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) | – | 82 | 160 |
| Creator reviews (2 tracked) | – | 97 | 3 |
| All-time Steam reviews | 85% | 78 | 1000 |
| Metacritic user ratings | – | 74 | 147 |
| Post-patch Steam reviews (trust-weighted) | 89% | 83 | 822 |
| Calibration prior (typical game) | – | 72 | 50 |
Scoring window: since the last significant patch (Jun 26, 2025) · 300 reviews sampled · 822 total reviews in window · weighted 185.5 up / 22.5 down · computed 2h ago · full methodology →
Press & Creators reviews (181)
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.
- 100
“The Plucky Squire is one of the best games of this year. The highly varied gameplay perfectly combines with a creative approach to building the game world in both 2D and 3D sequences. The above elements, combined with near-perfect technical condition and very good sound design, put this production next to the best games of the year.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“The Plucky Squire is a breath of fresh air. It takes a storybook setting and tips everything on its head, with lush environments, fun puzzles, and humorous dialogue. Apart from a few technical glitches, this is a game that captures the imagination and is worth checking out.”
read full review ↗ - 75
“Despite some peaks and valleys, The Plucky Squire is a book worth getting lost in. I would certainly recommend the game, especially to families and those with little kids who might enjoy playing in the passenger seat. Even for those out there who are kids at heart, there’s plenty to enjoy, just be sure to stick it out until the end.”
read full review ↗ - 50
- 80
“A charming adventure in which, for some reason, the script was put above the gameplay. And this is the kind of game you want to actually play.”
read full review ↗ - 100
“The Plucky Squire is an imaginative proposal that boasts very creative mechanics and an inspiring story full of joy, charisma and a lot of positivity. It is a fresh, original and ingenious videogame that manages to captivate from the very first moment. An ode made with love to all those stories that marked and inspired us during our childhood.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“That context lends real stakes to the fictional pursuits of Jot and his two childhood friends: Violet, a witch who dabbles in painting, and Thrash, a mountain troll with a penchant for drumming. Their successes are Sam’s, and the player’s. The Plucky Squire emphasizes the importance of our dreams, hoping to motivate players in the same way that the book within the game aims to cheer on Sam. Creativity doesn’t have to be perfect, it just has to be inspiring. And in that regard, The Plucky Squire knows how to always pick itself up and keep going.”
read full review ↗ - 85
“The Plucky Squire is a game that is more than cute and recommended for all ages. The use of creativity and nostalgia will certainly win you over. The fact that the game is translated and dubbed into Brazilian Portuguese is already a reason to recommend it. It's worth checking out!”
read full review ↗ - 60
“Performance issues on Switch, at least at launch, bury an amazingly clever and charming adventure that we would wholeheartedly recommend otherwise. The Plucky Squire is certainly playable on the Nintendo Switch, but in no way can we recommend picking it up here if you have other means to play it. The fact that the Switch-branded trailers looked so great and that advance review copies weren't available on the platform - despite them being sent out for other systems - indicates that this version of The Plucky Squire needed much more time on the drawing board before release.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“Simply put, The Plucky Squire is a celebration of the creative spirit; of how art can inspire others to create for themselves; of childhood imagination never burning out. If you were the kind of kid who saw entire worlds in your toy chest, who daydreamed about books so much you got chastised by teachers for not paying attention to the books they wanted you to read, or who immediately pretended you were the hero of a movie you just watched on the way out of a theater, The Plucky Squire sings to that part of you that still burns inside. It's a constantly changing adventure of a game that'll take you through genres and ideas you thought you'd left behind years ago, through a world so playful and joyous, and with a character so darned plucky, that you just might walk away ready to create something magical of your own one day.”
read full review ↗ - 71
“In many ways, The Plucky Squire gave me exactly what I wanted from its core premise. It lets you seamlessly hop between a delightfully presented fairy tale and the world outside these pages, making great use of meta elements through reality-bending puzzles and genre-switching detours. The art style is cute, and everything is presented with charm. However, while it makes for a pleasant experience upfront, it ultimately wears out its welcome due to overly simplistic battles and storytelling that lacks depth. This game may take place in a picture book, but I wish it were a tad less paper-thin.”
read full review ↗ - 75
“The Plucky Squire is a clear appeal to adults who wistfully recall their days of crayons and cardboard, before the world seemed to get so dark and complicated.References to childhood classics sit alongside cheeky nods to the capitalist mechanisms underpinning children's media, finding joy in the same way Jot's friends continue to despite knowing the true nature of their world.”
read full review ↗
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Patch history
- The Challenge Update - Now Available!Jun 26, 2025significant · resets scoring window
- Version 1.15.12Dec 16, 2024
- Version 1.15.11Dec 13, 2024
- Version 1.15.1 adding Streamlined Mode!Dec 11, 2024significant · resets scoring window
- The Plucky Squire - Update Version 1.13.1Oct 8, 2024significant · resets scoring window
- The Plucky Squire - Update Version 1.12Sep 27, 2024significant · resets scoring window