Screenshots & trailers
What players say
Why the number is what it is: aspect mentions counted across 299 sampled Steam reviews (285 positive / 14 negative), recent and most-helpful. Plain keyword counting, fully reproducible; nothing here is written by a machine.
What positive reviews talk about
- Story & writing14% mention it
- World & exploration7% mention it
- Visuals & art6% mention it
- Music & audio6% mention it
- Controls & UI5% mention it
What negative reviews complain about
- Story & writing36% mention it
Satisfaction by hours played
Same score, different games: see how sentiment holds up the longer people play.
Under 5h
91%
87 reviews
5-15h
96%
159 reviews
15-40h
100%
48 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) | – | 77 | 9 |
| Creator reviews (1 tracked) | – | 78 | 0 |
| All-time Steam reviews | 96% | 92 | 1141 |
| Metacritic user ratings | – | 86 | 47 |
| Post-patch Steam reviews (trust-weighted) | 96% | 91 | 237 |
| Calibration prior (typical game) | – | 72 | 50 |
Scoring window: last 30 days (no significant patch detected) · 300 reviews sampled · 677 total reviews in window · weighted 192.5 up / 8.3 down · computed 2h ago · full methodology →
Press & Creators reviews (81)
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
- 80
“Outlast is undoubtedly one of the legendary titles in its genre today. The protagonist’s helplessness, the well-placed scripted events, and the use of light and shadow are simply perfect. The jump scares, the atmosphere of the psychiatric hospital, and the patients themselves really elevate this game.”
read full review ↗ - 85
“Outlast is terrifying, brutal and crazy. The story is clever enough to assemble all themes into a complete picture and tie it with some historical facts, but the most important thing is this: Outlast is really scary. Honestly, no game before has made me feel such strong emotions. Outlast is a must buy for all fans of scary stories. Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs is a fairy tale in comparison.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“Outlast perfects this self-inflicted madness in every area of its design, and it's absolutely petrifying. I love it.”
read full review ↗ - 95
- 80
“Let it be known that Outlast is a genuinely stressful and nerve-racking experience, but that's exactly what a true survival horror game should be, and we wouldn't have it any other way.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“It's not perfect, but Outlast is still arguably one of the best survival horror games in recent memory. You'll need a strong stomach to get through the campaign, but if you can cope with jump scares and graphic content, then this is an exhilarating experience from bloody beginning to chilling conclusion. With fantastic audio work and a clever camera mechanic, Red Barrels' debut fear fest really will make you afraid of the dark.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“If you enjoy a terrifying game and are not prone to heart attacks, this $20 fright-fest is for you. Just be warned, it is not for the faint of heart.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“One of 2013's best games, Outlast deserves success in 2014 as a PlayStation 4 release. Disturbing and macabre, sometimes to the extreme, this is one of the best horror games to grace the world in a long time.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“Stop and peer too long into Outlast's gloom and you'll see the zips on the monster costumes. Take it at at speed and you'll find a haunted house worth visiting.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“Most of the time, particularly early on when its quirks are fresh and unknown, it delivers. Even its weakest moments owe their existence not to ineffective ambiance and tension, but rather to excessive confidence spurred by eventual predictable encounters that clash with the promise of the setting.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Just remember to turn off the lights and try not to cover your eyes, because you're in for one hell of a ride.”
read full review ↗
Fintendo
Gaming Professors
GRYOnline.pl
VGChartz
Pure Xbox
Push Square
ZTGD
The Escapist
Eurogamer
GameSpot
TheSixthAxis…and 69 more tracked reviews.
Patch history
- New Patch Released (April 30th 2014)Apr 30, 2014
- New Patch Released (April 30th 2014)Apr 30, 2014
- New UpdateSep 24, 2013
- New UpdateSep 24, 2013