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) | – | 71 | 19 |
| All-time Steam reviews | 67% | 65 | 492 |
| Metacritic user ratings | – | – | 0 |
| Post-patch Steam reviews (trust-weighted) | 70% | 67 | 71 |
| Calibration prior (typical game) | – | 72 | 50 |
Scoring window: since the last significant patch (Feb 13, 2026) · 71 reviews sampled · 66 total reviews in window · weighted 31.3 up / 13.6 down · computed 2h ago · full methodology →
Press & Creators reviews (13)
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.
- 80
“Sons of Valhalla blends Viking themes with various genres, creating a unique and addictive game. The detailed pixel art and Norse mythology-inspired story add charm, though a repetitive horde mode and occasional frame drops slightly mar the game.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“Sons of Valhalla is an exceptional 2D side-scroller action game that challenges the player’s strategic approach and skills management.”
read full review ↗ - 60
“Sons of Valhalla successfully achieves a delicate balance between the action and real-time strategy elements, but it may be overwhelming for players who are not accustomed to this hybrid genre. Despite the difficulty level options, it can be frustrating for new players to endure the game and constantly lose and regain a base in repetitive cycles.”
read full review ↗ - 60
“Sons of Valhalla has some ways to go. I’m hoping a couple of updates will ease some of the tedium of the city building and waiting for units. It felt like I was stuck through a lot of my playthrough, having to wait for something or another rather than forging ahead. I wouldn’t even mind waiting for tactical purposes, but there really isn’t much more to the game aside from clicking at enemies and watching your army take care of business. I died during 2 sieges. When I got back to the camp, my army had played the game without me and took them. It just feels a bit disconnected. With a little push, this game has something special. For now though, I’d recommend waiting some time.”
read full review ↗ - 75
“Sons of Valhalla, which is pleasing to the eye with its pixel visuals and the Viking theme, appears as a game that does not fully utilize its potential and unfortunately drags itself into repetition.”
read full review ↗ - 50
“The one thing I was most excited about with Sons of Valhalla was the city-building aspect but sadly this ends up being a really shallow experience. As a fan of StarCraft, WarCraft and any number of games like that, I had hoped this would be similar but on a 2D plane. There is no real depth or strategy that takes place when building the city or training units. If you have a lot of big units, chances are you will prevail. I didn’t hate my time with Sons of Valhalla, I had just expected more from it.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Sons of Valhalla cleverly combines several gameplay genres to create something utterly unique. Though the game can sometimes feel a bit slow, with its tanky enemies and low damage output, the beautiful graphics and addicting formula are sure to keep you playing for the long run as you rescue your love in this exciting Viking tale.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Heavily inspired by the Kingdom games, Sons of Valhalla is great fun, if not a little too unforgiving at times. It's seriously rewarding though, and the sort of thing we can imagine jumping back into time and time again.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“Sons of Valhalla may have fallen short in a couple of categories but it made up in the ones that truly matter, particularly in the gameplay department. You can also complete the campaign in a little more than 8 hours. I’ll still take that over any bloated open-world collect-a-thon any day. If you like 2D action games with a hint of base management, you can’t go wrong with Sons of Valhalla.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Sons of Valhalla may be a Kingdom-like on the outside, but it’s one of the best to follow that formula, while also surpassing it in every way once you peel back its layers. The developers at Pixel Chest clearly love the Viking Age, and this era offers a lot of cool things you’re in total control of. Everything about the game feels handcrafted, except you’re given the tools to craft your own destiny for a fantastic adventure. Sons of Valhalla excels at being a fully fleshed out game where strategy, combat, and role-playing come together to form a viking voltron for the ages.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“Sons of Valhalla offers an original look at Norse mythology, and mixes an action game with 2D strategy, all seasoned with a beautiful pixel art style. The atmosphere is great and the mix is appealing, but the experience is short and offers little variety.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Sons of Valhalla is fun but can become repetitive. Thorald is a good fighter, and the game makes him powerful enough, especially with a well-chosen set of runes on his belt, to tangle solo with big enemy groups. But teamwork and good use of the shield wall are crucial when taking on opponents hiding behind fortifications. But combat never evolves beyond that and the settlement development system is equally limited. The getting-back-the-kidnapped-princess narrative is decent but doesn’t do anything new. Sons of Valhalla is pleasant in short bursts but greater depth for all its mechanics are needed to make it engaging for long periods.”
read full review ↗
INDIANTVCZ
eXputer
Kakuchopurei
Last Word on Gaming
Atarita
ZTGD
Try Hard Guides
GameSpew
Sirus Gaming
Saving Content
Uagna
Softpedia…and 1 more tracked reviews.
Patch history
- Patch 23: Movement improvementsMay 23, 2026
- Patch 22: HotfixMar 2, 2026
- Patch 21: Bugfixes and ImprovementsMar 2, 2026
- Patch 20: Small Content UpdateFeb 13, 2026significant · resets scoring window
- Patch 17: New Content, Balancing, and Bug FixesDec 13, 2025significant · resets scoring window
- Patch 16: New Items, Improvements, and Bug FixesDec 5, 2025significant · resets scoring window
- Major Update – Sons of Valhalla ReforgedNov 20, 2025significant · resets scoring window
- Patch 15May 12, 2024
- Patch 14May 1, 2024
- Patch 13Apr 26, 2024
- Patch 12Apr 24, 2024significant · resets scoring window
- Patch 11 (Hotfix)Apr 17, 2024
- Patch 10Apr 16, 2024
- Patch 9Apr 14, 2024
- Patch 8Apr 10, 2024
- Patch 7Apr 9, 2024
- Patch 6Apr 8, 2024
- Patch 5Apr 7, 2024
- Patch 4 (Hotfix)Apr 7, 2024
- Patch 3Apr 6, 2024
- Patch 2 (Hotfix)Apr 6, 2024
- Patch 1Apr 6, 2024
- Update #6Jun 18, 2023significant · resets scoring window
- Update #5Mar 18, 2023
- Update #4Jan 25, 2023
- Update #3Nov 6, 2022
- Update #2Aug 13, 2022