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) | – | 68 | 20 |
| All-time Steam reviews | 88% | 81 | 28 |
| Metacritic user ratings | – | – | 0 |
| Post-patch Steam reviews (trust-weighted) | 69% | 66 | 3 |
| Calibration prior (typical game) | – | 72 | 50 |
Scoring window: since the last significant patch (Jul 23, 2026) · 3 reviews sampled · 2 total reviews in window · weighted 1 up / 0.5 down · computed 2h ago · full methodology →
Press & Creators reviews (22)
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.
- 75
“Yerba Buena is a rough gem from a team with a genuinely original vision. The Oscillator is one of the best new puzzle mechanics in recent years. The art direction is distinctive and sometimes stunning. The writing has a comedic voice that earns it. And the meta-fictional setting, an NPC becoming the protagonist of an abandoned gameworld in 1970s San Francisco, is the kind of premise that only exists once. The launch bugs need patching, the mid-game test chambers need more openness, and the animation work needs a pass before this game is the full version of what it’s clearly trying to be. At $24.99 for 6-10 hours of something genuinely unlike anything else available, it’s a worthwhile purchase for puzzle fans who can tolerate rougher edges in exchange for genuine innovation.”
read full review ↗ - 65
“Yerba Buena features a gorgeous art style and some genuinely clever puzzle mechanics, but frustrating design choices and uneven pacing hold the experience back. The game’s inconsistent puzzle quality, combined with a poor checkpoint system, results in excessive backtracking that repeatedly disrupts immersion and momentum. I genuinely wanted to enjoy Yerba Buena more because some of its ideas are excellent, but too many mechanics work against the overall experience. While there is still a decent puzzle game underneath its issues, frustrating pacing and inconsistent design prevent Yerba Buena from reaching its full potential.”
read full review ↗ - 65
“The game Yerba Buena walks a fine line. One moment, you’re admiring its creativity, its original NPC concept, and its jabs at the video game industry. The next, however, you find yourself waiting for a dialogue to end or trying to figure out why a simple solution just doesn’t work the way it should. The game has promising ideas, but that alone just isn’t enough.”
read full review ↗ - 78
“I personally enjoyed it. It is an original little game that does have a few rough edges and does not always flow as smoothly as it should. However, its clever level design, entertaining story with a sense of humor, and colorful 1970s stylization all do their part. The result is a great bite-sized experience that should keep genre fans entertained for a solid five hours.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Yerba Buena manages a solid balance between storytelling and gameplay, with the Oscillator standing out as an inventive and engaging core mechanic. Thanks to its well-designed puzzles and steady progression of ideas, the game delivers a smooth and enjoyable experience that can appeal to both puzzle fans and newcomers.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“Yerba Buena isn't a game you'll easily forget. Its core mechanics are genuinely original in the world of first-person puzzle platformers, and when they work perfectly, you can feel the difference compared to something built on familiar ideas. The visual presentation is colorful and coherent, with a palette that captures that 1970s California aesthetic without ever becoming cloying (much like American Arcadia did a few years ago). The soundtrack cleverly adapts to the setting. The writing, for the most part, is worth the time invested. For those looking for a puzzle game that has something new to say mechanically and doesn't take itself too seriously narratively, while still finding room for some scathing commentary on gentrification and tech capitalism, Yerba Buena offers a dozen hours that are well worth the investment. I recommend it, knowing that you need to have a certain tolerance for the indie rough edges, for a few bugs that shouldn't have been gold-plated, and for a checkpoint system that sometimes forgets it's there for the player. It's not Portal. It doesn't even try to be, in the way some games overshadow their illustrious predecessors. It's something stranger, more flawed, and at times more interesting. Yerba Buena: good weed, not perfect. So much for those who put mint in their mojitos...”
read full review ↗ - 73
“Yerba Buena combines creative weapon-based puzzle mechanics with an engaging story. However, eye-straining color palettes, distant interactions, and tedious level designs hinder the experience. Despite its high potential, it is not suitable for impatient players.”
read full review ↗ - 75
“Yerba Buena is a flawed but fun puzzle platformer. The gun is fun to use, and while the puzzles in the latter half can get maddeningly difficult in levels that can start to feel like they run for too long, those puzzles can also feel satisfying to solve. The story can be a little bonkers at times, but it is compelling despite some issues that can mar the experience. With a solid presentation, Yerba Buena ends up being a fun experience for those craving a puzzle platformer that feels both different and familiar.”
read full review ↗ - 82
“Yerba Buena ends up seeming like an ambitious indie project that tests its technical limits. Some ideas work brilliantly. Others fail due to poor execution or tempo. But the game’s cleverness helps it through many of its issues. Beneath the tedious scanning mechanics, inconsistent problem design, and lousy presentation lurks a smart puzzle adventure full of innovation and innovative notions.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Full of surprises and not afraid to throw you into the deep end, Yerba Buena is a delectably tricky linear puzzle narrative adventure masquerading as a colourful physics sandbox.”
read full review ↗ - 50
“Barb finds herself right inside a video game and has a fantastic device that allows her to change things around her and solve puzzles. But even that sometimes doesn't help her succeed.”
read full review ↗ - 60
“Yerba Buena has a solid idea on how to advance the puzzle genre, but lacks the execution to really pull it off. What is here is certainly enhanced by a fairly ok story, which has a very cool reveal behind it, but a lack of compelling characters, especially its lead, leaves Yerba Buena in a space where nothing really stands out.”
read full review ↗
TheBigBois
GamesHedge
Gaming Professors
JsemGamer
ReGame It
Gamesource Italia
Atarita
Worth Playing
GamesCreed
Checkpoint Gaming
SECTOR.sk
Analog Stick Gaming…and 10 more tracked reviews.
Patch history
- YERBA BUENA - Patch 1.3Jul 23, 2026significant · resets scoring window
- Yerba Buena Demo Patch 1.2Jun 19, 2026significant · resets scoring window
- YERBA BUENA - Patch 1.2Jun 9, 2026significant · resets scoring window