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 | 72 |
| Creator reviews (1 tracked) | – | 97 | 1 |
| All-time Steam reviews | 91% | 85 | 1000 |
| Metacritic user ratings | – | 67 | 40 |
| Post-patch Steam reviews (trust-weighted) | 88% | 81 | 2844 |
| Calibration prior (typical game) | – | 72 | 50 |
Scoring window: since the last significant patch (Dec 6, 2023) · 300 reviews sampled · 2844 total reviews in window · weighted 211.3 up / 25.1 down · computed 3h ago · full methodology →
Press & Creators reviews (77)
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
“Shadow Gambit: The Cursed Crew can't offer anything new to the classic gameplay style of Commandos/Desperados, but thanks to a nice setting the game still feels quite fresh, which is more than enough.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Mimimi Games is closing its gaming career in a big way. Pirate fantasy in the form of Shadow Gambit: The Cursed Crew is pretty, fun, enjoyable... just great. Unfortunately, it's not without its flaws, the monotony of the environment being the biggest one. Still, it is a game of unique caliber in its genre.”
read full review ↗ - 95
“Mimimi has always made smart and elaborate games, so Shadow Gambit turned out to be a great stealth tactic. At the same time, it seriously added to the plot component and gave more freedom during the execution of various missions.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“The resulting tone is even more fantastical and cartoonish than that of Mimimi’s previous games, suggesting Pirates of the Caribbean mashed up with the big personalities and individual superpowers of One Piece.”
read full review ↗ - 85
“Shadow Gambit: The Cursed Crew is a delightful real-time strategy game that takes you to a magical world of pirates. The latest release from the beloved studio Mimimi Games is a clear success. The game offers all the tried-and-true mechanics and spices them up with humorous characters and an alternative fantasy world set in the Golden Age of Piracy.”
read full review ↗ - 85
“Shadow Gambit’s biggest pros are pirate atmosphere and excellent characters. The gameplay mechanics are typical for this genre, and some skills are from Desperados III or Shadow Tactics. It’s a really great game worth playing.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“Shadow Gambit The Cursed Crew is one of the best strategy games of 2023 so far. It's a delightful experience that requires patience to enjoy. For fans of the stealth strategy genre, this game is a must-play, especially the unique save-scumming mechanic that distinguishes the game from other titles in the same genre.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“It’s so tightly designed from end to end, smartly tying in its gameplay mechanics with its story in ways I think a lot of other games could learn from. While I think some players might prefer the structure of Desperados 3, the supernatural pirate theme, big environments and excellent characters make Shadow Gambit: The Cursed Crew the best game Mimimi has ever made, and a fantastic way to wrap up their career.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“The coolest mechanic is the ability to pause the game and give each crew member instructions that they'll all perform in tandem with a tap of the triangle button. Planning a co-ordinated attack and then watching it unfold like clockwork is a pleasure that never gets old, and if you mess the whole thing up you can always just rewind time and tinker with your strategy until you get it right. These moments are Shadow Gambit at its best, and the game in a nutshell; it leaves you feeling like a tactical genius, even if it took you seven tries to get there.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“Shadow Gambit: The Cursed Crew is yet another great game by Mmimi Games which provides greater freedom in both the character selection and the way of completing its well-designed missions. Amazing cast of characters with unique abilities leads to true tactical approach and is followed by beautiful graphics and voice acting. only some minor issues like camera bugs or not so satisfying upgrade system prevent this game from being truly perfect but still it's a must play for Strategy game lovers.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“Shadow Gambit: The Cursed Crew is one of the best works of its kind, with its deep tactical structure and the variety of strategies it offers to the player.”
read full review ↗ - 85
“mimimi games successfully weaved fantasy and magic into pirate's age. While the UI and mission structure is a bit disappointing, unique art and attractive sound design, as well as strategy features with various sailors are making it a higher standard for 'stealth strategy' game.”
read full review ↗
GameMAG
INDIANTVCZ
3DNews
Slant Magazine
Gaming Professors
GRYOnline.pl
Kakuchopurei
Wolf's Gaming Blog
Push Square
Zoomg
Atarita
INVEN…and 65 more tracked reviews.
Patch history
- Free "Modding Tool" Update - Out Now!Dec 14, 2023
- Hotfix #3 Patch Update: Now Live!Dec 12, 2023
- Version 1.2: DLC & Free Content UpdateDec 6, 2023significant · resets scoring window
- Hotfix Update #2: Now Live!Sep 13, 2023
- Big patch update for Shadow Gambit: The Cursed Crew is now live!Sep 6, 2023significant · resets scoring window
- Hotfix Update: Now Live!Aug 23, 2023
- Hotfix Update: Now Live!Aug 23, 2023