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Tooth and Tail

Tooth and Tail

Pocketwatch Games · released Sep 12, 2017

ActionCasualIndieStrategyPCPlayStation 4

Lead the revolution with an army of flamethrowing Boars, mustard gas-lobbing Skunks, and paratrooper-puking Owls. Tooth and Tail is a Real-Time-Strategy game featuring Single Player, Online Competitive Play, Split Screen, Replays, and more. Build a base, lead your army, eat your enemies!

Steam page ↗OpenCritic ↗Metacritic 80 · users 7.6 ↗
74
VGC Score
▼Declininghigh confidence

anchored at patch: “Patch 1.9” (7mo ago)

81%
At launch
80%
Steam all-time
80%
Press
79%
Player sentiment
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 (OpenCritic)–809
Creator reviews (1 tracked)–970
All-time Steam reviews80%741000
Metacritic user ratings–794
Post-patch Steam reviews (trust-weighted)88%8263
Calibration prior (typical game)–7250

Scoring window: since the last significant patch (Jan 26, 2026) · 63 reviews sampled · 38 total reviews in window · weighted 29.8 up / 4 down · computed 2h ago · full methodology →

Press & Creators reviews (37)

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
    Hu3brHu3br
    trust 75Sep 14, 2017

    “While its procedural generation can result in some unfavorable outcomes during its campaign, Tooth and Tail shows how to teach basic real-time strategy mechanics in a lovely way.”

    read full review ↗
  • 90
    GamerheadquartersGamerheadquarters
    trust 67Sep 19, 2017

    “Its enjoyable not only in how the campaign is presented, but also with how exciting the competitive aspects of multiplayer are.”

    read full review ↗
  • 80
    EurogamerEurogamer
    trust 66Sep 13, 2017

    “Tooth and Tail is a deft and minimalist RTS that's slick as a knife through the ribs.”

    read full review ↗
  • 80
    GameSpotGameSpot
    trust 66Sep 22, 2017

    “Tooth and Tail is a bizarre cocktail of a dozen great ideas. It's a minimalist RTS that tosses out complex tech trees in favor of action-packed but accessible play. It's set vaguely in Eastern Europe in the 1910s, with both the Russian Revolution and World War I in full swing. Playing up the grim tumult of the era, Tooth and Tail also casts itself with all manner of cute--though ragged and crestfallen--critters. With so many disparate items, it's a wonder that Tooth and Tail manages to work at all, but it excels with but a few minor blemishes.”

    read full review ↗
  • 70
    TheSixthAxisTheSixthAxis
    trust 65Sep 28, 2017

    “Tooth And Tail charts the midpoint between traditional RTS games and their massively popular mobile counterparts. It's quick and streamlined yet complex and deeply tactical when played competitively. Some fans of the genre will no doubt revel in customising their decks to devour their opponents, but others will find Pocketwatch's approach either too simplistic or not simplistic enough.”

    read full review ↗
  • 70
    GameSkinnyGameSkinny
    trust 65Sep 21, 2017

    “Tooth and Tail might be a little too simplistic at times, but there's still a lot of good gameplay to be had.”

    read full review ↗
  • 80
    PC GamerPC Gamer
    trust 64Oct 2, 2017

    “Tooth and Tail is an elegantly simple RTS that’s perfect for newcomers or anyone wanting to play on the couch.”

    read full review ↗
  • 80
    TechRaptorTechRaptor
    trust 63Sep 23, 2017

    “Tooth and Tail rebuilds the RTS genre with an easily accessible console-friendly design that retains the elements that make RTSs so much fun. Fast-paced gameplay, random maps, and a dark, humorous tale told not just in the campaign, but in the design of each unit. This is a step in the right direction over other bite-sized RTS games.”

    read full review ↗
  • 81
    AusGamersAusGamers
    trust 63Sep 15, 2017

    “In the end Tooth and Tail is a must for anyone that has enjoyed playing through any of Nintendo’s Advance Wars titles. Even though it doesn’t feature turn-based combat and instead opts for quick and simple build and attack mechanics. Where the two titles find common ground though is in the fantastical and comic setting they both apply to rather grim circumstances. Tooth and Tail may be a game with cute squirrels and mini-gun wielding badgers, but underneath that lies a great story about fighting for freedom. With equally impressive and inventive strategy too.”

    read full review ↗
  • 80
    LEVEL (Czech Republic)
    trust 62Feb 16, 2018

    “Extremely clever and fast RTS with animals killing each other while shouting revolutionary slogans. It sounds weird, it looks weird, but it plays great. [Issue#282]”

  • 80
    PS3Blog.netPS3Blog.net
    trust 62Jan 15, 2019

    “Tooth and Tail is a fun minimalist take on the real-time-strategy genre, offering a new spin on a solid formula.”

    read full review ↗
  • 80
    NoobFeedNoobFeed
    trust 62Sep 13, 2017

    “Tooth and Tail never overstays its welcome being a good choice for both longer sessions and for moments when you want to play something but only have 15 minutes at your disposal.”

    read full review ↗

…and 25 more tracked reviews.

