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) | – | 85 | 46 |
| Creator reviews (1 tracked) | – | 60 | 1 |
| All-time Steam reviews | 94% | 88 | 1000 |
| Metacritic user ratings | – | – | 0 |
| Post-patch Steam reviews (trust-weighted) | 90% | 84 | 1524 |
| Calibration prior (typical game) | – | 72 | 50 |
Scoring window: since the last significant patch (May 14, 2025) · 300 reviews sampled · 1524 total reviews in window · weighted 217.5 up / 18.1 down · computed 2h ago · full methodology →
Press & Creators reviews (40)
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.
- 81
“Cassette Beasts succeeds as a monster fighter designed for those who grew up on Pokémon Red and Blue. While it could benefit from fewer of the mildly irritating puzzles and a story that’s slightly snappier, it’s well worth playing if you have any degree of nostalgia for Pokémon, Shin Megami Tensei, or those long childhood nights you spent playing your Game Boy into the wee hours.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“We still have a lot of adventuring left to do in New Wirral, and we're in no way upset about it. More monsters to record and remaster, a few more mysteries to uncover, characters to grow fond of, and about 13,970 more fusions to see. Some (hopefully pre-launch-only) performance issues, wonky balance, and overly complex battle mechanics did little to affect how much we enjoyed Cassette Beasts. In fact, it's one of the better monster-battling games not starring a little electric rodent that you can enjoy on your Nintendo Switch.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“The double-battle nature of the game and the beast customization offers players a great deal of strategy to engage with while listening to an excellent soundtrack.”
read full review ↗ - 60
“Pokemon, except not garbage. A very creative take on a clear ripoff of Nintendo's popular franchise, and one that's far more effective than the source inspiration.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“Cassette Beasts is a wonderful time. When it comes to monster capturing and fighting games, I'll take Cassette Beasts over anything else.”
read full review ↗ - 84
“Granted, in many ways it’s another variation on the “creature collector” RPG subgenre, but it is able to differentiate itself nonetheless”
read full review ↗ - 90
“Cassette Beasts isn't just an indie game that challenges a giant: it's proof that the collectible monster genre still has a lot to offer when you dare, both in gameplay and in its themes. Exploring emotional depths and existential anxieties, the game manages to connect with its players on levels that transcend superficial entertainment, inviting them to reflect on the sense of wonder and fear that the unknown can inspire.”
read full review ↗ - 40
“Cassette Beasts has a lot of promise, but bugs and stuttering drain the fun from the Switch version at the time of this review.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“Cassette Beasts is a great monster collector game with a lot of depth to its combat, refreshing mechanics, and a beautiful overarching narrative about finding community, home, and love no matter where you are.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“Cassette Beasts is a creative and fast-paced RPG that sends players on an adventure to collect monsters, build relationships, and explore a colorful new world.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Cassette Beasts is classic Pokémon expertly remixed for those who feel they have aged out of the series' target audience.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“Cassette Beasts manages to iterate on Pokemon in a meaningful way. The fantastic music, A+ monsters designs, and fun characters are only slightly held back by the overly-complex combat.”
read full review ↗
The Punished Backlog
Nintendo Life
RPGamer
FourFaceButtons
Seasoned Gaming
Nindie Spotlight
Gamesource Italia
Capsule Computers
Siliconera
SVG
Eurogamer
GameLuster…and 28 more tracked reviews.
Patch history
- Cassette Beasts: Over 1.1 Million Units SoldNov 12, 2025
- 1.8.2 Patch NotesMay 14, 2025significant · resets scoring window
- The “Sunshine Update” is now available!Apr 7, 2025
- Cassette Beasts 1.7.7 Patch NotesDec 11, 2024significant · resets scoring window
- 1.7 "Gauntlet Update" Patch NotesNov 20, 2024significant · resets scoring window
- The Gauntlet Update is NOW AVAILABLE!Nov 20, 2024significant · resets scoring window
- The 1.7 "Gauntlet Update" is coming to Cassette Beasts!Nov 6, 2024significant · resets scoring window
- Patch Notes: 1.6.0 and 1.6.2Jun 25, 2024significant · resets scoring window
- Multiplayer Update – Now Live!May 20, 2024
- Cassette Beasts - Update 1.5Oct 3, 2023significant · resets scoring window
- Out now - 1.2 “Catacombs” Update!Jun 28, 2023significant · resets scoring window
- Cassette Beasts Blog #19 - Announcing the 1.2 "Catacombs" UpdateJun 14, 2023significant · resets scoring window
- Cassette Beasts - Hotfix 1.1.3May 10, 2023
- Hotfix 1.1.2Apr 27, 2023
- Demo - 1.0.7 PatchFeb 16, 2023
- Cassette Beasts Demo is now out!Feb 13, 2023significant · resets scoring window
- Demo - 1.0.1 PatchOct 6, 2022