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 | 34 |
| All-time Steam reviews | 85% | 79 | 727 |
| Metacritic user ratings | – | – | 0 |
| Post-patch Steam reviews (trust-weighted) | 88% | 81 | 49 |
| Calibration prior (typical game) | – | 72 | 50 |
Scoring window: since the last significant patch (May 13, 2026) · 49 reviews sampled · 43 total reviews in window · weighted 35.3 up / 5 down · computed 3h ago · full methodology →
Press & Creators reviews (29)
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
“As such, ultimately I face the difficulty of trying to put a numerical score to something that is either going to be an experience you love having that you cannot convince others to engage with or something you want to love that you can't bring yourself to enjoy. It's the difference between having a 5/10 that you should definitely try or an 8/10 you might really dislike. That's hard to score. So in this particular case, please don't focus on the score below. That's not really indicative. Bulwark: Falconeer Chronicles is an odd game that you will either really like and have a lot of fun with or it is going to frustrate the heck out of you, but I think ultimately I have to err on the side of it trying new things even if I don't think it totally sticks the landing.”
read full review ↗ - 60
“All of Bulwark's building blocks are here for any genre fan to appreciate, but the finished construction is still left wanting.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“A marked improvement on the first Falconeer game, Bulwark Evolution: Falconeer Chronicles is a creative and slick "city" builder, giving players all of the tools needed for complex relationships and resource management while succeeding in the goal of making a very simple control scheme. It's possible the game won't win over everyone with its basic systems, and it may not be played for a particularly long time, but for those it clicks with, it is an addictive experience. With its unique atmosphere and setting, this is the Falconeer game to get.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“Bulwark Falconeer Chronicles is a city-building game slightly different than the other ones of its genre. It tries to carve its own niche with in-depth world-building and a post-apocalyptic theme that blends very well with its various elements (like graphics and sound). Tomas Sala has created another masterpiece, one that deserves to be played by most people who are into strategy and/or simulation games.”
read full review ↗ - 75
“Tomas Sala's second Falconeer game may come across as nicher at first glance, but it's far easier to approach and have a great time with despite some baffling inconsistencies.”
read full review ↗ - 72
“Bulwark is unique, the freedom and mission-free experience makes it a very soothing experience. It is unfortunate that there are some downsides but Tomas Sala has created something that can definitely be appreciated. Give it enough time because the beginning can feel a bit slow.”
read full review ↗ - 85
“A stress-free city builder with a fun, original gameplay loop, Bulwark: Falconeer Chronicles is sure to delight both experts and newcomers alike.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Bulwark: Falconeer Chronicles is an interesting piece of work. As a city builder, its simplicity in the actual building process is complemented by the unusual environment for the genre. That alone is enough to make simple settlements look cool. As a strategy game, the attempts to simplify some of the traditional mechanics of the 4X genre work surprisingly well, but some elements, like combat, could've used more attention so it doesn't feel like an afterthought. The end result isn't going to be for everyone, but it is worth a look for those who want to jump into the genre and appreciate something out of the ordinary.”
read full review ↗ - 65
“Tomas Sala, with a handful of helpers, created a somewhat strange game, the exceptionality of which cannot be doubted. But you will only have a limited amount of fun. However, Bulwark can impress you with a difference that you won't find in other strategy games.”
read full review ↗ - 60
“Bulwark: Falconeer Chronicles lets your imagination come alive as you build a staggering empire in every sense of the word. But because it’s a world without mistakes, there’s no challenge or pressure.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“Bulwark: Falconeer Chronicles is an approachable take on the city builder for players of many skill levels. It encourages experimentation with your settlement layout and exploration in the Ursee, but some design decisions don't feel as smooth as they could be, like selecting buildings or interacting with other factions. If you are a city builder fan you can sink hours into this, but do not expect it to have the same depth as others in the genre.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“Tomas Salas' latest title is impressive and arguably more enticing than The Falconeer, with its intriguing alliances, vast world and simplified systems despite its inherent issues and uninvolving narrative.”
read full review ↗
Gamer Escape
VGChartz
Cubed3
Gameffine
GameWatcher
Life is Xbox
GameGrin
Worth Playing
SECTOR.sk
GameLuster
TheSixthAxis
GamingBolt…and 17 more tracked reviews.
Patch history
- small hotfixJun 8, 2026
- small hotfixJun 1, 2026
- small hotfixMay 19, 2026
- small hotfix for ships getting stuckMay 13, 2026
- The big 2026 Update is here: Architecture, Economy and Sailing !May 13, 2026significant · resets scoring window
- Architecture & Economy update coming may 13th, now makes every boat sailableMay 6, 2026significant · resets scoring window
- New beta update now liveApr 9, 2026significant · resets scoring window
- 'Repair Man' Update now released!Mar 19, 2026significant · resets scoring window
- 'Repairman' update now in betaMar 13, 2026significant · resets scoring window
- Small QoL updateNov 10, 2025significant · resets scoring window
- Beta update liveOct 26, 2025
- small Beta update, more dense housingOct 20, 2025
- beta patch live and new beta fix for pirate names and framerate stabilityOct 18, 2025significant · resets scoring window
- Hotfix #5Oct 16, 2025
- #hotfix 4 deployedOct 11, 2025
- beta hotfix #3 available on beta patchOct 9, 2025
- beta hotfix #2Oct 5, 2025
- Behemoth ReleasesOct 5, 2025significant · resets scoring window
- Small hotfix and security patch onlineOct 5, 2025
- Unity security vulnerability update and a few actual fixesOct 4, 2025significant · resets scoring window
- Behemoth Beta hotfix 1Oct 2, 2025
- General news and Behemoth update feature breakdownSep 2, 2025significant · resets scoring window
- Freebuild fix moved to liveAug 12, 2025
- Freebuild hotfix live on betaAug 10, 2025
- hotfixed pushed liveJul 8, 2025
- atun hotfixJul 3, 2025
- small hotfxJun 25, 2025
- Beta Patch goes liveJun 24, 2025
- UntitledJun 22, 2025
- Yes another new features updateJun 18, 2025
- A little preview off what's on beta, some nice QoL improvementsJun 16, 2025significant · resets scoring window
- beta patch in progressJun 15, 2025significant · resets scoring window
- Beefy update live nowJun 12, 2025significant · resets scoring window
- beta hotfix, adding and fixing Fog of WarJun 10, 2025
- Small beta updateJun 8, 2025
…and 29 earlier patch announcements.