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Troublemaker

Troublemaker

Gamecom Team · released Mar 31, 2023

ActionAdventureIndiePCXbox One, Xbox Series XNintendo Switch

Grab a backpack, boxing tape, and focus on what high school is all about: Beating the ever loving crap out of one another! Troublemaker blends favorite action-adventure-beat-'em-up elements from the strongest traditions in the genre.

80
VGC Score
Stablemedium confidence
84%
At launch
87%
Steam all-time
70%
Press
79%
Recent sentiment

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.

ComponentPositiveQuality (0-100)Weight (pseudo-reviews)
Press reviews (OpenCritic)709
All-time Steam reviews87%81576
Metacritic user ratings0
Post-patch Steam reviews (trust-weighted)79%734
Calibration prior (typical game)7250

Scoring window: last 30 days (no significant patch detected) · 11 reviews sampled · 8 total reviews in window · weighted 4.5 up / 1.2 down · computed 1h ago · full methodology →

Press & Creators reviews (8)

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.

  • 42
    trust 69May 1, 2023

    I wanted to like Troublemaker, I really did. But despite the decent story (which is genuinely funny at times), the gameplay of Troublemaker is just too clunky and unrewarding to warrant a 20-dollar purchase. It’s evident that the developers really tried to make a competent product. But in a crowd of excellent indie games, trying just isn’t enough.

    read full review ↗
  • 65
    trust 68Jan 18, 2024

    Overall, I felt like Troublemaker is a solid but janky beat-em up. The atmosphere, presentation and story are all really well done, feeling like a Karate Kid type spin-off. It has its moments of over-the-top craziness but at its core tells a nice ‘slice of life’ story about an area of the world that I have never been. And if you were to tell me that this was an accurate depiction of Indonesia I would 100% believe you. Well minus the child fighting tournament that is school sanctioned of course.

    read full review ↗
  • 60
    trust 66Apr 1, 2023

    Troublemaker is another Deadly Premonition, in that it’s a game that’s objectively flawed, broken and messy. Even so, the ridiculousness and sheer enjoyment it’ll bring to your face as you continue to play will make you love it for what it is, an immature, hilariously enjoyable beat-em-up with a non-sensical story and repetitive gameplay. One of the best worst games you’ll ever play.

    read full review ↗
  • 70
    trust 61Aug 18, 2025

    Troublemaker presents a powerful story about school life, standing up for yourself, and taking responsibility. There is also a decent exploration mechanic when the world opens up. Poor combat systems and bugs get in the way of enjoyment. It’s a decent game on the Switch 2 but it hasn’t held up to modern times.

    read full review ↗
  • 42
    trust 57May 4, 2023

    if you're after a game that's either a) not like anything else out there, or b) an utterly bizarre look into a culture that isn't often represented in games (or c) a bizarre cross between Bully and Yakuza), then Troublemaker might be up your alley. If not, though, the whole thing will just feel like a crazy fever dream.

    read full review ↗
  • 50
    trust 53Apr 26, 2023

    I really wanted to have a positive experience with Troublemaker. You can see that the developers had their hearts in place. There was also ambition, which is good for creativity. However, none of this is enough if you lack the technical capacity to execute your ideas properly.

    read full review ↗
  • 80
    trust 51Mar 31, 2023

    Troublemaker has energy, even if it doesn’t deliver a ton of variety when it comes to gameplay. The fights are exciting at first but tend towards the tedious as the narrative nears its end. I wanted a little more variety when itcame to the challengers. The single sneaking section doesn’t really work

    read full review ↗
  • 64
    trust 47Apr 25, 2023

    Overall, Troublemaker is a charming, yet somewhat flawed beat-’em-up title. While the atmosphere, presentation, setting, and ideas were executed well, there were some glaring issues that affected the overall package. Despite these issues, gamers even remotely interested in a beat-’em-up title set in an Indonesian High School should take a closer look at the game. Troublemaker is a great example of the unique perspective and style that a small development team can bring to a game. I would recommend Troublemaker to anyone looking for a fun and unique beat-’em-up experience with a distinctly Indonesian twist.

    read full review ↗

Patch history

  1. V 1.2 Changelog
    Jul 28, 2023significant · resets scoring window
  2. December Update!
    Dec 22, 2022
  3. Demo Update!
    Oct 14, 2022
  4. Demo Update!
    Aug 4, 2022significant · resets scoring window