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) | – | 86 | 7 |
| All-time Steam reviews | 96% | 91 | 1000 |
| Metacritic user ratings | – | 80 | 15 |
| Post-patch Steam reviews (trust-weighted) | 93% | 88 | 1344 |
| Calibration prior (typical game) | – | 72 | 50 |
Acclaim gate: the raw blend lands at 88.7, but scores above 88 must be earned in front of a mass audience; this verdict rests on 20,069 player reviews, a largely self-selected fanbase. As more players weigh in, the ceiling rises (full scale unlocks at 100,000 reviews).
Scoring window: since the last significant patch (Dec 5, 2025) · 300 reviews sampled · 1344 total reviews in window · weighted 208.8 up / 16.3 down · computed 2h ago · full methodology →
Press & Creators reviews (32)
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.
- 70
“If you’re a fan of Enter the Gungeon, roguelikes, or difficult games in general, Nuclear Throne is going to be right up your alley; we’d give this one a high recommendation.”
read full review ↗ - 95
“Though it’s pretty clear in places that Nuclear Throne has aged a bit since its original release, its unapologetic degree of challenge and a wide variety of builds still make it one of the best twin-stick shooters on the Switch...”
read full review ↗ - 90
“Nuclear Throne is one of the greatest rogue-like games that we have ever played: the gunplay is very satisfying, the characters and their creative abilities are wonderfully wacky, and the entire experience has so much variety that it becomes very addictive. If you are a fan of rogue-likes or simply want an outstanding game to play, then we suggest that you let Vlambeer's latest rule over your PlayStation lands, 'cause it's definitely ruling over ours.”
read full review ↗ - 95
“It runs flawlessly in both handheld and docked modes, the pixel art looks great with interesting character and enemy design, offers co-op play, and the amount of variation between each run keeps it fresh as you slam your head against the wall again and again on the way to the throne. The difficulty is absolutely harsh and is sure to turn some off, but feels completely fair, outside of the rare fake chest which can quickly destroy an otherwise promising run. However, no matter how frustrating a death can be, I constantly found myself right back into it without a second thought.”
read full review ↗ - 100
“Vlambeer's latest pocket of panicky delight is an intense arcade roguelike that rivals Spelunky and The Binding of Isaac.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“Nuclear Throne's nearly a perfect entry into the roguelike-like genre for anyone who's butt needs a throne to sit and ego needs a beat down.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“Another perfectly constructed neo-arcade game from the makers of Luftrausers, which perfectly marries twin stick shooters with roguelike punishment.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“A crowning achievement for Vlambeer, and one of the finest action-roguelikes ever made.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“Grab the spoils of combat as quickly as you can, and get ready to be sucked in to the next level. Just be glad you don’t have to keep putting money in when you die again, and again, and again.”
read full review ↗ - 85
“Nuclear Throne revels in its own madness as a twin-stick shooter that could easily stand shoulder to shoulder with any other in the genre. While the repetitive nature of locales does grate after a while, it's still difficult to not come back for one more game time and time again.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“Its action is brutal, over-the-top, and rewarding; a hyperactive arcade-style shoot-em-up with enough dynamism to keep me captivated moment to moment, but a strong sense of strategy to give me something to invest in over longer playthroughs.”
read full review ↗ - 75
“Nuclear Throne is as simple as it is addictive. This game presents us with nothing but a single challenge: to reach the final level and beat it. To this end, it features a series of rounds made up of procedurally generated levels. In these, every game takes on a dynamic quality, forcing us to constantly adapt to each situation”
read full review ↗
Nintendo Life
Nindie Spotlight
Push Square
NintendoWorldReport
Eurogamer
GameSkinny
Metro GameCentral
PC Gamer
DarkZero
The Game Fanatics
IGN
EntreMandos…and 20 more tracked reviews.
Patch history
- Update #100 - 10 year anniversary - December 5th, 2025Dec 5, 2025significant · resets scoring window
- Nuclear Throne update 100 launch date & a Y.V. plushie!Sep 1, 2025significant · resets scoring window
- Update #99 - Update 99 - November 6th, 2017Nov 6, 2017significant · resets scoring window
- Update #99 - Update 99 - November 6th, 2017Nov 6, 2017significant · resets scoring window
- November 6th: AMA + Update 99 Release!Nov 1, 2017significant · resets scoring window
- November 6th: AMA + Update 99 Release!Nov 1, 2017significant · resets scoring window
- Update #98 - Thronebutt - February 21st, 2016Feb 21, 2016significant · resets scoring window
- Update #98 - Thronebutt - February 21st, 2016Feb 21, 2016significant · resets scoring window
- Update #97 - Clouds and Tweaks - December 15th, 2015Dec 15, 2015significant · resets scoring window
- Update #97 - Clouds and Tweaks - December 15th, 2015Dec 15, 2015significant · resets scoring window
- Update #95 - Shiny Throne - November 17thNov 17, 2015significant · resets scoring window
- Update #95 - Shiny Throne - November 17thNov 17, 2015significant · resets scoring window
- Note: Update 95 has been delayedOct 26, 2015
- Note: Update 95 has been delayedOct 26, 2015
- Update #94 - Weeklies! - Weekend of October 16thOct 17, 2015significant · resets scoring window
- Update #94 - Weeklies! - Weekend of October 16thOct 17, 2015significant · resets scoring window
- Update #93 - Happy Birthday, Nuclear Throne! - Weekend of October 9thOct 11, 2015significant · resets scoring window
- Update #93 - Happy Birthday, Nuclear Throne! - Weekend of October 9thOct 11, 2015significant · resets scoring window
- Update #92 - The Beginning Of The End Part II - Weekend of September 27thSep 27, 2015significant · resets scoring window
- Update #92 - The Beginning Of The End Part II - Weekend of September 27thSep 27, 2015significant · resets scoring window
- Update #91 - The Beginning Of The End - Weekend of September 18thSep 21, 2015significant · resets scoring window
- Update #91 - The Beginning Of The End - Weekend of September 18thSep 21, 2015significant · resets scoring window
- Update #90 - Grab a Friend! - Weekend of September 11thSep 13, 2015significant · resets scoring window
- Update #90 - Grab a Friend! - Weekend of September 11thSep 13, 2015significant · resets scoring window
- Update #89 - Looping - Weekend of September 4thSep 6, 2015significant · resets scoring window
- Update #89 - Looping - Weekend of September 4thSep 6, 2015significant · resets scoring window
- Update #88 - Tweak Tweak, Fix Fix - Weekend of August 28thAug 31, 2015significant · resets scoring window
- Update #88 - Tweak Tweak, Fix Fix - Weekend of August 28thAug 31, 2015significant · resets scoring window
- Update #87 - Efficiency - Weekend of August 21stAug 22, 2015significant · resets scoring window
- Update #87 - Efficiency - Weekend of August 21stAug 22, 2015significant · resets scoring window
- Update #86 - Meta Update - Weekend of August 14thAug 16, 2015significant · resets scoring window
- Update #86 - Meta Update - Weekend of August 14thAug 16, 2015significant · resets scoring window
- Update #84 - Daily Updates - Weekend of July 31stAug 2, 2015significant · resets scoring window
- Update #84 - Daily Updates - Weekend of July 31stAug 2, 2015significant · resets scoring window
…and 51 earlier patch announcements.