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 (Metacritic) | – | 78 | 6 |
| All-time Steam reviews | 92% | 87 | 1000 |
| Metacritic user ratings | – | 82 | 10 |
| Post-patch Steam reviews (trust-weighted) | 98% | 93 | 15 |
| Calibration prior (typical game) | – | 72 | 50 |
Scoring window: last 30 days (no significant patch detected) · 44 reviews sampled · 35 total reviews in window · weighted 35.8 up / 0.9 down · computed 4h ago · full methodology →
Press & Creators reviews (20)
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.
- 90
“The 20-plus hour commitment to The Pillars of the Earth is well worth it to enjoy this interactive towering tale, faithfully adapted to near-perfection by Daedalic. For patient gamers, this is not a narrative adventure that should be missed.”
read full review ↗ - 89
“The game is a great adaptation of a very complex book. Dive into medieval ages, follow fascinating characters and make tough choices. Pillars of the Earth has stunning visuals and an amazing soundtrack. Although it's not a very challenging game, you can still have a good time with it.”
read full review ↗ - 86
“All in all, The Pillars of the Earth: Book One - From the Ashes is an excellent story-driven point-and-click adventure that mostly knows what its audience wants. This is reflected in the good gameplay and storytelling, and we hope some of the minor flaws and gripes will be addressed in books two and three, which will be released at the end of the year and in the first quarter 2018, respectively. ”
read full review ↗ - 80
“A beautiful medieval adventure that uses real history and interesting characters to tell a compelling story.”
read full review ↗ - 78
“Ken Follett's The Pillars of the Earth is a respectful game, a different way to live and expand the experience of the best seller and also a curious experience due to its easy puzzles and episodic style. Also, a relaxed and slow experience, a little different to other graphic adventures.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Ken Follett's The Pillars of the Earth is a must try for those who enjoy good stories. The game's deep characters and the atmosphere of medieval England compensate for its boring puzzles.”
read full review ↗ - 74
“Atmospheric adaptation of the story as interactive visual novel. Overall a bit too lengthy and static with little gameplay variety.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Ken Follet's The Pillars of the Earth is a surprisingly well grounded game. As mundane as the subject matter may seem at first, it's incredibly absorbing as you follow the lives of realistic people. While not perfect, suffering from general adventure game problems of backtracking and long-winded puzzles, the game more than makes up for it with compelling characters, a great script with fantastic voice acting and an aesthetic design that benefits the game greatly.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“The story that The Pillars of the Earth tells makes it worth sitting through a few tedious puzzles and the odd bug. This is just the first part of three planned, and I can’t wait to see how the rest of the game plays out. ”
read full review ↗ - 75
“The game does not stick closely to the book, but I find it to be its strength, it wouldn’t be fun to simply click through events you remember. What bothered me is that while boldly slimming down the traditional point’n’click elements Daedalic created a game that lacks challenge almost completely, which makes the story the only engaging component. But gosh, the visuals are fantastic. [10/2017, p.60]”
- 80
“The Pillars of the Earth weaves a fascinating tale and does so with superb style.”
read full review ↗ - 75
“This low-budget adventure from Daedalic, based on the uber-popular Ken Follett's novel, kicks off very slowly, but it gently gets under your skin. Don't expect too much point'n'click gameplay, but soon enough you'll find yourself engaged in a compelling story (well, congrats) and challenged by a series of choices that will impact the rest of the story. ”
read full review ↗
Worth Playing
PC Gamer
IGN
Wccftech
NZGamer
CD-Action
Stevivor
The Games Machine…and 8 more tracked reviews.
Patch history
No patch announcements found on Steam yet.