Screenshots & trailers
What players say
Why the number is what it is: aspect mentions counted across 423 sampled Steam reviews (364 positive / 59 negative), recent and most-helpful. Plain keyword counting, fully reproducible; nothing here is written by a machine.
What positive reviews talk about
- Controls & UI5% mention it
- Story & writing5% mention it
- Multiplayer & servers4% mention it
- Monetization4% mention it
What negative reviews complain about
- Multiplayer & servers36% mention it
- Story & writing31% mention it
- Controls & UI20% mention it
- Monetization12% mention it
- Progression & loot12% mention it
Satisfaction by hours played
Same score, different games: see how sentiment holds up the longer people play.
Under 5h
58%
60 reviews
5-15h
96%
118 reviews
15-40h
89%
64 reviews
40-100h
88%
64 reviews
100h+
88%
117 reviews
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) | – | 74 | 25 |
| All-time Steam reviews | 79% | 73 | 1265 |
| Metacritic user ratings | – | 62 | 46 |
| Post-patch Steam reviews (trust-weighted) | 89% | 83 | 3000 |
| Calibration prior (typical game) | – | 72 | 50 |
Scoring window: since the last significant patch (Aug 25, 2026) · 300 reviews sampled · 4736 total reviews in window · weighted 238.8 up / 12.9 down · computed 2h ago · full methodology →
Press & Creators reviews (23)
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
“Once Human is a title that won’t disappoint fans of the survival and open-world genres. With its exceptional graphics, rich and detailed gameplay mechanics, and a vast, immersive world, the game offers an engaging and ever-evolving experience. Whether you are a solo player or prefer group play, Once Human has something to offer everyone, representing a compelling and challenging adventure in a unique and fascinating post-apocalyptic setting.”
read full review ↗ - 60
“Once Human offers a deeply moreish open world scavenge-em-up, but weak action and generic clutter hold it back.”
read full review ↗ - 84
“A deep, surprisingly sticky, truly free-to-play mashup of what you like from a bunch of other survival MMOs.”
read full review ↗ - 60
“Starry Studio's survival crafting shooter throws horror, looting and MMO elements into one big potpourri with mixed results. ”
read full review ↗ - 75
“Fans of survival MMOs should get their share of resource gathering, combat, and building in Once Human. For a free-to-play game, it offers quite an impressive playtime to enjoy without any constrictions, and the production values are quite good overall. It can be a riot for solo players for some long hours but it gets more enjoyable in a group, and the issues that be aren’t enough to deter any player who is having fun with it. Give it a shot and the most you can lose is the time it took you to install it and play for a while.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Once Human combines simple but solid building and upgrading with some of the best, and weirdest, creature designs of the year to create a very enjoyable survival-crafting experience.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Once Human might be the first crafting game I find myself coming back to regularly thanks to solid combat fundamentals, a perfectly-tuned crafting loop, and a level of polish that’s often all too rare in the genre.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Combining survival elements with looter shooter and MMORPG mechanics, Once Human takes the best from these genres to create an entertaining and functional mix. While not flawless, it captivates with its bizarre world, monster design, and gunplay. The effectiveness of the seasonal system remains to be seen, but it shows promising potential to become a multiplayer staple.”
read full review ↗ - 50
“While the quality of every game is ultimately subjective, Once Human is unique in how, other than its serious technical issues, all of its problems or strengths are contentious ones that it is easy to imagine every person feeling differently about. For many, however, I suspect that it will end up being such a mixed bag as not to be worth sticking with in favor of a more focused and refined competitor.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“If you like survival games and are not afraid of grinding, feel free to start Once Human. This is a stylish and expensive game that will keep you busy for a long time.”
read full review ↗ - 85
“Once Human is a fantastic MMO based in an interesting post-apocalyptic landscape, but still has some growing to do to reach the peak of the genre.”
read full review ↗ - 65
“Once Human is an interesting title but could deliver so much more. Satisfying gunplay and a unique aesthetic are its workhorses, but there are several features in the world-building and gameplay choices that undermine its end result.”
read full review ↗
Indie Games Devel
Eurogamer
PC Gamer
GamingBolt
Multiplayer First
IGN
GGRecon
But Why Tho?
