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) | – | 72 | 11 |
| All-time Steam reviews | 80% | 74 | 1000 |
| Metacritic user ratings | – | 80 | 10 |
| Post-patch Steam reviews (trust-weighted) | 67% | 65 | 4 |
| Calibration prior (typical game) | – | 72 | 50 |
Scoring window: last 30 days (no significant patch detected) · 10 reviews sampled · 7 total reviews in window · weighted 4.7 up / 2.4 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.
- 80
“Unsolvable moments are far too common with Obduction, and hence it’s best that whenever the game makes you want to bang your head against the wall, put it aside for the day. If there’s one trap the game falls in, it’s the puzzle maker’s most obvious fallacy. The logic, while apparent to the creator, can be quite opaque to the player.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“Obduction is clearly not aimed at impatient gamers with older hardware. But Myst enthusiasts and exotic-world explorers will find a whole new stupendous universe to fall in love with, and fans of mind-bending challenges will find themselves in paradise… most of the time.”
read full review ↗ - 85
“Obduction is a gift for fans of Myst. Creators of the hit series from the past have created a well written and perfectly executed story that engages the player. Beware - it is a game for patient people that like to wander around in confusion while looking for a solution to another difficult puzzle. Despite some minor technical issues the entire experience was really satisfying.”
read full review ↗ - 75
“If the game asks you to wander around in a confused haze for hours at a time, it rewards you with breathtaking vistas and new wrinkles to your understanding of its world that constantly goes deeper and stranger than you think.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“Has all the beauty and grandeur of Myst, with all the same flaws. An excellent experience though it’s only able to really be played through once, and can be frustrating, it still is a classic puzzler.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“Cyan’s latest is another confident puzzle adventure you can't help but appreciate, even if there's some Myst potential.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“Obduction is a niche title, and not everyone will enjoy it. It's beautiful, the story is engaging, and the voice-acting is absolutely top notch, but the puzzles are often pedantic and may push some players, and even adventure fans, away. However, if you can enjoy the puzzle structure, and get past the annoying load times that sometimes crop up, this is tremendously fun and well worth the price of admission.”
read full review ↗ - 75
“Myst's spiritual successor offers a lot of the same delights as its 1993 forbear, but is hampered by litany of technical issues.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“Although you may feel at odds with Obduction's late-game complexity, it still feeds into an incredibly alluring world that earns intimate engagement. Its puzzles require keen observation and perseverance, and while player-made missteps can lead to mental fatigue, Obduction's commitment to keeping the onus of discovery on you means that deciphering the game’s intricate puzzles is often gratifying despite occasional frustrations along the way. Just make sure to take breaks and clear your head once in a while.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“Cyan effortlessly weaves creativity the way other developers can only dream of, and I’m excited to see where they can go from here.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“It's an "adventure game for the new millennium" from the creators of Myst and Riven, but how does the followup to the 1993 hit play in 2016?”
read full review ↗ - 70
“A true successor to Myst, with puzzles as ingenious as they are uncompromisingly obscure. Although the experience is hampered by serious technical problems.”
read full review ↗
Gadgets 360
GRYOnline.pl
Paste Magazine
Kinglink Reviews
VGChartz
Cubed3
Eurogamer
GameSpot
Rocket Chainsaw
GameSkinny
Metro GameCentral…and 40 more tracked reviews.
Patch history
- Minor patch update for specific machinesSep 1, 2021
- 1.8.4.1 Minor updateNov 7, 2019
- Obduction 1.8.3 Minor updateOct 4, 2019
- Obduction update 1.8.3Oct 2, 2019
- Obduction 1.8.1 patch notes:Aug 9, 2019
- Obduction 1.8.0 Update released!Aug 1, 2019significant · resets scoring window
- 1.7.0 Update now Live!Mar 15, 2018
- 1.7.0 Update now Live!Mar 15, 2018
- 1.6.5 Update now Live!Nov 7, 2017
- 1.6.5 Update now Live!Nov 7, 2017
- 1.6.5 Update now on Public PreviewNov 4, 2017
- 1.6.5 Update now on Public PreviewNov 4, 2017significant · resets scoring window
- 1.6.4 Update now liveOct 30, 2017
- 1.6.4 Update now liveOct 30, 2017
- 1.6.4 Update now live on Public PreviewOct 27, 2017
- 1.6.4 Update now live on Public PreviewOct 27, 2017significant · resets scoring window
- 1.6.2 Hotfix now liveOct 25, 2017
- 1.6.2 Hotfix now liveOct 25, 2017
- Hotfix 1.6.2 on Public PreviewOct 24, 2017
- Hotfix 1.6.2 on Public PreviewOct 24, 2017
- Update 1.6.0 live - 10/23/2017Oct 23, 2017significant · resets scoring window
- Update 1.6.0 live - 10/23/2017Oct 23, 2017significant · resets scoring window
- Public Preview for Update 1.6.0 live 10/19/17Oct 19, 2017
- Public Preview for Update 1.6.0 live 10/19/17Oct 19, 2017significant · resets scoring window
- Attention Mac usersApr 14, 2017
- PC Hotfix Update 1.5.2 is live.Apr 11, 2017
- PC Hotfix Update 1.5.2 is live.Apr 11, 2017
- Public preview update (Hotfix 1.5.2)Apr 7, 2017
- Public preview update (Hotfix 1.5.2)Apr 7, 2017
- Hotfix 1.5.1 now liveMar 31, 2017
- Hotfix 1.5.1 now liveMar 31, 2017
- Cyan Releases Obduction for MacMar 30, 2017significant · resets scoring window
- Public preview update (Hotfix 1.5.1)Mar 29, 2017
- Public preview update (Hotfix 1.5.1)Mar 29, 2017
- Update 1.5.0 - Touch/Hand/Motion Controls added to Obduction.Mar 22, 2017significant · resets scoring window
- Update 1.4.2 Now Live!Feb 8, 2017significant · resets scoring window
- Update 1.4.2 Now Live!Feb 8, 2017significant · resets scoring window
- Public Preview 1.4.2 Now AvailableJan 17, 2017significant · resets scoring window
- Public Preview 1.4.2 Now AvailableJan 17, 2017significant · resets scoring window
…and 27 earlier patch announcements.