third and the worst instalment of The Dark Pictures, which makes us think that the whole anthology will end prematurely.”
read full review ↗ - 20
“It doesn’t help that House of Ashes tends toward monotony. Much of the game is spent slowly exploring dark caves, sometimes the exact same ones, except with different characters. Too often you may find yourself trying to shake off tedium by trying to interact with something only to inadvertently activate a protagonist’s death. Or a jump scare might shake you out of it, but given how telegraphed they are, the game’s horror ends up being as ineffective as the story, which is given over to Aqua Teen Hunger Force-like levels of deranged non-sequitur plotting. While the prior games in this series never reached the heights of Until Dawn, they didn’t lack for disturbing and memorable imagery. By contrast, this game’s non-human baddies are so over-designed and uninspired that they never jangle the player’s nerves.”
read full review ↗ - 75
“The Dark Pictures Anthology: House of Ashes is a well-crafted story game with a dark and mythological touch. Your decisions really affect the survival or death of individual characters and the plot of the story. This adventure lasts around six hours, and you'll have to replay the story a few times if you want to explore other storylines. You can play through the game solo or with your friends, in both local and online co-op.”
read full review ↗ - 85
“I really enjoyed my time with House of Ashes, as I have done with the Dark Pictures titles thus far. Much like horror movies, they won’t be for everyone and there are certainly characters here too that fall into many of the known tropes we come to expect from the genre, but it’s setting, character choice, technical improvements and replayabilty makes it all a fun horror experience. I’m still aboard the Dark Pictures train and I can’t wait for the next entry that will hopefully hit us around the same time next year.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“While House of Ashes may fall just short of eclipsing Until Dawn's brilliance, it's easily the best entry in The Dark Pictures Anthology, representing that significant bump needed to move the genre forward in a meaningful way.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“Thanks to a likeable cast of fleshed-out characters, an immersive atmosphere drenched in evil and a gripping story with a sinister setting, it exceeds expectations and trumps the highs of Man of Medan, Little Hope and in some cases, even Until Dawn.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“The best part of the game is the abandonment of “war roles”; with Salim, the reluctant Iraqi soldier, and Jason Kolchek (Paul Zinno), an almost stereotypical, Iraqi hating U.S. soldier armed with a gun, a southern drawl and a “hooah” to complete the look, able to forge quite the admirable bromance, should you make the right choices and keep them alive. Together, they come to understand that there is more that unites them than divides them. Yes, one is a white American Christian and yes, the other is a devout Islamic Iraqi, but in the face of adversity, in the form of vampiric space aliens, they live the same and they die the same. This is a message for life: we are all human. In spite of being the third in an anthology of horror games, the underlying message is one of positive, unifying forces, despite all of the dangers present in this world we inhabit. This message, combined with the design, structure, acting and story of the game, makes it the best in the series so far. If you are looking for a fun way to spend a few hours with friends, complete with teamwork, panic and a tremendous amount of scares, then you should give House of Ashes a go. Though it will be a lesser experience, you can still enjoy this game on its own.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“In many ways, The Dark Pictures: House of Ashes is significantly better than its predecessors. One can even say that it's the most thrilling and action-packed offering from Supermassive Games. Unfortunately, it's also plagued by technical and design issues, as well as a borderline ridiculous twist.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“Gameplay-wise, not much has changed since Little Hope. You'll spend much of your time walking about, inspecting objects, talking to people, making decisions, and taking part in quick-time events. The formula works, and the six or seven hour running time means that the rudimentary controls don't outstay their welcome.”
read full review ↗ - 60
“A selection-driven fictional game series inspired by mean and entertaining horror films has two main tasks: to show the players the impact of their choices on storytelling and to scare them. So when such a product has faced serious weaknesses in presenting horror and even the right use of jump scares, it is simply to be accepted that it failed to achieve artistic success at all.”
read full review ↗ - 78
“Not a bad title. It is a very entertaining movie and you can see the effort behind its development, because despite its weaknesses it manages to be interesting. The close-ups of the faces of the characters and their animations are a sweet to the pupil, the performances are remarkable and it is respectful of the suspension of the disbelief it presents. The particular thing about House of Ashes is that its strengths are very high but its low points are too noticeable. If anyone is a fan of cinematic experiences this is a game worth trying. The solid parts of his speech, the world in which he takes place and his dialogues are rewarding, however he could have done more to be memorable. As a work, he is just like King Naram-Sim: buried by the weight of his ambition in those Sumerian ruins.”
read full review ↗
TheReviewGeek
GameMAG
Slant Magazine
Gaming Professors
ani-game.com
VGChartz
Nexus Hub
Last Word on Gaming
PC Invasion
Push Square
Zoomg
LevelUp…and 108 more tracked reviews.
Patch history
- Update – Revoked Game KeysOct 12, 2022
- Patch 1.04 is live 📜Nov 10, 2021
- Day 1 Patch 📝Oct 21, 2021