Screenshots & trailers
What players say
Why the number is what it is: aspect mentions counted across 439 sampled Steam reviews (191 positive / 248 negative), recent and most-helpful. Plain keyword counting, fully reproducible; nothing here is written by a machine.
What positive reviews talk about
- Story & writing4% mention it
What negative reviews complain about
- Story & writing8% mention it
Satisfaction by hours played
Same score, different games: see how sentiment holds up the longer people play.
Under 5h
50%
60 reviews
5-15h
48%
62 reviews
15-40h
41%
78 reviews
40-100h
44%
64 reviews
100h+
41%
175 reviews
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) | – | 68 | 4 |
| All-time Steam reviews | 80% | 74 | 1615 |
| Metacritic user ratings | – | 56 | 19 |
| Post-patch Steam reviews (trust-weighted) | 55% | 56 | 2385 |
| Calibration prior (typical game) | – | 72 | 50 |
Scoring window: since the last significant patch (Aug 18, 2026) · 300 reviews sampled · 2385 total reviews in window · weighted 150.2 up / 113.9 down · computed 2h ago · full methodology →
Press & Creators reviews (15)
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.
- 90
“Brawlhalla is the perfect game for LAN parties, geek sessions, or letting off steam after a tough day at work. Everyone will have fun, regardless of age or experience. Stunning graphics, plenty of rewards, skins, and other in-game content are a given. Updates are released at least every three months, so not only is the gameplay itself dynamic, but it’s also clear that the developers are striving to provide the best possible user experience.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“Though a bit uninspired, Brawlhalla still stands as a solid example of how to do a proper platform fighter, with several game modes, a diverse cast and a beautiful art style making this one easy to recommend. Perhaps best of all, it's totally free, so you really don't have anything to lose by giving it a try. At worst, you'll find a Smash clone that doesn't have a ton of new ideas; at best, you'll find a new go-to for when you have a few friends over for a gaming session.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“Some presentation niggles aside, Brawlhalla is an entertaining fighter with fun, punchy combat that just about manages to capture that “one more match” feeling. While it isn't quite as tightly designed as the seminal Super Smash Bros., the large roster, wide range of modes, and a reasonable level of depth help it achieve a similar balance of accessibility and challenge - you can play as casually or as competitively as you like. With pay-to-win nowhere to be seen and exceedingly good online play, this is one free-to-play title that's well worth a try.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Although all the combos, stances and weapons make it to the small screen, the touch controls are no match for a proper controller, instantly putting mobile players at a disadvantage in the game’s all-platform cross-play matches. Still, for a totally free game with only cosmetic microtransactions, you’d have to be an inveterate choosing beggar to complain too loudly.”
read full review ↗ - 50
“Brawlhalla is a decent attempt at a free-to-play fighting game, though it leaves much to be desired. There’s some fun to be had with the offline modes, but nothing stands out enough that would make you want to spend actual money on the game.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Brawlhalla in its current state is a fun affair with plenty of modes, characters and options for fighting locally and online for hours and hours. Due to the game's nature, it will continue to evolve and improve on its formula which each update, adding more Legends, more features and more game modes on a regular basis.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Brawlhalla is a phenomenal platform fighter that will find its way to the most competitive players in the genre.”
read full review ↗ - 60
“Brawlhalla is a great, free alternative to Super Smash Bros., but just doesn’t have the same spark that makes it stand out beyond that. Still, if you love the grind and want something new to play with your friends without needing an online subscription, this is a good choice.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“For those searching to find a Smash replacement with simple ambitions or just looking for a fun fighting game, Brawlhalla is worth checking out.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“As much as I like Brawlhalla, I find it tremendously unsatisfying to play using a touch screen. This limits its appeal significantly, as it's only worth playing if you are ok with routinely whipping out a controller to do so. There are some other quirks to the game itself, for sure, but Brawlhalla is otherwise a surprisingly fun and focused platform fighter that is uncompromised in its mobile form.”
read full review ↗ - 85
“If you have a group of friends over for a night, this is a great game to add to the nights’ entertainment or a fantastic babysitter on a Saturday morning.”
read full review ↗ - 60
“In short term, Brawlhalla will steal some time from you. But if you stay longer, it will start to steal money from your pocket with microtransactions.”
read full review ↗
Gaming Professors
Nintendo Life
Push Square
Metro GameCentral
Nintendo Times
PS3Blog.net
Sick Critic
Switch Player
Screen Rant
PowerUp!
NEOsite…and 3 more tracked reviews.
Patch history
- New Legend: Qinghua & Baobao, Back to School 2026, and more! – Patch 10.10Aug 18, 2026significant · resets scoring window
- Brawlhalla x Shrek Crossover Event - Patch 10.09Jul 28, 2026
- New Legend: Aurus, Battle Pass Classic 8, & Heatwave - Patch 10.08Jun 16, 2026significant · resets scoring window
- IN-GAME TOURNAMENTS UPDATEJun 14, 2026
- Celebrate Brawlhalla Fest 2026 with Ascended Mordex & More! - Patch 10.07May 15, 2026significant · resets scoring window
- May the 4th Be With You! New Content & Gameplay Changes - Patch 10.06Apr 26, 2026significant · resets scoring window
- Patch 10.04 - Balance, Bug Fixes, and Game ImprovementsMar 17, 2026significant · resets scoring window
- Battle Pass Season 13: Age of Dragons - Patch 10.4Mar 13, 2026significant · resets scoring window
- Patch Tomorrow! Balance, Game Improvements, and Bug Fixes – 10.03Feb 17, 2026significant · resets scoring window
- New Legend: Rupture, 3v3 Brawlball Queue, and Experimental Queue! – Patch 10.02Jan 21, 2026significant · resets scoring window
- The Attack on Brawlhalla Crossover Event Begins! – Patch 10.01Dec 4, 2025significant · resets scoring window
- Brawlhalla’s 10 Year Anniversary Celebration! – 10.00Nov 5, 2025significant · resets scoring window
- Happy Brawlhalloween! – Patch Notes 9.13 (Part 1)Oct 8, 2025significant · resets scoring window
- Experimental Queue Returns & Balance Updates – Patch Notes 9.13 (Part 2)Oct 8, 2025significant · resets scoring window
- Battle Pass Season 12 – Patch 9.12Sep 17, 2025
- PATCH PREVIEW 9.12 – Battle Pass Season 12Sep 16, 2025
- Time to go Back to School – Patch 9.11Aug 13, 2025
- Development Update Stream - August 2025Aug 12, 2025
- Wu Shang’s Ascension – Patch 9.10Jul 30, 2025significant · resets scoring window
- Ransom, Gadget Mayhem, Damage Numbers, & Many Festivities! – Patch 9.09Jun 25, 2025significant · resets scoring window
- Free Items and Ascended Nix in Brawlhalla Fest 2025! – Patch 9.07May 14, 2025significant · resets scoring window