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) | – | 54 | 16 |
| Creator reviews (2 tracked) | – | 23 | 1 |
| All-time Steam reviews | 76% | 71 | 1000 |
| Metacritic user ratings | – | – | 0 |
| Post-patch Steam reviews (trust-weighted) | 84% | 78 | 4 |
| Calibration prior (typical game) | – | 72 | 50 |
Scoring window: last 30 days (no significant patch detected) · 12 reviews sampled · 11 total reviews in window · weighted 4.3 up / 0.8 down · computed 3h ago · full methodology →
Press & Creators reviews (52)
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.
- 30
“I am here to say it isn't. A game so proud of its lack of combat needs something else. Otherwise it's simply a game with a great big hole in it.”
read full review ↗ - 40
“Even at only three-to-four hours in length, Submerged feels padded.”
read full review ↗ - 60
“Submerged is a game you could easily cruise through in just a couple of hours, but the narrative rewards were enough to keep me searching the city for additional clues despite action that eventually became tedious. There are solid ideas at play here, sure, but the lack of challenge or any substantial meat on its bones make Submerged flounder where it should soar.”
read full review ↗ - 100
“Submerged doesn't want to see you fail, but it doesn't trust you to succeed without its help, either. It bears repeating: Children aren't morons. Submerged knows this, but it still treats its players like they're just kids.”
read full review ↗ - 30
“Uppercut Games’ first foray into the post-apocalypse exhibits two rare qualities: a vibrant world and strict adherence to non-combative exploration. What that, unfortunately, translates to is pretty vistas lacking substance and intrigue. Rather ironic for a title named Submerged to have the depth of a wading pool.”
read full review ↗ - 50
“The title's biggest downfall, then, is not any one single thing, but rather its overwhelming ambition. And in the grand scheme of things, perhaps that's not the worst problem to have. Indeed, despite its admittedly frequent rough patches, it's very hard to not admire the way this humble indie game so earnestly reaches for the stars.”
read full review ↗ - 55
“Submerged is not a bad game, but most certainly not an outstanding one. I enjoyed what it did for the time it took me to finish the story, but for players looking for more substance, there are other games out there that offer more.”
read full review ↗ - 60
“Submerged tries to go for the same vibe as Journey but falls short. The game world is interesting, but the brief stay in it is tiresome since you're only given one environment. The climbing mechanics are so easy that the courses don't provide any challenge, so the only tough part is in finding the supply drop locations. It doesn't help that the main story isn't very intriguing, and neither is the story of the city, especially since you figure it out faster via the cut scenes than from the illustrations you pick up. There's no need to rush and check out Submerged right away.”
read full review ↗ - 75
“Set in a drowned city, this game of exploration lacks the substance or conviction to hold your attention.”
read full review ↗ - 30
“As much as I wanted to fall in love with Submerged, it's standing proof that a game needs more than good looks and a unique angle to win me over. With the 'emotional' story-driven approach slowly receding from the frontline of gaming, I'm left craving fun and challenging experiences that have us do more than haplessly roam within the confines of a digital sandbox.”
read full review ↗ - 30
“Sunk by lacklustre gameplay, cliched storytelling and technical hiccups, Submerged is one of the biggest missed opportunities in recent memory. ”
read full review ↗ - 40
“Submerged is very pretty, but there isn't much to keep you playing and it's not worth the price tag.”
read full review ↗
The Jimquisition
Slant Magazine
Paste Magazine
The A.V. Club
Cubed3
Push Square
ZTGD
Worth Playing
Eurogamer
TheSixthAxis
We Got This Covered
TechRaptor…and 40 more tracked reviews.
Patch history
- Bug Fix UpdateMar 8, 2022
- Bug fixesAug 5, 2021
- Update 1.1 - Hidden VisionsAug 2, 2021
- Version 1.0.1 ReleasedAug 18, 2015
- Version 1.0.1 ReleasedAug 18, 2015