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) | – | 82 | 8 |
| All-time Steam reviews | 92% | 86 | 507 |
| Metacritic user ratings | – | 72 | 2 |
| Post-patch Steam reviews (trust-weighted) | 83% | 77 | 2 |
| Calibration prior (typical game) | – | 72 | 50 |
Scoring window: last 30 days (no significant patch detected) · 5 reviews sampled · 5 total reviews in window · weighted 2.5 up / 0.5 down · computed 3h ago · full methodology →
Press & Creators reviews (36)
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
“Another "strange" game from Blendo, Quadrilateral Cowboy feels more like a proof of concept that will leave you just wanting from it to be more, well, everything. It sets its concepts up nicely, but doesn't do much with them.”
read full review ↗ - 60
“There’s the kernel of a great game here, and I’m looking forward to going into Blendo Games’ backlog to see what other interesting ideas Brendon Chung has had, even if this one is held back by missteps or creative choices that I don’t enjoy.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Intensely atmospheric and brilliantly executed from a “mechanical” standpoint, Quadrilateral Cowboy somehow manages to feel more like a tease for an epic saga of retro-futuristic cyber-espionage than a complete game unto itself. It will delight puzzle game fans with the clever implementation of it’s “hacking” routines and balanced learning curve but story fans will potentially find less than they may expect.”
read full review ↗ - 75
“This scrappy, surreal escapade cleverly uses programming as a game mechanic, but can't quite follow through on its ideas.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“Quadrilateral Cowboy succeeds in astonishing ways: It makes you feel like an incredibly accomplished computer hacker and agent of espionage. It creates an eccentric, thorough world that feels good to exist in and creates characters you can empathise with, despite the lack of a clear plot thread. Quadrilateral Cowboy presents you with a spectrum of moments, and each moment makes you feel great.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“It’s effortlessly cool, from a slightly nerdy retro perspective, but hidden beneath that, there’s a simple and very ordinary feeling tale of a trio of kickass women living outside the law and pulling off ever more outlandish heists.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“One of the best hacking-themed video games ever, and a clever puzzler with some surprisingly successful storytelling elements.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“Quadrilateral Cowboy is the perfect mix of cybercrime and cyberpunk, that trades in the darker, hard-edged aesthetic of Mr. Robot and Uplink for something that's infinitely more charming and endearing.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“A few technical issues aside, Quadrilateral Cowboy is a clever puzzle game bursting with personality.”
read full review ↗ - 60
“If you want a nonsensical story with a serious focus on terminal-based gameplay, you’re going to find yourself pleasantly surprised with Quadrilateral Cowboy.”
read full review ↗ - 100
“The latest from the creator of Gravity Bone and Atom Zombie Smasher is a weird and heartfelt espionage adventure you won't soon forget.”
read full review ↗ - 85
“Quadrilateral Cowboy’s puzzles are mostly a joy to play. Its command line hacking is surprisingly accessible and pleasingly tactile, and when combined with its many interesting gadgets it allows for plenty of creative problem-solving and freedom in tackling all manner of whimsical cybercrime.”
read full review ↗
PLAY Zine
Paste Magazine
Eurogamer
GameSpot
TheSixthAxis
Metro GameCentral
We Got This Covered
PC Gamer
OnlySP
IGN…and 24 more tracked reviews.
Patch history
- Hotfix for Weevil crashJun 27, 2026
- 10 Year Anniversary UpdateJun 26, 2026
- Quadrilateral Cowboy March 2026 UpdateMar 4, 2026
- Quadrilateral Cowboy July 2025 updateJul 18, 2025
- Update 009: The Video UpdateJun 18, 2025
- Update 008: Mac/Linux 64-bit updateOct 22, 2020
- Update 007: The v1.0.1610173 UpdateOct 26, 2017
- Update v1.0.1610173Oct 26, 2017
- Update 006: Mac/Linux ReleaseSep 30, 2016
- Update 006: Mac/Linux ReleaseSep 30, 2016
- Update 005: Mac/Linux public beta now liveSep 2, 2016
- Update 004: The Primordial Soup UpdateAug 17, 2016
- Update 004: The Primordial Soup UpdateAug 17, 2016
- Update 003: The Flotilla UpdateAug 10, 2016
- Update 003: The Flotilla UpdateAug 10, 2016
- Update 002: The Log UpdateAug 3, 2016
- Update 002: The Log UpdateAug 3, 2016
- Update 001: The Citrus UpdateJul 27, 2016
- Update 001: The Citrus UpdateJul 27, 2016