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) | – | 60 | 27 |
| All-time Steam reviews | 75% | 70 | 54 |
| Metacritic user ratings | – | – | 0 |
| Post-patch Steam reviews (trust-weighted) | 100% | 97 | 0 |
| Calibration prior (typical game) | – | 72 | 50 |
Scoring window: last 30 days (no significant patch detected) · 1 reviews sampled · 1 total reviews in window · weighted 0.3 up / 0 down · computed 3h 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
“Death or Treat is a hack-and-slash in 2D, beautifully drawn. It’s a game that playfully satirizes everything and while it clearly takes inspiration from Hollow Knight, it still possesses its own unique personality.”
read full review ↗ - 76
“Death or Treat is a nice little indie gem that would have been perfect for Halloween night. The great visual presentation combined with a fitting soundtrack would have been a perfect fit for the theme night. However, it has to be acknowledged that the game is only fun in short bursts, as the grind is immense to eventually reach the end of the game. Nevertheless, it's fun to immerse yourself in the world of Hallowtown and will also appeal to fans of roguelites and roguelikes. Definitely a thumbs up from me!”
read full review ↗ - 40
“In a golden age of indie roguelikes, Death or Treat barely manages to eke out a silver lining.”
read full review ↗ - 40
“With its wonderful hand-drawn aesthetic Death or Treat looks like it should be fantastic. Never judge a video game by its visuals however, as those visual delights disguise a bland and repetitive roguelite. Death or Treat? More like Death or Trick.”
read full review ↗ - 50
“Death or Treat is a pretty barebones entry to the growing pantheon of rogue-lite hack and slash games. It looks nice and plays well enough, but it isn’t sticky.”
read full review ↗ - 75
“If Death or Treat is your first foray into the action roguelike genre, then you will find a lot to love about it. For those more versed, you may find a very overly familiar experience that doesn’t reinvent the formula. I fall more into this latter category. I liked experimenting with the different weapons and builds before venturing off on a new run, but I felt like I’d done this all before. Death or Treat is not a bad game; it succeeds in what it sets out to do, a fun experience to grind away with a fantastic art direction. Suited to those looking for a short gaming fix or ready to settle in for a good game night. Halloween or not, you can enjoy this any day of the year.”
read full review ↗ - 75
“So don't let the pretty graphics fool you, behind them lies unfortunately just an average game in every respect. Mediocre tech, mediocre gameplay, polished boredom, and precious little variety paired with a non-existent motivation curve will send Death or Treat into obscurity faster than Scary can save Halloween.”
read full review ↗ - 60
“In a world filled with 2D rogue-lites competing for our attention, Death or Treat isn’t able to stand up to the competition. There seems to be a myriad of visual and technical bugs that are keeping this game from reaching its full potential, but even that seems to be only half of what it could be. It’s not a bad game, but players should likely wait until it’s fixed and goes on a discount before they decide to purchase.”
read full review ↗ - 50
“Death or Treat, despite the interesting artistic aspect, fails to bring a valid experience that is only immature and distant from the standards of a good self-respecting rogue-lite.”
read full review ↗ - 50
“Death or Treat is a 2D action hack-and-slash roguelite that shows a lot of promise being an indie developer's first project. The game's adorable visuals can only carry it so far, as the experience is boggled down by uninspired gameplay mechanics and technical issues.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“We analyze Death or Treat, an interesting roguelike title in which we will control the ghost Scary, trying to sell candy.”
read full review ↗ - 40
“I don’t particularly appreciate giving games low scores, especially to a game that was a labor of love by a small team, but Death or Treat is a hard sell. It’s short, features only four bosses, limited variety, is poorly balanced, and is filled with bugs. The last one is significant because I can overlook some of these things, but in its current state, I can’t recommend it. This is a shame because the jokes and core gameplay loop are enjoyable, but the flaws are impossible to miss.”
read full review ↗
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Infinite Start…and 13 more tracked reviews.
Patch history
No patch announcements found on Steam yet.