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) | – | 79 | 31 |
| All-time Steam reviews | 82% | 75 | 134 |
| Metacritic user ratings | – | – | 0 |
| Post-patch Steam reviews (trust-weighted) | 92% | 87 | 14 |
| Calibration prior (typical game) | – | 72 | 50 |
Scoring window: since the last significant patch (Feb 3, 2026) · 13 reviews sampled · 14 total reviews in window · weighted 8.7 up / 0.7 down · computed 2h ago · full methodology →
Press & Creators reviews (21)
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.
- 80
“The Land Beneath Us presents itself with an almost chess-like tone where the strategic element is predominant and increases considerably as the experience progresses. The game is not free from flaws. You can replay the old areas by increasing the difficulty, but the replayability is not very high. The Boss fights are well characterized and well done, with very original and never frustrating patterns. It’s a shame that the mid-bosses are a bit repetitive even in the creatures. The balance, especially in the fourth area, can create serious problems for the player. Despite these solvable little things, The Land Beneath Us doesn’t have any huge critical issues, even if it comes down hard on the player, it is almost never “dishonest” towards them. If you like challenges, you will find something for you.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“There's a lot to love here, and if you're a fan of strategy titles, roguelite elements, or ideally both, you'd really be doing yourself a disservice by not trying it.”
read full review ↗ - 84
“A surprisingly challenging and engaging turn-based roguelike that has a style of its own”
read full review ↗ - 80
“This mix of fast-paced action with strategy and RPG elements makes the game incredibly fun. It’s addictive and has a ton of replayability.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Overall, The Land Beneath Us sports huge replay value and strategic roguelike gameplay that can be challenging but immensely rewarding. I would highly recommend any fans of the turn-based roguelike genre to take a look underfoot at The Lands Beneath Us.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“For those who like rogue-lite games with rapid action and well-considered choices, The Land Beneath Us is a great choice. While it is unable to innovate in many areas, its mechanical execution is still top-notch. The plot and presentation are adequate, but not particularly noteworthy when contrasted with other games in the genre.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“The Land Beneath Us is as sleek and sharp as a blood sword. The game’s systems favor careful consideration over needless fuss, paring back layers of potential boondoggles to the bare essentials: your weapon, your enemies’ movements, and the terrain. Every mechanic layered on top relies on those fundamentals instead of superseding them Despite its generosity of information, The Land Beneath Us doesn’t compromise its difficulty. You may know what’s coming, but that just means your failures are your own. A few structural blemishes affect the game’s flow, but it is still very much worth fighting for. I send Sven through the warp point one more time, determined to see it through.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“The Land Beneath Us is a fantastic roguelike, managing to innovate on an already saturated genre to make something truly special.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“The Land Beneath Us is a cool indie Roguelike that boasts that essential ‘one more go’ outlook, keeping you coming back for more.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“The Land Beneath Us ended up being a wonderful surprise for me. It is a clever mix of gameplay that plays like a classic dungeon crawler but adds clever mechanics to make the formula feel fresh and new. It has a great weapon upgrade system, a hefty amount of new moves and upgrades to unlock and addictive gameplay that’s very hard to put down. If you absolutely detest rogue-lite games, then maybe this won’t be the case for you. But if you are new to or experienced in this genre, then The Land Beneath Us gets a thumbs up from me on Nintendo Switch.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“If you enjoy turn-based gameplay and get a kick out of dodging attacks and outmanoeuvring enemies, The Land Beneath Us might be worth a try. Its innovative design, with a four-weapon system mapped to directional keys and Helldiver-esque command combinations, is both creative and quite engaging. Unfortunately, the levels are rather monotonous, with few surprises throughout the game, and the overall content is relatively sparse.”
read full review ↗ - 85
“The Land Beneath us is a fantastic roguelite with a wonderfully unique combat system. I found myself addicted and did nothing but play this game for days. The base difficulty is just enough to provide a challenge, without ending up feeling frustratingly luck-based. You also accrue currency for meta (permanent) upgrades at a steady pace, which aligns well with the gradual increase in difficulty. An aspect many roguelites greatly fail at. Overall this is a very thoughtfully designed game with an interesting gameplay premise. Fans of roguelites should not pass this one up.”
read full review ↗
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Patch history
- Patch 1.9.0.4 - Balancing & FixesFeb 3, 2026significant · resets scoring window
- Patch 1.8.6 - New Save System!Oct 16, 2025
- Important Security Update Available ✅Oct 10, 2025
- Patch 1.8.5.3 🗡️Jun 26, 2025significant · resets scoring window
- 📢 Patch 1.8.4 📢Mar 6, 2025significant · resets scoring window
- 🔥 Patch 1.8.2.4 🔥Jan 16, 2025significant · resets scoring window
- 🌕 Patch 1.8.2.3 - Purple Moon Update 🌕Dec 11, 2024significant · resets scoring window
- 🔥 Patch 1.7.7.2 🔥Oct 24, 2024significant · resets scoring window
- 🔥 Demo Update 🔥Oct 10, 2024
- 🔥 Patch 1.7.6 🔥Jul 23, 2024significant · resets scoring window
- Patch 1.7.5 is now live!Jun 18, 2024significant · resets scoring window
- Patch 1.7.4May 21, 2024significant · resets scoring window
- Patch Note 1.7.3May 18, 2024significant · resets scoring window