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) | – | 72 | 6 |
| All-time Steam reviews | 89% | 83 | 366 |
| Metacritic user ratings | – | 80 | 4 |
| Post-patch Steam reviews (trust-weighted) | 100% | 97 | 1 |
| Calibration prior (typical game) | – | 72 | 50 |
Scoring window: last 30 days (no significant patch detected) · 2 reviews sampled · 1 total reviews in window · weighted 1 up / 0 down · computed 2h ago · full methodology →
Press & Creators reviews (27)
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.
- 91
“Misdirection, manipulation, and an inventory filled with objects are the tools of the stage magician, but they're also the basics of the adventure-game genre. Why it's taken so long for the two to be combined is anyone's guess, but in Gray Matter, the fit is so natural that it seems like it's the way adventure games always should have been.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Gray Matter is a typical point & click adventure with a deep storyline and a stunning atmosphere. Apart from the lack of action it's a game which is worth a try.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“Gray Matter is probably the best adventure game of the last years: it provides new ideas and fresh experiences, finally treating players as adult people. Perfection is not of this world, but this game goes very close to it.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“Prosaic puzzles take the edge off this point-and-click adventure's absorbing melodrama.”
read full review ↗ - 81
“What do you expect from an Adventure Game? Is it the story, the immersion? Then Gray Matter will be perfect for you. But if you prefer great graphics and presentation, you should rather skip it, unless you are an Xbox 360-only adventure gamer.”
read full review ↗ - 50
“An ambitious slice of interactive fiction but not really a very good video game, with unsatisfying and often perfunctory puzzles.”
read full review ↗ - 60
“Jensen can weave a fine tale, but she's forgotten what it takes to craft an enjoyable point-and-click puzzle. [Apr 2011, p.67]”
- 74
“A welcome return for one of adventure gaming's patron designers, if not quite a glorious return to form.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“It took seven years to create this remarkable game. The story and characters are written so well it would have been better if Gray Matter was made into a novel or movie rather than a videogame. [Dec 2010]”
- 74
“Gray Matter makes the most of its small scale. There are no mad supervillains, and no one here wants to plunge the world in the eternal darkness. This is a convincing, emotionally mature story about grief, estrangement, and longing to be with a beloved person.”
read full review ↗ - 75
“Gray Matter's winding story and masterful presentation captivate enough to hold everything together, particularly as the tale reaches its bizarre climax in the final chapters.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Jane Jensen, creator of the Gabriel Knight-series, aims high and has created a incredible game that proudly takes place amongst the greatest adventure games of all time.”
read full review ↗
The A.V. Club
Eurogamer
GameSpot
Metro GameCentral
PC Gamer
IGN…and 15 more tracked reviews.