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 (Metacritic) | – | 71 | 6 |
| All-time Steam reviews | 86% | 80 | 1000 |
| Metacritic user ratings | – | 83 | 5 |
| Post-patch Steam reviews (trust-weighted) | 100% | 97 | 1 |
| Calibration prior (typical game) | – | 72 | 50 |
Scoring window: last 30 days (no significant patch detected) · 2 reviews sampled · 0 total reviews in window · weighted 0.9 up / 0 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.
- 75
“Some of its more unique spin on things do shine through, such as City management, but others like the added adventure/discovery element just get lost amongst the need to survive.”
read full review ↗ - 68
“All in all, I think Warlock: Master of the Arcane is a decent little strategy game. It has some problems, but that didn't stop me from putting in over 15 hours into it. If you want to be really good at the game, you'll need to become a rather hardcore player. This game is not really for the newcomers to the 4X genre, but if you enjoy a good challenge in the same vein as Civilization, you can still have a good time game for the inexpensive $20 price tag.”
read full review ↗ - 75
“There's clearly room for improvement, including a more aggressive AI, but over 30 hours later and I'm still playing it. Not bad for a simple take on Civ with some dragons thrown in.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“Despite not explicitly saying so, Warlock: Master of the Arcane serves as a decent entry game for those who want to dabble in 4X strategy. Thanks to the lack of a decent tutorial and in-game instructions, the game still has a steep learning curve, and the lack of attention paid to the diplomatic aspects of the genre will leave some players overwhelmed once they move on to something with more substance.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“A well-crafted, easy-to-play game with an entertaining fantasy bent, Warlock will have you staying up nights taking one more turn to blast King Rrat to kingdom come.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“It's certainly not about to reach out to anyone who doesn't like wargames, nor appeal to anyone who wants the broader scope of the Civilization series, but it does a perfectly good job as a tombola of fantasy combat nonsense, full of new and wonderful and silly surprises.”
read full review ↗ - 75
“Warlock: Master of the Arcane's emphasis on combat makes it feel fresh in the 4X strategy genre. It just needed some fine-tuning to be truly great.”
read full review ↗ - 73
“Similarly to Civilization V, combat elements are the most evolved and those of you who favored that particular battle system will get right down to business, helped a lot by the map's visual familiarity. The positioning of units on hexagons allows for attacks from multiple directions and, just like in the eternal source of inspiration, in the lower left you get an approximate report of a fight together with any bonuses given by unit type or terrain type.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“Exploring is fun, resource exploitation is basic and extermination is tedious. [July 2012, p.84]”
- 60
“Dedicated and studious players might be able to look past the limited information on how to play if they're familiar enough with the genre and don't mind learning by trial and error, but less patient newcomers will be left on the proverbial sidelines.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“Fast paced turn-based strategy with lots of options on the one hand, weak diplomacy and absence of any multiplayer on the other. [July 2012]”
- 62
“Warlock is just a failed attempt to reproduce Master of Magic.”
read full review ↗
GameWatcher
ZTGD
Worth Playing
The Escapist
Eurogamer
GameSpot
PC Gamer…and 23 more tracked reviews.
Patch history
No patch announcements found on Steam yet.