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) | – | 86 | 13 |
| All-time Steam reviews | 87% | 81 | 96 |
| Metacritic user ratings | – | – | 0 |
| Post-patch Steam reviews (trust-weighted) | – | – | 0 |
| Calibration prior (typical game) | – | 72 | 50 |
Scoring window: last 30 days (no significant patch detected) · 0 reviews sampled · 0 total reviews in window · weighted 0 up / 0 down · computed 2h ago · full methodology →
Press & Creators reviews (12)
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
“This May Madness Lies blends JRPG elements with the world of William Shakespeare. It has a lot going for it, from a humorous story to a wonderful 16-bit styling that smacks of classic '90s titles. It's not the toughest or longest title, but fans of anime, Shakespeare, or JRPGs in general, will find much enjoyment here.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“Packed into a pleasingly tight seven-hour experience, This Way Madness Lies is an excellent blend of disparate genres, solid gameplay, and humorous writing.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“It seems as though the Zeboyd partnership is going on hiatus for a bit to recharge the batteries, but This Way Madness Lies is a nice game to go on break with. It's more of a sonnet than a full-on Shakespeare play, and the Switch definitely needs something short in this realm after some of the absolute marathons I've had to deal with recently.”
read full review ↗ - 85
“So overall, Zeboyd Games’ This Way Madness Lies is a great bite sized RPG. Between the great dialog of the Stratford-Upon-Avon High Drama Society, the well designed combat system and the awesome music to wrap it all together, saving the worlds from invading nightmares was a lot of fun.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“Take to the stage with the Stratford-Upon-Avon High Drama Society to put on plays and cross dimensions saving the world of Shakespeare's canon from chaotic incursions.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“There’s so much more that I can say about this game but if you enjoy RPGs, humour and whimsy, and unique interesting combat systems then This Way Madness Lies is worth the time. It’s a bite-sized RPG that respects your time and is designed so that its audience is broad. From casual players to hardcore completists’, there is something in this game for everyone.”
read full review ↗ - 87
“A fun and engaging RPG with beautiful graphics and a bouncy pace.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“While I’m not sure I liked This Way Madness Lies more than their previous releases, this is still a really solid RPG, with witty humor, deep combat and fun story. This isn’t a very long game, you can wrap it up in about eight hours on the standard difficulty, but it’s quality and well worth the $9.99 asking price. If you are a fan of Zeboyd Games’ other releases, you should snag this up ASAP. You will find a lot to love here. If you haven’t played any of their other offerings, and love humorous RPGs, you should certainly give them a shot. You’ll be glad you did.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“An excellent snack-sized title for fans of Shakespeare, magical girls, or JRPGs in general.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Even though This Way Madness Lies doesn’t break the mold of other titles by Zeboyd Games, I still very much enjoyed it. It’s a well-paced, classically-styled RPG with great music, attractive artwork, and hilarious storytelling. If you’re in the mood for a short but sweet RPG and don’t mind playing on PC, I’d absolutely check this out.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“In an unexpected twist, I find myself immersed in a JRPG set in Shakespeare's realm, complete with nods to all kinds of other pop culture mainstays, like Sailor Moon. The writing is so good it's like a Shakespearean comedy; the twist of adding modern translation is just hilarious at times. Having to switch between the two styles of dialogue is like deciding between quill and keyboard - annoying at first, but it grows on you. The game's structure is more repetitive than I would like at times; exploration leaves a little bit to be desired too. Still, it's reminiscent of classic JRPG styles, making you feel like you're back in your nostalgic gaming heyday. Recommended for any RPG fan.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“While it’s a stretch to call it a great and memorable game, because it doesn’t really do anything to stand out in terms of gameplay and design, the concept of This Way Madness Lies will stick with you. I would have perhaps liked a little more emphasis placed on the magical girl aesthetics, since, aside from the transformation sequences that doesn’t come across as well as it could have, visually, but that aside, this attempt at asking the question “what if Shakespeare invented magical girls?” is a resounding success. It is the perfect little game to play in between the endless stream of overweight content we now need to deal with.”
read full review ↗
Pure Nintendo
RPGamer
NintendoWorldReport
Chalgyr's Game Room
Siliconera
LadiesGamers.com
PC Gamer
oprainfall
RPG Fan
Hey Poor Player
Gaming Nexus
Digitally DownloadedPatch history
- Patch notes for v1.24Feb 8, 2023significant · resets scoring window
- v1.23 Patch NotesNov 29, 2022
- TWML v1.22 patch notes (Nov 21, 2022)Nov 21, 2022
- TWML v1.21 patch notes (Nov 14, 2022)Nov 14, 2022significant · resets scoring window