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CRUEL

CRUEL

James Dornan · released Jan 8, 2025

ActionIndiePC

A fast run and gun horror shooter with roguelike elements

88
VGC Score
Stablehigh confidence

anchored at patch: “Anniversary Update” (7mo ago)

89%
At launch
95%
Steam all-time
n/a
Press
98%
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)0
All-time Steam reviews95%90929
Metacritic user ratings0
Post-patch Steam reviews (trust-weighted)98%94383
Calibration prior (typical game)7250

Acclaim gate: the raw blend lands at 90.4, but scores above 88 must be earned in front of a mass audience; this verdict rests on 1,860 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 (Jan 9, 2026) · 300 reviews sampled · 383 total reviews in window · weighted 179.1 up / 3 down · computed 5h ago · full methodology →

Patch history

  1. Update 0.9.3
    Jan 28, 2026
  2. Anniversary Update
    Jan 9, 2026significant · resets scoring window
  3. Update 0.6.6
    Jan 29, 2025
  4. Hotfix 0.6.5
    Jan 13, 2025
  5. Hotfix 0.6.4
    Jan 12, 2025
  6. Update 0.6.3
    Jan 12, 2025
  7. HOTFIX 0.6.2
    Jan 10, 2025