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) | – | 67 | 64 |
| All-time Steam reviews | 76% | 71 | 180 |
| Metacritic user ratings | – | – | 0 |
| Post-patch Steam reviews (trust-weighted) | 84% | 78 | 77 |
| Calibration prior (typical game) | – | 72 | 50 |
Scoring window: since the last significant patch (May 27, 2026) · 77 reviews sampled · 51 total reviews in window · weighted 43.8 up / 8.3 down · computed 2h ago · full methodology →
Press & Creators reviews (32)
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.
- 70
“he Occultist is a rich adventure with a mystical story that has its own unique identity.”
read full review ↗ - 83
“The Occultist is a well-crafted first-person horror adventure with a strong atmosphere, engaging exploration, logical puzzles, and a memorable occult pendulum mechanic. Its story may follow familiar genre paths, and the dull enemies, uneven voice acting, and underused audio design hold it back, but its haunting locations, excellent soundtrack, and polished technical state make it a genuinely satisfying horror experience.”
read full review ↗ - 65
“The Occultist gets a great deal right for a debut, a striking premise and a genuinely unsettling sense of place, but it repeats its best ideas instead of building on them.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“The Occultist is a solid narrative horror game that focuses more on atmosphere and exploration than on action. Thanks to its unique pendulum mechanics, varied environments, and intriguing story, it manages to hold your interest from start to finish. Despite a few flaws, such as limited replayability, occasionally confusing navigation, and uneven voice acting, the experience remains solid and immersive. It’s a relatively short but well-paced game that will appeal to fans of survival horror focused on exploration and puzzles.”
read full review ↗ - 64
“There isn't a scary part of The Occultist that will make you jump or reach for the light switch. It's more of a slow, thoughtful experience that focuses on mood and tales. It's a game that wants you to think more than do, and you can explore its universe and learn its secrets at your own pace.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“The Occultist is a great PS5 horror adventure with a strong mystery, fun pendulum-based puzzles, and a setting I enjoyed exploring from start to finish. I loved that it asks you to investigate and pay attention instead of handing you combat as the answer to everything.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“If you are searching for a horror game focused on exploration and puzzles, The Occultist is certainly a title worthy of your attention.”
read full review ↗ - 75
“The game does a good job of creating a dark and mystical atmosphere. The story is good enough to keep you wanting to continue uncovering the secrets of Goldstone Island. However, the game doesn't really make you feel scared or have to fight for survival.”
read full review ↗ - 55
“The Occultist should be a game that I adore, given these types of games are usually my bread and butter. But when you can’t get behind your lead protagonist, you sort of lose interest in their journey and what makes them tick. Godstone often looks the part, and while a few puzzles and scenarios are exactly what this game nails, the same can’t be said for the whole package. As it stands, this is a game with a ton of wasted potential as its individual components don’t gel, and a cool premise is something that can only get you so far.”
read full review ↗ - 65
“This is not a bad horror game for people looking to jump into the horror genre or looking for a new horror experience. There are a few jump scares but nothing too outrageous for those gamers who find horror games to be overwhelming. But big horror fans may feel a little underwhelmed.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“The Occultist is a great investigate horror game featuring a compelling narrative and well designed puzzles. With some excellent writing and voice acting, I was hooked in to play through its modest runtime in two sittings. With a debut game like this, I'm excited to see what will come next from Daloar.”
read full review ↗ - 82
“The Occultist is a horror experience that shines through its atmosphere and narrative ambition, but falls short in terms of gameplay. It is interesting and full of personality, though it never quite manages to live up to its full potential.”
read full review ↗
GameMAG
JsemGamer
gamefinity
Geeks & Com
GamesCreed
NextGen Player
SomGeek
SECTOR.sk
Analog Stick Gaming
Gamer Social Club
TheSixthAxis
Chicas Gamers…and 20 more tracked reviews.
Patch history
- PATCH 1.0.2 NOW LIVEMay 27, 2026significant · resets scoring window
- The Occultist HotFix | V.1.0.1.5Apr 15, 2026
- Deluxe Pack Update | SOUNDTRACKApr 14, 2026
- PATCH 1.0.1 NOW LIVEApr 13, 2026significant · resets scoring window
- Quick Update: Fixes & Improvements in ProgressApr 11, 2026significant · resets scoring window
- The Occultist Demo Update Log #4Mar 3, 2026
- The Occultist Demo Update Log #2Feb 12, 2026
- The Occultist Demo Update Log #1Jan 15, 2026significant · resets scoring window
- JUNE UPDATE: The Power of Music in The OccultistJun 19, 2025