Patch history

  1. Patch 1.9
    Jan 26, 2026significant · resets scoring window
  2. Patch 1.8.1
    Dec 20, 2021significant · resets scoring window
  3. Patch 1.8
    Jul 14, 2021significant · resets scoring window
  4. Patch 1.7.1: Vyeshal Ventures
    Nov 13, 2020significant · resets scoring window
  5. Patch 1.7 : Qui va là ? (+Season 5)
    Jun 24, 2020significant · resets scoring window
  6. Tooth and Tail Championship 2020.1 Finals
    Apr 18, 2020
  7. Patch 1.6.1.0: Changing Times
    Mar 11, 2020significant · resets scoring window
  8. Tooth and Tail Championship 2020.1
    Mar 5, 2020
  9. Patch 1.6: "As You Like It" + Season 4
    Jan 10, 2020significant · resets scoring window
  10. Patch 1.5.1: Hard Times for the Little Guys
    Sep 12, 2019significant · resets scoring window
  11. Patch 1.5: Season 3 (plus an Eel)
    Jun 24, 2019significant · resets scoring window
  12. Patch 1.4: Swine's Workshop
    Dec 5, 2018significant · resets scoring window
  13. Patch 1.3.0: Story Mode Standard Seeds & Leaderboards
    Jul 26, 2018significant · resets scoring window
  14. Patch 1.2.1: Calm Before the Storm
    Jun 7, 2018significant · resets scoring window
  15. Patch 1.2.0: PS4 Crossplay
    May 16, 2018significant · resets scoring window
  16. From the Tooth to The Long Tail - What We’ve Done and Where We’re Going
    Apr 9, 2018significant · resets scoring window
  17. From the Tooth to The Long Tail - What We’ve Done and Where We’re Going
    Apr 9, 2018significant · resets scoring window
  18. Patch 1.1.4: Eat Crow
    Apr 6, 2018
  19. Patch 1.1.4: Eat Crow
    Apr 6, 2018significant · resets scoring window
  20. Patch 1.1.3: Diamonds (are a Lizard's Best Friend)
    Mar 6, 2018significant · resets scoring window
  21. Patch 1.1.3: Diamonds (are a Lizard's Best Friend)
    Mar 6, 2018significant · resets scoring window
  22. Hotfix 1.1.2.1: Black Screen and Lobby Fix
    Feb 2, 2018
  23. Hotfix 1.1.2.1: Black Screen and Lobby Fix
    Feb 2, 2018
  24. Patch 1.1.2: Snek Haus
    Jan 30, 2018significant · resets scoring window
  25. Patch 1.1.2: Snek Haus
    Jan 30, 2018significant · resets scoring window
  26. Hotfix 1.1.1.3: Drumfire Balance
    Jan 17, 2018
  27. Hotfix 1.1.1.3: Drumfire Balance
    Jan 17, 2018
  28. Patch 1.1.1: GOG Crossplay
    Jan 12, 2018significant · resets scoring window
  29. Patch 1.1.1: GOG Crossplay
    Jan 12, 2018significant · resets scoring window
  30. Patch 1.1.0: (tis the) SEASON 2!!!
    Dec 21, 2017
  31. Patch 1.1.0: (tis the) SEASON 2!!!
    Dec 21, 2017significant · resets scoring window
  32. Patch 1.0.8: Nibbles and Tweaks
    Dec 7, 2017
  33. Patch 1.0.8: Nibbles and Tweaks
    Dec 7, 2017significant · resets scoring window
  34. Patch 1.0.7: 鼹鼠 두더지 MOLE
    Nov 18, 2017
  35. Patch 1.0.7: 鼹鼠 두더지 MOLE
    Nov 18, 2017significant · resets scoring window
  36. Patch 1.0.6: Lizard Love
    Nov 10, 2017significant · resets scoring window
  37. Patch 1.0.6: Lizard Love
    Nov 10, 2017significant · resets scoring window
  38. Patch 1.0.5 Chicken Mole
    Oct 24, 2017
  39. Patch 1.0.5 Chicken Mole
    Oct 24, 2017significant · resets scoring window
  40. Patch 1.0.4 Butterbomb
    Oct 16, 2017significant · resets scoring window

…and 17 earlier patch announcements.