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) | – | 81 | 47 |
| All-time Steam reviews | 92% | 86 | 1000 |
| Metacritic user ratings | – | – | 0 |
| Post-patch Steam reviews (trust-weighted) | 78% | 72 | 5 |
| Calibration prior (typical game) | – | 72 | 50 |
Scoring window: last 30 days (no significant patch detected) · 13 reviews sampled · 12 total reviews in window · weighted 9.6 up / 2.7 down · computed 1h ago · full methodology →
Press & Creators reviews (71)
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
“Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin is a combination 2D side-scrolling combat game and 3D farming sim, and both elements are strong enough to stand on their own. You'll need to master each to be successful, and you'll have a fun time on both sides once you figure them out.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin may falter in some areas, but the action-platforming is some really well-done stuff, with fun and complex combat, great level design, and actually challenging boss fights.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“Lovers of Stardew Valley and Harvest Moon may not find this game to be exactly the kind of farming they enjoy, it's more like, you know, actual farming, with all the tiny changes in fertiliser recipes and water temperature that farming requires. But for anyone who needs to practise mindfulness, patience, and appreciation for the small things (all 2,000 of them), Sakuna: Of Rice And Ruin may just be the therapy you need.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“It’s a solid and certainly unique game that can be quite enjoyable when approached with the right expectations.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“But the whole thing is presented with such care, patient attention to detail, and downright love that it’s impossible not to enjoy the heck out of this game. It’s the sort of game that I highly recommend to people who may naturally only be inclined to one side or the other of this particular melange, because you might find yourself enjoying it more than you expected.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Sakuna is eye-opening, not only because it shines a light on the nourishing, temperamental, and soulful qualities of rice but also because it demonstrates how a small team of two people can produce greatness by combining two seemingly incompatible genres.”
read full review ↗ - 72
“There are sometimes games you run into that can be a bit perplexing, that take a chance to combine genres or elements into a new experience that has merit but at the same time you can't help but question who it's really for...”
read full review ↗ - 90
“The realistic, in depth elements of rice farming combined with honing fighting skills plus surprising character revelations and development make Sakuna of Rice and Ruin a magnificent game. Sakuna's personal growth is a pleasure to watch. Her reason for living is tested to the limit, she learns to serve others rather than herself, and has to make a sacrifice that she would not have made if faced with the same decision at the start of the game. The balanced emphasis on farming and fighting provides a great variety of tasks to undertake, providing dozens of hours of fun. The delay in the game's original planned release was worth the wait.”
read full review ↗ - 75
“Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin is a deep, intriguing game that makes some poor design decisions and fails to clarify itself. The mechanics are interesting and unique but its got a hell of a learning curve.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“In the evenings you can spend time with your new human family to chat and eat a meal using the food that you’ve gathered and grown yourself. Watching Sakuna slowly mature and start to care about more than just herself is a truly heart-warming journey. Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin is an absolutely wonderful blend of farming simulator and action RPG. Whether you’re fighting off hordes of demons or trying to find the best way to manage your crop, there is constantly something new to learn and discover in this charmingly unique adventure.”
read full review ↗ - 75
“Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin manages to deliver some great farming and solid action gameplay but falls short in both areas in different ways.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin is definitely an interesting title, mixing the mundanities of rice planting with 2D hacking and slashing. While an acquired taste, those who like their games unique should have a fun time with Sakuna. If you can forgive an unlikeable protagonist and some repetitive gameplay at times, Sakuna is a solid title that shines even with its flaws.”
read full review ↗
Pure Nintendo
cublikefoot
Nintendo Life
RPGamer
Gamer Escape
VGChartz
Nindie Spotlight
Cubed3
PC Invasion
Push Square
Capsule Computers
GameWatcher…and 59 more tracked reviews.
Patch history
- Ver. Dec 8 2021 Patch NotesDec 8, 2021
- Ver. Nov 8 2021 Patch NotesDec 1, 2021
- Ver. Sep 18 2021 Patch NotesSep 21, 2021
- Ver. June 3 2021 Patch Notes - New Languages Available!Jun 23, 2021significant · resets scoring window
- Ver. Jan 7 2021 Patch NotesJan 7, 2021significant · resets scoring window
- Ver. Dec 22 2020 Patch NotesDec 23, 2020
- Ver. Dec 12 2020 Patch NotesDec 14, 2020
- Ver. Dec 10 2020 Patch NotesDec 10, 2020significant · resets scoring window
- Ver. Dec 8 2020 Patch NotesDec 8, 2020
- Ver. Dec 7 2020 Patch NotesDec 7, 2020significant · resets scoring window
- Ver. Nov 30 2020 Patch NotesNov 30, 2020
- Ver. Nov 24 2020 Patch NotesNov 23, 2020significant · resets scoring window
- Ver. Nov 20 2020 Patch NotesNov 20, 2020significant · resets scoring window
- Ver. Nov 19 2020 Patch NotesNov 19, 2020
- Ver. Nov 15 2020 Patch NotesNov 17, 2020
- Ver. Nov 14 2020 Patch NotesNov 14, 2020
- Ver. Nov 12 2020 Patch NotesNov 12, 2020significant · resets scoring window