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) | – | 74 | 10 |
| Creator reviews (1 tracked) | – | 15 | 0 |
| All-time Steam reviews | 73% | 69 | 955 |
| Metacritic user ratings | – | – | 0 |
| Post-patch Steam reviews (trust-weighted) | 87% | 81 | 2 |
| Calibration prior (typical game) | – | 72 | 50 |
Scoring window: last 30 days (no significant patch detected) · 5 reviews sampled · 3 total reviews in window · weighted 2.4 up / 0.3 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.
- 80
“Massive Chalice is about time, about heroes, and most importantly, it's about taking that deep breath before the strike.”
read full review ↗ - 100
“There's bound to be some disconnect with the mortal world when you live forever, but I could have used a reminder why this war is worth spending 300 years to win.”
read full review ↗ - 81
“Massive Chalice is lots of fun and highly addictive. Yes a lot of the best things about it come from it being highly influenced by XCOM: Enemy Unknown, but it not only captures a lot of the spirit of our Game of the Year 2012 but Double Fine also manages to provide their own unique spin on it with the Game of Thrones-style setup.”
read full review ↗ - 75
“Taken as a whole, Massive Chalice is basically tactical strategy "lite." It is easy to pick up and play, and there are enough varied elements to keep veterans of the genre interested, but it doesn't break any new ground. If it were a $60 game, Massive Chalice wouldn't hold up, but as a $20 game, it fits the bill nicely. This isn't a title that is going to compete head-to-head with the next XCOM, but it is a good way to pass the time while you wait for XCOM 2.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Basically, the game asks a lot of you, and demands that you pay close attention to every decision you make. While that makes for a steep learning curve, requiring deep thought is hardly the worst sin a strategy game can commit. Slyly funny, satisfyingly deep and yet slick and simple to play, Massive Chalice is a huge return to form for a studio that is overdue a comeback.”
read full review ↗ - 60
“Massive Chalice can create hilarious moments of eugenics disasters, but other elements leave a lot to be desired.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“A strategy role-player that is filled with clever ideas and inspires great empathy with your characters, even if the battle system is a few steps behind XCOM.”
read full review ↗ - 60
“Functional, but often uninspired, Massive Chalice may please strategy enthusiasts but will likely bore anyone else.”
read full review ↗ - 75
“Double Fine's Massive Chalice takes XCOM's DNA in a fresh direction, but doesn't exceed it.”
read full review ↗ - 75
“As turn based strategy games go Massive Chalice has some nice innovations that make it well worth playing if you are a fan of the genre. With a distinctive art style and an interesting combination of story driven multiple choice decisions and roguelike mechanics there is nothing else really like it out there. The lack of multiplayer is a real shame though and the game loses a point because of that. But the games positives far outweigh its few negatives and considering Massive Chalices budget price it is a hard game not to recommend to both strategy and Double Fine fans alike.”
read full review ↗ - 67
“Massive Chalice's aggressive tactical combat would be stronger without so many opportunities to lose due to bad luck.”
read full review ↗ - 100
“A smart, fun exploration of turn-based tactics in a fantasy setting.”
read full review ↗
Paste Magazine
The A.V. Club
GameWatcher
Worth Playing
Eurogamer
GameSpot
Metro GameCentral
We Got This Covered
PC Gamer
GBAtemp
IGN
Kotaku…and 20 more tracked reviews.
Patch history
- Massive Chalice 1.04 Patch NotesJun 25, 2015significant · resets scoring window
- Massive Chalice 1.04 Patch NotesJun 25, 2015
- MASSIVE CHALICE 1.01 Patch NotesJun 16, 2015significant · resets scoring window
- MASSIVE CHALICE 1.01 Patch NotesJun 16, 2015significant · resets scoring window
- MASSIVE CHALICE Early Access Beta Patch 0.96aApr 4, 2015significant · resets scoring window
- MASSIVE CHALICE Early Access Beta Patch 0.96aApr 4, 2015significant · resets scoring window
- MASSIVE CHALICE Early Access Beta Patch 0.96Mar 23, 2015significant · resets scoring window
- MASSIVE CHALICE Early Access Beta Patch 0.96Mar 23, 2015
- MASSIVE CHALICE Early Access Beta Patch 0.93Feb 7, 2015significant · resets scoring window
- MASSIVE CHALICE Early Access Beta Patch 0.93Feb 7, 2015significant · resets scoring window
- MASSIVE CHALICE Early Access Beta Patch 0.90Jan 9, 2015significant · resets scoring window
- MASSIVE CHALICE Early Access Beta Patch 0.90Jan 9, 2015significant · resets scoring window
- Early Access Beta Patch 0.86Nov 26, 2014significant · resets scoring window
- Early Access Beta Patch 0.86Nov 26, 2014significant · resets scoring window