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) | – | 73 | 19 |
| Creator reviews (1 tracked) | – | 60 | 1 |
| All-time Steam reviews | 95% | 90 | 132 |
| Metacritic user ratings | – | – | 0 |
| Post-patch Steam reviews (trust-weighted) | 0% | 15 | 0 |
| Calibration prior (typical game) | – | 72 | 50 |
Scoring window: last 30 days (no significant patch detected) · 1 reviews sampled · 1 total reviews in window · weighted 0 up / 0.2 down · computed 2h ago · full methodology →
Press & Creators reviews (16)
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
“If you're itching for some classic action platforming with a Mega Man flavour, Bat Boy will satisfy. It has a fun sports theme, some great tunes, and vibrant levels to navigate. As fans of that genre, we enjoyed most of our time with it outside of a few sudden spikes in difficulty and a handful of bugs, particularly one that lost us progress if we dared to use the pause menu. A patch or two post-launch might alleviate these issues, but in its current state, Bat Boy doesn't hit a home run - though it doesn't quite strike out, either.”
read full review ↗ - 60
“Not a bad 2D action sidescroller at all, but it's also not that big of a deal either. The potential is there for a great game, but a lack of content, lack of difficulty, and questionable choices with the special moves leaves this game a little subpar. It does come close and it's a solid game overall, but I can't help but feel that it could've been so much more. Oh well. It's still a fun game.”
read full review ↗ - 50
“Bat Boy needed more of an X-factor to stand out in the sea of retro-inspired games. The predictable and tired loop without enough variety to stay fresh makes it blur into the miasma of 8-bit action platformers. The visual design doesn’t pack much punch, and the whole experience wraps up too quickly to develop any real momentum. With so many great retro-style action platformers out there, Bat Boy ends up feeling too average to make any lasting impression.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“Bat Boy is a very competent 2D action platformer, and lots of fun can be had with it, even if it's a rather challenging game at times. Sadly, the repeated crashing in one part of it impacted my enjoyment quite a bit.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“Bat Boy is a great action platforming game that has everything we loved about these games in the past, from catchy music to great visuals and controls. It's fun to see a game influenced by sports that aren't actually a sports game!”
read full review ↗ - 100
“Batboy is absolutely great. A retro throwback with modern improvements that is suitable for any gamer looking for a fair challenge. The biggest praise goes to its instant satisfaction in gameplay and clever level design. Sure, there are small nitpicks, but these are easily overshadowed by how much fun I had playing this. Even during the game’s tough segments, there was rarely a moment I wasn’t enjoying my time with the game. I can see some comparing this to Mega Man and Shovel Knight. But Batboy makes its own mark standing next to these greats rather than mimicking them. Better still, if you’re still not sure there is a free demo to try before you buy. A home run, indeed.”
read full review ↗ - 80
- 65
“Let players who enjoy the indies find this game and have a good weekend with it. Let people who backed it on Kickstarter sing its praises and argue with other fans about who the real villain is. Let it exist in the same realm where I still hold Robotrek as one of my favorite RPGs ever. But, for me, Bat Boy has taken its last swing.”
read full review ↗ - 100
“Bat Boy never outstays its welcome or makes anything feel impossible, as long as you’re willing to think outside of the box in relation to your abilities or just hone your skills to the point of being pixel perfect. If you enjoy some of the greatest platformers that we’ve ever been blessed with, that list of stone cold classics that I have mentioned a couple of times in this review, then do yourself a favor and pick up Bat Boy, as it absolutely knocks it out of the park and into a league of its own.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“If you had told me one of my favorite retro adventures in a long time would be sports-themed, I would have called you a filthy liar. But it’s true that Bat Boy is one of the best games I’ve played in a long time. Though the adventure is relatively short, with only one ending, and can feel occasionally overwhelming, it’s also well-crafted and fun. I spent a good 7 hours with the game, though you can probably beat it in less if you don’t replay stages or go for completion. It’s not a perfect experience, but it’s a worthy one, and I hope this isn’t the last adventure for Ryosuke and his merry band of athletes.”
read full review ↗ - 85
“Fun and unpretentious like a good adventure cartoon, Bat Boy doesn't intend to reinvent the platform genre, but it takes its inspirations from the right places and adds its own contribution by bringing together sports elements to the combat. It's a charismatic retro game and competent in everything it does, although there was room to explore more intentionally the batting mechanics and techniques of the other sports already presented in the game.”
read full review ↗ - 85
Nintendo Life
FourFaceButtons
Cubed3
GameLuster
GameGrin
LadiesGamers.com
PS3Blog.net
WayTooManyGames
Netto’s Game Room
Hey Poor Player
PSX Brasil
PS4Blog.net…and 4 more tracked reviews.
Patch history
- Patch 1.0.9 live (this is a small one)Aug 31, 2023
- Patch 1.0.8 is live!Jul 7, 2023
- Patch 1.0.6 is out!Jun 14, 2023significant · resets scoring window
- Patch 1.0.5Jun 6, 2023significant · resets scoring window
- Patch 1.0.4 is out!Jun 2, 2023significant · resets scoring window
- Patch 1.0.3 is hereMay 30, 2023significant · resets scoring window
- Patch 1.0.2 is live!!May 26, 2023significant · resets scoring window
- A Tiny Update for TGS 2022Sep 20, 2022