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Mothmen 1966

Mothmen 1966

LCB Game Studio · released Jul 14, 2022

AdventureIndiePCPlayStation 4, PlayStation 5Xbox Series X, Xbox OneNintendo Switch

Mothmen 1966 is a 'Pixel Pulp' - a visual novel fusing exceptional writing and stunning illustration, inspired by mid-20th century pulp fiction and 80s home computer graphics - set amongst the strange occurrences of the Leonid meteor shower of 1966.

81
VGC Score
·No trend datamedium confidence
79%
At launch
91%
Steam all-time
74%
Press
100%
Recent sentiment

PC 81 · PlayStation 72 · Xbox 72 · Switch 72

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.

ComponentPositiveQuality (0-100)Weight (pseudo-reviews)
Press reviews (OpenCritic)7424
All-time Steam reviews91%85163
Metacritic user ratings0
Post-patch Steam reviews (trust-weighted)100%971
Calibration prior (typical game)7250

Scoring window: last 30 days (no significant patch detected) · 4 reviews sampled · 4 total reviews in window · weighted 1.7 up / 0 down · computed 1h ago · full methodology →

Press & Creators reviews (25)

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.

  • 85
    trust 80Jul 21, 2022

    Mothmen 1966 manages to blend a creepy yet oh-so-fun tale into the visual novel formula, with a sprinkle of choose-your-own-adventure and puzzles to create a retro story that I had a really, really fun time with. Despite the clunky controls in the puzzle sections, Mothman 1966 has more than enough to entertain you in its bitesize narrative, I only wish there was more! Thankfully, LGB Game Studios has announced Varney Lake coming later this year. Sign me up!

    read full review ↗
  • 67
    trust 70Jul 14, 2022

    If you've got a love for storytelling, retro graphics (in this case VERY retro, complete with a very limited color scheme), and some elements of intrigue that would feel at home in an X-Files adventure you may get a kick out of Mothmen 1966...

    read full review ↗
  • 65
    trust 69Jul 18, 2022

    Mothmen 1966 brings us closer to the past by portraying the architecture of old computers and bringing the pulp genre to life. The sci-fi story grabs you from the start if you are willing to give in and ignore the lack of interaction.

    read full review ↗
  • 55
    trust 68Jul 20, 2022

    The issue is that this is not enough to get around a general clunky feeling to gameplay and a story that doesn't feel all that unique or memorable in the end. If you enjoy a slower paced, more text-based approach to horror, or just want to feel some nostalgia for DOS era games, it may be worth giving Mothmen 1966 a look. However, without these very specific desires, I find myself struggling to enthusiastically recommend it to anybody else.

    read full review ↗
  • 80
    trust 66Aug 11, 2022

    Mothmen 1966 is ultimately a terrific little horror game, reminding us that the genre can be more than first-person jumpscare factories. As the first episode of the 3-part first volume of Pixel Pulps, the adventures of Holt, Victoria, and Lee provide a terrific first impression of what will hopefully be a memorable series. The brief interactive interludes do not hold up to the polish of the writing, soundscapes, and graphics of Mothmen 1966, but LCD Game Studio have a chance to update those mechanics when the next episode, Varney Lake, comes out later this year.

    read full review ↗
  • 80
    trust 66Aug 2, 2022

    With assured writing and gorgeous pixel art visuals, Mothmen 1966 is a compelling start to the Pixel Pulp series. A few clunky puzzle elements are the only blemish on a fast paced and engrossing story that helps pass two hours in the blink of an eye.

    read full review ↗
  • 75
    trust 66Jul 13, 2022

    A pretty punchy pulpy paperback presented in pixels

    read full review ↗
  • 80
    trust 66Jul 13, 2022

    An eerie journey back to the days when all games were a bit eerie anyway.

    read full review ↗
  • 80
    trust 65Jul 13, 2022

    Mothmen 1966 is a unique-looking and suspenseful visual novel that lets the players make decisions that will affect the story's outcome and what will happen to this cast of characters.

    read full review ↗
  • 80
    trust 65Aug 8, 2022

    By far the game’s greatest strength is the retro-inspired visuals that uses bright neon colors, leaning heavily on shades of green that callback to the Sci-Fi comics and movie covers from the 60s. If this had been released during the NES era, it probably would be known as being the best-looking NES game in existence.

    read full review ↗
  • 80
    trust 64Jul 31, 2022

    Mothmen 1966 is a creepy and atmospheric visual novel that nails the computer graphics style of the 1980s. It has great writing, interesting characters, and breaks up the reading with some timely puzzles. It is on the short side though and there isn’t much reason to replay it once you’ve reached the end so those seeking a longer visual novel experience won’t find it here. For those who are fine with getting their creepy story fill in an hour or two and getting out this one should be right up your alley.

    read full review ↗
  • 80
    trust 63Aug 3, 2022

    Mothmen 1966 brought me back to a different time in my life. When I was a young girl, I used to pour an ungodly amount of time into ‘Give Yourself Goosebumps’, R.L. Stine’s horrific (heh) take on the Choose-Your-Own-Adventure genre. Not just with the series but even with the individual books themselves. I was not finished with a book until I had soaked up every possible scare, from front to back.

    read full review ↗

…and 13 more tracked reviews.

Patch history

  1. NEWS UPDATE #2
    Nov 11, 2021
  2. NEWS UPDATE #1
    Oct 21, 2021