GameSpace
CGMagazine
Hynerd.it…and 11 more tracked reviews.
Patch history
- Version 3.0.4 Bug Fixes (August 26)Aug 26, 2026
- Version 3.0.4 Update Announcement (August 24)Aug 25, 2026significant · resets scoring window
- The console version of Once Human is launching soon — see you in Nalcott!Aug 25, 2026significant · resets scoring window
- Version 3.0.3 Bug Fixes (August 18)Aug 20, 2026
- Version 3.0.3 Bug Fixes (August 17)Aug 17, 2026
- Explanation and Handling Plan for the Furniture Formula "Golden Shore Pool"Aug 14, 2026significant · resets scoring window
- Version 3.0.3 Bug Fixes (August 12)Aug 13, 2026
- Version 3.0.3 Bug Fixes (August 7)Aug 10, 2026
- Version 3.0.3 Bug Fixes (August 6)Aug 6, 2026
- Version 3.0.3 Update Announcement (August 5)Aug 5, 2026significant · resets scoring window
- Version 3.0.2 Bug Fixes (August 3)Aug 4, 2026
- Version 3.0.2 Bug Fixes (July 31)Jul 31, 2026
- Version 3.0.2 Bug Fixes (July 29)Jul 30, 2026
- Version 3.0.1 Bug Fixes (July 28)Jul 28, 2026
- Version 3.0.2 Update Announcement (July 22)Jul 22, 2026significant · resets scoring window
- Version 3.0.1 Bug Fixes (July 14)Jul 15, 2026
- Version 3.0.1 Bug Fixes (July 11)Jul 13, 2026
- Version 3.0.1 Bug Fixes (July 10)Jul 10, 2026
- Version 3.0.1 Update Announcement (July 9)Jul 9, 2026significant · resets scoring window
- Version 2.4.3 Bug Fixes (June 30)Jul 1, 2026
- Version 2.4.3 Bug Fixes (June 26)Jun 26, 2026
- Version 2.4.3 Update Announcement (June 24)Jun 24, 2026significant · resets scoring window
- Version 2.4.2 Bug Fixes (June 16)Jun 16, 2026
- Version 2.4.1 Bug Fixes (June 12)Jun 16, 2026
- Version 2.4.2 Update Announcement (June 10)Jun 10, 2026significant · resets scoring window
- Version 2.4.1 Bug Fixes (June 3)Jun 3, 2026
- Dev Blog | Visional Wheel S4: Gravity Abyss Adjustments, Optimization, and FAQJun 2, 2026significant · resets scoring window
- Version 2.4.1 Bug Fixes (June 2)Jun 2, 2026
- Version 2.4.1 Bug Fixes (June 1)Jun 1, 2026
- Version 2.4.1 Bug Fixes (May 29)May 30, 2026significant · resets scoring window
- Version 2.4.1 Bug Fixes (May 28)May 29, 2026
- Version 2.4.1 Update Announcement (May 27)May 27, 2026significant · resets scoring window
- May 27(PT) Version Server Launch Schedule Adjustment AnnouncementMay 25, 2026significant · resets scoring window
- Dev Blog | May Combat Balance AdjustmentsMay 21, 2026significant · resets scoring window
- Version 2.3.8 Bug Fixes (May 20)May 21, 2026
- Version 2.3.8 Bug Fixes (May 19)May 20, 2026
- Version 2.3.8 Bug Fixes (May 18)May 19, 2026
- Version 2.3.8 Bug Fixes (May 15)May 18, 2026
- Version 2.3.8 Update Announcement (May 13)May 13, 2026significant · resets scoring window
…and 26 earlier patch announcements.