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) | – | 83 | 18 |
| All-time Steam reviews | 97% | 93 | 53 |
| Metacritic user ratings | – | – | 0 |
| Post-patch Steam reviews (trust-weighted) | 100% | 97 | 0 |
| Calibration prior (typical game) | – | 72 | 50 |
Scoring window: last 30 days (no significant patch detected) · 1 reviews sampled · 1 total reviews in window · weighted 1 up / 0 down · computed 10h ago · full methodology →
Press & Creators reviews (14)
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
“I thoroughly enjoyed playing Saltsea Chronicles and will happily play through it again. I’m interested in finding out what else the story holds based on decisions I didn’t make in my first run. I loved meeting new characters and learning about their backgrounds, it’s so easy to root for them and their happiness. If you’re a fan of narrative games with an unpredictable yet heartwarming story, then Saltsea Chronicles is perfect for you. It’s a must-play cozy game and feels like a perfect bedtime story. I loved my time with the game, and it is so worth your time and attention.”
read full review ↗ - 97
“Saltsea Chronicles, put more simply, is triumphant. It’s up there (amongst very tough competition) for the best game I played this year. I found its measured and realistic portrait of the collectivist society it portrays extremely hopeful. It pushes the medium forward, as cliche as that may be to say, in its insistence on theorizing the specifics of a social and political philosophy to its conclusion.”
read full review ↗ - 72
“With an unusual art style and stable of characters you’ll embark on a very story-driven journey with plenty of choices to be made”
read full review ↗ - 70
“There's a lot to like about Saltsea Chronicles. It has a clever structure, low-pressure gameplay, and even a neat minigame to play in each location. Add on top an eye-catching style and meaningful decision-making, and you have a pleasant, ship-shape adventure.”
read full review ↗ - 84
“As the fanciful tale starts winding down and the end is in sight, Saltsea Chronicles’ metaphysical mysteries begin taking shape. It is a deeply moving story of love, loss, and understanding that no matter who you are or where you come from, that rooted sense of helping your fellow neighbor will always be there, and it is important to act and cause a positive change in your society.”
read full review ↗ - 100
“A crew searches a watery world for a missing friend in this evocative game of exploration and conversation.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“Saltsea Chronicles is a poignant nautical adventure about the distances between us and what we gain from crossing them.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“A relaxing exploration of a fictional world in which characters discover themselves as much as they do each other.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“Saltsea Chronicles is unequivocal proof that Die Gute Fabrik is an unstoppable force in the industry. A team blazing brand new trails, wholly their own, with stories that are radical and thoughtful in equal measure and told in unexplored ways that only video games could deliver.”
read full review ↗ - 60
“My experience with Saltsea Chronicles was a very conflicted one. It’s unlike anything I’ve played before and I appreciated its genuine uniqueness. It boasts an intricately crafted world with an intriguing investigative system, colourful characters and seemingly endless choices. But as much as I liked the narrative conceit, the way it unfolded felt long-winded in a way that struggled to keep a firm hold of my attention.”
read full review ↗ - 85
“Saltsea Chronicles crafts a striking storybook world and populates it with deeply human characters on a fantastical journey into the unknown.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Involving narrative game reveals little by little the complex relationships of a ship's crew seeking their kidnapped captain”
read full review ↗
The Punished Backlog
Paste Magazine
Nindie Spotlight
Push Square
GamesCreed
Eurogamer
Digital Trends
RPG Fan
Press Start
GamesHub
WellPlayed
Guardian…and 2 more tracked reviews.
Patch history
- Saltsea Chronicles 1.0.8 Patch NotesNov 13, 2023