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) | – | 81 | 8 |
| All-time Steam reviews | 83% | 77 | 1000 |
| Metacritic user ratings | – | 78 | 8 |
| Post-patch Steam reviews (trust-weighted) | 78% | 72 | 27 |
| Calibration prior (typical game) | – | 72 | 50 |
Scoring window: since the last significant patch (Aug 27, 2026) · 5 reviews sampled · 27 total reviews in window · weighted 2.7 up / 0.1 down · computed 3h ago · full methodology →
Press & Creators reviews (47)
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.
- 75
“Sunless Sea is one of the most interesting virtual journeys I've had recently. The stories we read during playing are definitely one of the best and most original - but after some time everything becomes a routine. Pratchett or Lovecraft fans will find something here but for everyone else it's a lottery. Simply put: Sunless Sea isn't for everyone.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Sunless Sea is a unique experience that few fans of careful planning and literary cannibalism should ignore. Proponents of Fallen London's dark sensibilities and chilling, lore-rich writing will more than forgive its few mechanical trespasses; however, even less patient gamers may want to peek in to experience the sights and sounds of the zee. ”
read full review ↗ - 92
“A haunting and unforgettable journey to the heart of what made video games fascinating in the first place. The 'Zee is endless, the 'Zee is dark, the 'Zee will kill you. Your heart belongs to its dark gods now.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Explanations of the lore, the world, and your place in it are in short supply but over time, you live, die and learn, rewarding those that stick with it with some of the slickest, well implemented writing in gaming.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“Sunless Sea is a dark game combining Lovecraft-themed exploration with Victorian Gothic visual novels in exciting (and chilling) ways. The end result isn't perfect, but its sense of terror and wonder makes it a worthy follow-up to Failbetter's Fallen London.”
read full review ↗ - 100
“Sunless Sea's method of storytelling isn't unique, but it has never been realised with such impact and elegance.”
read full review ↗ - 60
“Sunless Sea is an ambitious work that attempts to capture the sheer kinetic thrill of discovery in a bottle without the inevitable entropy of player completion depleting it, and falls well short. The promise of lengthened replayability only makes the methodical pace a joyless grind at times.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“The action may not be up to quite the same standards as the writing, but the bizarre world of the Underzee is more interesting to explore than almost any other recent game world.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Wonderful writing resting on top of infirm foundations. Almost a classic, Sunless Sea falls a few leagues short of its final destination.”
read full review ↗ - 75
“Sunless Sea is a brutal roguelike with amazing plots and writing that still hold up years later, but if you're looking to explore the Unterzee, the Switch port is not the way to go.”
read full review ↗ - 100
“It's not earned easily, but if you are proficient in English and you also have patience to get in picture in a fantastical world, your reward will be a true treasure among current games. [Issue#250]”
- 80
“If you want a thrill ride, there’s always Assassin’s Creed: Black Flag. But if you want an incredibly well written adventure across something approximating a sea, there is no game like Sunless Sea.”
read full review ↗
GRYOnline.pl
RPGamer
FingerGuns
The Escapist
Eurogamer
GameSpot
Metro GameCentral
PC Gamer
TechRaptor…and 35 more tracked reviews.
Patch history
- Bug Fixing Patch v3.0.0.31Aug 27, 2026significant · resets scoring window
- Maintenance updateJul 29, 2026
- Bug Fixing Patch v2.2.11.3212Jan 26, 2023
- Bug Fixing Patch v2.2.11.3212Jan 26, 2023
- 10 Years of Fallen London!Jan 9, 2020significant · resets scoring window
- Zubmariner Achievements and November Update!Nov 3, 2016
- Zubmariner Achievements and November Update!Nov 3, 2016significant · resets scoring window
- Sunless Sea update for JulyJul 21, 2016
- Sunless Sea update for JulyJul 21, 2016
- Zubmariner Update: The Zee-FloorFeb 26, 2016
- Zubmariner Update: The Zee-FloorFeb 26, 2016
- Zubmariner update: Unknown DepthsNov 16, 2015
- Zubmariner update: Unknown DepthsNov 16, 2015
- The Rise of PigmoteSep 3, 2015significant · resets scoring window
- The Rise of PigmoteSep 3, 2015