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) | – | 82 | 6 |
| All-time Steam reviews | 95% | 90 | 1000 |
| Metacritic user ratings | – | 87 | 10 |
| Post-patch Steam reviews (trust-weighted) | 100% | 97 | 9 |
| Calibration prior (typical game) | – | 72 | 50 |
Acclaim gate: the raw blend lands at 89.2, but scores above 88 must be earned in front of a mass audience; this verdict rests on 7,118 player reviews, a largely self-selected fanbase. As more players weigh in, the ceiling rises (full scale unlocks at 100,000 reviews).
Scoring window: last 30 days (no significant patch detected) · 25 reviews sampled · 18 total reviews in window · weighted 10.5 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.
- 90
“A creation of obvious love and care, Botanicula is a must-play for those seeking a truly imaginative and entertaining adventure game”
read full review ↗ - 90
“Botanicula is yet another game for people looking for some unusual aesthetic emotions. Upon launching Animata Design's game you can be sure you're embarking on a short, but exceptional journey that makes ordinary adventure games seem sad and bleak.”
read full review ↗ - 85
“If you can pull yourself away from killing things for a few hours to play a sweet, adorable, bizarre, funny, joyful game, you owe it to yourself to buy Botanicula. It's not massively challenging and it only really lasts four hours, but you'll have a smile on your face for the entire time, and often a good laugh too.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“Another one of those weird little offerings that is as much a place as it is a game: an old tree filled with strange life, in which dazzling secrets lurk under every stone. Click!”
read full review ↗ - 85
“To play Botanicula is to peer through a microscope at hidden world and feel like you've made the greatest of discoveries: one of a place that's so overflowing with imagination and so full of wonder that only a person with a heart of stone would fail to be taken in by its charms.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“Charming, clever and attractive; Botanicula is the perfect antidote to angst-ridden gaming and a fine graphic adventure in its own right.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Invites you into a beautifully realised, wholly consistent and ever-so-slightly alien ecosystem and keeps you wondering what you'll see next. [June 2012, p.63]”
- 82
“A different kind of adventure, in a very different kind of world that wastes no time before growing on you.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“Interacting with this bright and soulful world is a deeply involving experience, and you'll find yourself continually finding excuses to play for just a few more minutes.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“Cute and very catchy exploratory adventure created with passion scores thanks to the brilliant idea and the authentic approach of the game design. [May 2012]”
- 93
- 80
“A simple, yet very endearing game. If Botanicula were a living creature, you'd want to hold it in your arms and pet it around the neck. What a cutie! If only it were a wee bit smarter.”
read full review ↗
GRYOnline.pl
GameWatcher
Eurogamer
GameSpot
Metro GameCentral
PC Gamer
AusGamers
ActionTrip…and 23 more tracked reviews.
Patch history
No patch announcements found on Steam yet.