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 | 38 |
| Creator reviews (2 tracked) | – | 53 | 2 |
| All-time Steam reviews | 88% | 82 | 1000 |
| Metacritic user ratings | – | – | 0 |
| Post-patch Steam reviews (trust-weighted) | 97% | 93 | 16 |
| Calibration prior (typical game) | – | 72 | 50 |
Scoring window: last 30 days (no significant patch detected) · 45 reviews sampled · 40 total reviews in window · weighted 21.4 up / 0.6 down · computed 2h ago · full methodology →
Press & Creators reviews (35)
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.
- 90
“Wavetail encourages you to explore to its fullest a beautiful aquatic world, with fluid animation that makes for thrilling action and a profound story that reinforces the importance of community and compassion.”
read full review ↗ - 75
“In its brief yet emotionally charged and intuitive gameplay, Wavetale manages to convey a wealth of emotions, raise a host of questions, captivate with its stunning scenes, and entertain in a variety of ways. The game’s relaxing nature allows you to let your imagination run wild, leave your stress behind, and simply drift along on the waves of a scattered city, because you haven’t experienced anything this soothing in this fast-paced world in a long time. Despite a few noticeable hiccups, however, you can look forward to a relaxing platformer with a beautiful message.”
read full review ↗ - 60
“Wavetale is a gentle, easygoing game that suits players who don't want to strain themselves, as its quick runtime ensures the play doesn't dry up. We enjoyed skidding around on the ocean and swinging from great heights with our grappling hook. We only wished the camera movement and other mechanics were a little smoother. The game is nonetheless pretty fun, after all, it's hard not to enjoy surfing through a picturesque, water-filled landscape. While we've played far better games, we felt like this short title was still a good one to dip your toes into.”
read full review ↗ - 40
“A cute little game that's too shallow to mean much. With more content and deeper mechanics, I could see this going somewhere, but it's hardly worth much as it stands.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“If you're looking for a relaxing platformer to spend a few hours with or to finish in a single weekend (or even one night if you binge), Wavetale is the game for you. It's also a great game for younger gamers to play due to its light difficulty and simple combat.”
read full review ↗ - 65
“While Wavetale's elegant surfing/platforming foundation is engaging, choppy waters within its design & storytelling keep it from being a huge splash.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Toning down the typical action adventure, Wavetale features plenty of serene and beautiful moments along the way”
read full review ↗ - 75
“Wavetale is only four hours long and can be too one-note for its own good, but a captivating world and resonant story make it worth playing all the same.”
read full review ↗ - 82
“Wavetale is a short adventure game with a focus on exploration and its story that tackles topics like greed, war and loss. what’s amazing is that it wraps it in a wholesome and inclusive package that provided me with a surprisingly lighthearted experience. If you have Stadia, check this out!”
read full review ↗ - 85
“While many of the lesser combat encounters can feel repetitive and somewhat meaningless they're punctuated by some much more compelling boss battles. The characters are charming and learning more about Sigrid and the world around her is legitimately engaging. While a few technical hiccups trip up select areas, the net experience as a whole is one of the more legitimately fun and unique games I've played through this year.”
read full review ↗ - 100
“Wavetale is a relaxing adventure game that will give pleasurable enjoyment to those who want to explore together with an emotional and hooking story. It is not a demanding game, in a good way. It is a short game that takes around 5 hours to complete, yet it can be more depending on how each player wanders across these oceans. This is what you are looking for in players who don’t feel they have much time to invest in playing or learning complex controls. It is relaxing, enjoyable, short, and fun, so check it out!”
read full review ↗ - 75
“Wavetale’s interesting storytelling, beautiful world, and solid exploration are unfortunately held back by its shallow combat.”
read full review ↗
Pure Nintendo
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VGChartz
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NintendoWorldReport
LadiesGamers.com
SwitchRPG…and 23 more tracked reviews.
Patch history
No patch announcements found on Steam yet.