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) | – | 69 | 81 |
| Creator reviews (2 tracked) | – | 86 | 2 |
| All-time Steam reviews | 71% | 67 | 944 |
| Metacritic user ratings | – | – | 0 |
| Post-patch Steam reviews (trust-weighted) | 74% | 70 | 4 |
| Calibration prior (typical game) | – | 72 | 50 |
Scoring window: last 30 days (no significant patch detected) · 11 reviews sampled · 11 total reviews in window · weighted 5.5 up / 1.9 down · computed 2h ago · full methodology →
Press & Creators reviews (76)
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.
- 60
“Somerville is an exceptional project with huge missed potential, reason being the overall weak technical state. The game is just raw and would greatly benefit from at least another six month of dev time.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“Somerville does at least stick the landing with a third act that largely pushes the puzzles to the side in favor of an alien mind game that plays with one’s perception of what came before, and some surprisingly effective emotional payoff in the multiple endings. These moments represent the game at its best: scary, strange, wondrous, and enthralling. Thankfully, there are just enough of those riveting moments to forgive the ones where Somerville feels more than a little rote.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Somerville has received mixed reviews, with some singing the praises of its breathtaking art direction full of potential, while others lament the story’s incompleteness. For me, the game was like a roller coaster ride. One moment you’re up, the next you’re down; you’re constantly wondering what lies around the next bend, feeling fear, perhaps even anxiety, but in the end, you’re having fun. That’s exactly how the game made me feel, and if you want to feel the same way, approach it as a piece of experimental art, otherwise, you might perceive its strengths as flaws, and that would be a shame.”
read full review ↗ - 65
“Though getting through it was occasionally bumpy, I only wish I'd been able to get more of it once it really got going. And had Somerville maintained its human element front and center, I think I would've loved the way the story ended more than I ultimately did. As it stands though, Somerville is a notable debut by Patti's new studio, it just has some of the wrinkles of one too.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“Somerville attempts to be the next Inside or Limbo, but with colour and a lot more sci-fi. It mostly succeeds, as some of its off-kilter segments, vistas and art style, conclusions, and developer choices will be seared in your mind for the remainder of 2022.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“I really loved the general feeling of Somerville, the persistent undertone of foreboding created by the mix of the sounds, the look, and the ever-shifting pace from scene to scene. Just as you leave a quiet exploration segment, you can be met with crashing debris, the hope of finding fellow human survivors, or the alien mothership seeking you out like a filthy hobbit creeping into Mordor. As a father simply trying to find his family in the wake of a disaster, he ultimately has the power to shape the fate of the planet. Despite being a short game, I think Jumpspace has created a compelling narrative that doesn’t need a single spoken word to be told well, and even with its flaws, Somerville is a title worth picking up and jumping into.”
read full review ↗ - 50
“Somerville's biggest fault isn't with Jumpship utilizing Playdead’s successful template, but rather in forgetting to incorporate the pedigree alongside it.”
read full review ↗ - 85
“Somerville is one of the most unique indie experiences of 2022. If you're fan of Playdead games or the Little Nightmares series, then Somerville is able to make you fall in love with it from the very first scene. As the very first game from Jumpship studio, it's a great title that's only hampered by some control issues. I strongly recommend it.”
read full review ↗ - 40
“Somerville's greatest flaw is just how boring it is. It is more of a walking-sim than a platforming-adventure game. Reactive objects are also colour-coded yellow, so there is never any question about what to do. This robs any sense of discovery in a title that is already so tightly focused on pushing players forward. The terribly slow walking speed will pad out Somerville's length to around four to five hours, when there is maybe only two hours of actual substance. Traditionally, these kinds of games are short but make up for it with excellent pacing. Somerville feels like a flatline for most of the entire run.”
read full review ↗ - 75
“Gorgeous, creative, and tense, Somerville can make for a fairly gripping adventure, but difficulty seeing what you're doing, a fair amount of frustration, and an underwhelming conclusion make the experience less than it could have been.”
read full review ↗ - 60
“Somerville is more of an interactive film than a narrative game. Unfortunately, the game's superb presentation fails to take away the impression that it could have been so much more. We would have liked for the devs to deepen the game mechanics, for the different members of the family to be used for gameplay purposes, for the player to have more opportunities to express his uniqueness, but above all for the rhythm of the game to be better balanced.”
read full review ↗ - 50
“Although Somerville has some standout features, gorgeously peaceful environments, and atmospheric, silent storytelling, they're somewhat dulled by its terrible controls, awful performance, and lack of exposition. Being restricted to walking pace and the path forward often unclear, you frequently end up walking into invisible barriers. There are huge drops in frame rate throughout, especially when loading new areas, and the lack of names and backstories for the family you're playing leaves you frustrated with little to no attachment to them and their eventual outcomes. If you’re looking for a short, touching title to tide you over until the next big release, this may be worth a look, but with all its issues, it's better off left alone in the dark.”
read full review ↗
GameMAG
Slant Magazine
Gaming Professors
Paste Magazine
Kakuchopurei
VGamingNews
VGChartz
Arabhardware 
Cubed3
PC Invasion
Geeks & Com
Push Square…and 64 more tracked reviews.
Patch history
- Somerville - Patch 4 & PlayStation NewsAug 31, 2023
- Patch 3Apr 12, 2023
- Patch 2Dec 16, 2022significant · resets scoring window
- Patch 1Dec 1, 2022significant · resets scoring window
- STEAM HOTFIX 1 UPDATE ANNOUNCEMENTNov 17, 2022