videogamescritic
← all games
Is this Game Trying to Kill Me?

Is this Game Trying to Kill Me?

Stately Snail · released Nov 11, 2024

ActionAdventureIndiePCPlayStation 5, PlayStation 4Xbox Series X, Xbox OneNintendo Switch

An old shack deep in a dense forest, a strange computer and a game that's trying to kill you!

88
VGC Score
·No trend datahigh confidence
89%
At launch
95%
Steam all-time
80%
Press
88%
Recent sentiment

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.

ComponentPositiveQuality (0-100)Weight (pseudo-reviews)
Press reviews (Metacritic)8033
All-time Steam reviews95%90838
Metacritic user ratings0
Post-patch Steam reviews (trust-weighted)88%829
Calibration prior (typical game)7250

Acclaim gate: the raw blend lands at 88.2, but scores above 88 must be earned in front of a mass audience; this verdict rests on 1,681 player reviews, a largely self-selected fanbase. As more players weigh in, the ceiling rises (full scale unlocks at 100,000 reviews).

Scoring window: last 30 days (no significant patch detected) · 25 reviews sampled · 21 total reviews in window · weighted 9.7 up / 1.3 down · computed 1h ago · full methodology →

Press & Creators reviews (4)

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
    trust 71Feb 14, 2025

    Despite a puzzling choice to include some timed dexterity-based sequences, if you enjoy moderate lateral thinking challenges and dying often in creative and gruesome ways, Is This Game Trying to Kill Me? surely fits the bill.

    read full review ↗
  • 70
    trust 67Dec 16, 2024

    Is This Game Trying to Kill Me is a fun little indie title, obviously inspired by Inscription. With its meta-narrative, playing as a game within a game, it utilizes its environment for puzzle solving very cleverly. Sadly, it is a bit short, and it left me wanting more. Nevertheless, it will provide you with a fun afternoon with some nice brain teasers.

    read full review ↗
  • 100
    trust 61Nov 17, 2024

    With its fresh concept, thoughtfully designed puzzles, and excellent use of suspenseful horror, Is This Game Trying to Kill Me? creates an escape-room-style game worth escaping into.

    read full review ↗
  • 80
    trust 54Nov 19, 2024

    On paper, Is This Game Trying to Kill Me? may seem very similar to Tormenture (which we also recommend), but in reality they are very different games. Is This Game Trying to Kill Me? is a much more puzzle-oriented game, and the horror is minor. It's a short (and also cheap) title with very clever and well-planned puzzles, a good setting, and a concept that works very well. It's about three hours long, which we think is fantastic for those who enjoy the genre, and it also has a free prologue that lasts about 30 minutes, which we encourage you to try whether you're convinced to buy the full game or not, since it's a separate adventure.

    read full review ↗

Patch history