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) | – | 75 | 27 |
| All-time Steam reviews | 87% | 81 | 560 |
| Metacritic user ratings | – | – | 0 |
| Post-patch Steam reviews (trust-weighted) | 95% | 90 | 6 |
| Calibration prior (typical game) | – | 72 | 50 |
Scoring window: last 30 days (no significant patch detected) · 15 reviews sampled · 16 total reviews in window · weighted 10.1 up / 0.5 down · computed 1h ago · full methodology →
Press & Creators reviews (23)
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.
- 70
“Decarnation is a unique horror puzzler that tries to make sense of the main character's emotional breakdown in ways that don't make sense. It effectively keeps players off balance throughout, but also in ways that knock the gameplay off balance, unfortunately.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“It's quite hard to recommend Decarnation, because the game itself is rather bleak, depressing and melancholy-inducing. But then again - that's the whole point.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“A dark story-driven game which raises unusual for the videogames topics. Gameplay-wise it's not that amazing, but everything else is really, really great.”
read full review ↗ - 60
“Decarnation is a visual treat and indie horror fans will potentially love it, but throwaway gameplay elements and a bloated and sometimes confusing narrative results in an overlong and often uncomfortable game.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“Decarnation is a game I really wanted to love more. It has an undeniable style. Its grounded and painfully real horrors are genuinely spine-chilling, and the flair of its cinematic presentation is top-notch. It's just a shame that some clichéd writing, a flawed ending, and a generally repetitive gameplay experience (especially in the back half) hold it back from glory. Decarnation is still a game worth experiencing, especially for fans of horror and the inspirations Decarnation wears on its sleeve. But tread lightly. You never know who might be watching...”
read full review ↗ - 75
“Designed as a horror title that makes you feel more uneasy than scared, Decarnation succeeds in being creepy but won’t be for everyone”
read full review ↗ - 90
“I’ve played my fair share of pixel games, but none so deliriously beautiful or grotesque as the horror game Decarnation. But its beauty isn’t just skin deep, the symbolism and gameplay give this indie title nuance that kept me enthralled from curtain rise to swan song.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Decarnation has an excellent story that makes you feel a lot of emotions to keep playing it for hours, but the gameplay mechanics and parts are a little stained in the painting.”
read full review ↗ - 50
“This is made a bit worse by the fact that the game hits the point where most stories of this type usually end, and then keeps going for upwards of an hour, doggedly refusing to roll credits in favor of a drawn out series of epilogue scenes. I really wanted to like Decarnation–it was near the top of my list in terms of most anticipated indie titles for the year–but sadly it just did not deliver the experience I had hoped. It is not what I would necessarily call a bad game, but it is one held back by its multiple missteps along the way.”
read full review ↗ - 60
“Decarnation certainly has a lot of style with its retro graphics and themes inspired by Silent Hill and works from David Lynch and Junji Ito, however its gameplay leaves a lot to be desired by taking too much on its plate.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“With beautiful pixel art that accurately conveys the characters' expressions, an excellent soundtrack, and a well-crafted script, Decarnation takes us on a true journey of introspection. I won't go into details, but the plot twist and its resolution are, in a subtle way, sensational, even when predictable, generating a fulminating catharsis.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“Decarnation’s story is thrilling and unsettling, and every point the game gets is because of how well-crafted the winding nightmares are in relation to the overall progression of Gloria’s life.”
read full review ↗
Pure Nintendo
GameMAG
3DNews
Jump Dash Roll
video games are good
Nindie Spotlight
Prima Games
LevelUp
NintendoWorldReport
GameLuster
NintendoBoy
But Why Tho?…and 11 more tracked reviews.
Patch history
- Localisation PatchMar 17, 2024
- Update 2: PatchnotesJun 22, 2023significant · resets scoring window
- Update 1: PatchnotesJun 8, 2023significant · resets scoring window
- [Dev Update #3] Gameplay inspirationsFeb 24, 2023
- [Dev Update #2] 2023, the year of Decarnation!Jan 24, 2023