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) | – | 72 | 29 |
| All-time Steam reviews | 92% | 86 | 471 |
| Metacritic user ratings | – | – | 0 |
| Post-patch Steam reviews (trust-weighted) | 91% | 85 | 917 |
| Calibration prior (typical game) | – | 72 | 50 |
Scoring window: since the last significant patch (Jul 20, 2025) · 300 reviews sampled · 917 total reviews in window · weighted 256.5 up / 20.7 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.
- 60
“The Necromancer's Tale sets players up with a fantastic story and wonderful character interaction to drive its dark premise, but undermines it all with clunky controls and shallow turn-based combat. The narrative and puzzle solving will be worth it for some, but not on the Switch 2.”
read full review ↗ - 100
“The Necromancer's Tale is an RPG that moves away from power fantasy to rely on a masterful narrative where every decision has its price. It is an RPG experience that demands time, attention, and setting aside preconceptions such as the heroic figure of the protagonist. It is a title that offers a story that simmers slowly, where every decision, even the most insignificant ones, can have a notable impact on the story.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“The Necromancer's Tale is a game that isn’t afraid to go against the grain and offer an experience focused on the dark side of the human soul and the forbidden art of necromancy. Few games manage to portray the path of evil with such depth and conviction without resorting to cheap tricks or moral judgments. Here, you get the sense that being evil isn’t just an optional detour, but the true, main path. This title is primarily intended for those who appreciate a deep, well-crafted story, a complex system of choices with real consequences, and a willingness to immerse themselves in a dark fantasy atmosphere with a touch of historical realism. If you’re willing to overlook the fact that the combat system isn’t perfect and that the graphics aren’t at the cutting edge of technology, you’ll discover in *The Necromancer’s Tale* a gem that offers an unforgettable experience of descending into the snares of the deadly art and learning how a person becomes a necromancer. It is a story of power, revenge, knowledge, and inevitable madness, one that is well worth experiencing.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“The Necromancer’s Tale isn’t flawless, its combat can be clunky, setups sometimes frustrating, and technical stumbles may irritate, but its strengths in narrative, atmosphere, and choice-driven gameplay make it a memorable experience for fans of story-rich CRPGs.”
read full review ↗ - 62
“Though it does a pretty good job of fleshing out the narrative side of the equation, the base console controls are pretty miserable, and in general the game has a slow and clunky feel”
read full review ↗ - 69
“The heart of The Necromancer's Tale, its writing, atmosphere and the consequences of its Trust system, works just as well on PS5 as on PC, perhaps even better on the couch once you push through the rough early hours of console-specific friction.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Atmospheric and story rich RPG with a hint of a detective mystery.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“The Necromancer's Tale is a promising, well-written RPG with a fleshed-out trust system and rich characters, but simplistic, clunky combat hinders the game a bit.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“The Necromancer’s Tale is a standout narrative RPG that values prose over play, best approached as a richly interactive novel and not a traditional RPG. If you’re here for story, not systems, you’ll find a rewarding, text-heavy journey worth your time, and one that stays with you long after the last paragraph is read.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“If you've got a taste for the macabre, you really can't go wrong with The Necromancer's Tale. It makes you work for your necromantic powers but its gripping story will have hooked from beginning to end.”
read full review ↗ - 60
“At the start, I was interested and loved how Necromancer’s Tale sets up with building your character. But once past the prologue, I was starting to lose my patience. Most of the time I spent was running around trying to find what to do next. The journal offers a broad hint of what to do, but doesn’t log previous dialogue for you to skim through. Which then forced me to return to the previous NPC, run through all the chatter and re-select my words, just for a small hint. I’d recommend a log of things your character has discovered. For example, rumours, info on characters and what they’ve said to be logged as well in the journal. The game needs a lot of work on the UI and some of the mini-menus. Such as not having to apply my sword every time I re-enter town. Maybe add a toggle feature to holster your blade. And better ways to make money, instead of only allowing you to work once per chapter. How far I got After playing until chapter 10, it felt like not much had happened in my story. The fact that I wasn’t really feeling like a necromancer left me disappointed. I mean, one of the creatures I could control wasn’t even made by me. Story wise it is interesting, it just feels oddly drawn out for no reason. The gameplay is both too simplistic and complicated at the same time. It’s light on the combat, and enemies go between hitting you 5 times or just once, which is odd. Especially when they move closer to me from far away. All in all, Necromancer’s Tale runs okay, but in the end, I gave it the college try. I just couldn’t finish, as I lost interest after reaching the ballroom. I may continue at another time, but not now. It’s a hit or a miss for The Necromancer’s Tale, so I’m giving it the Thumb Culture Silver Award. It might be up your alley, just not mine.”
read full review ↗ - 85
“Once you are born, The Necromancer’s Tale begins to blur the line between fixed narrative and player-driven storytelling. Your character’s early years play out with some key events already set in stone, but you’re given meaningful choices throughout. Almost like a choose-your-own-adventure novel, but darker and more immersive. These early decisions don’t just affect the story; they directly impact your character’s stats. It’s a smart and creative way to build your character through narrative instead of menus, and it adds real meaning to the choices you make.”
read full review ↗
Pure Nintendo
La Orden del Pixel
Gaming Professors
GeekGasm
Nindie Spotlight
gamefinity
KonsoliFIN
GameGrin
Try Hard Guides
GameSpew
Thumb Culture
Screen Hype…and 3 more tracked reviews.
Patch history
- Patch Notes 1.235 - 1.239Aug 10, 2026
- Community Translations and Patch Notes 1.233-4May 30, 2026
- Patch Notes 1.232Mar 17, 2026
- Patch Notes 1.226 - 1.231Feb 6, 2026
- Patch Notes 1.223 - 1.225Dec 20, 2025
- Patch Notes 1.220 - 1.222Dec 1, 2025
- Patch Notes 1.216 - 1.219Nov 5, 2025
- Patch Notes 1.212 - 1.215Oct 21, 2025
- Patch Notes 1.208 - 1.211Oct 9, 2025
- Patch Notes 1.203 - 1.207Oct 1, 2025
- Patch notes 1.199 - 1.202Sep 19, 2025
- Patch notes 1.195 - 1.198Sep 14, 2025
- Patch Notes 1.190-1.194Aug 16, 2025
- Patch Notes 1.185 - 1.189Aug 10, 2025
- Patch Notes 1.177 - 1.184Aug 4, 2025
- Patches 1.172 - 1,176Jul 28, 2025
- More Week 1 PatchesJul 24, 2025
- Post-Launch Patches (-1.166)Jul 20, 2025significant · resets scoring window
- Steam Deck CompatibilityAug 25, 2023
- Analytics from ~500 play sessionsDec 5, 2022