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) | – | 59 | 3 |
| All-time Steam reviews | 79% | 73 | 114 |
| Metacritic user ratings | – | – | 0 |
| Post-patch Steam reviews (trust-weighted) | 100% | 97 | 0 |
| Calibration prior (typical game) | – | 72 | 50 |
Scoring window: last 30 days (no significant patch detected) · 1 reviews sampled · 1 total reviews in window · weighted 0.1 up / 0 down · computed 3h ago · full methodology →
Press & Creators reviews (11)
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.
- 60
“Shadow Puppeteer is certainly a welcome addition to the Wii U eShop. The concept of the boy and his shadow is cleverly implemented, and there are some standout moments of level design combined with a strong sense of artistic style. There are some rough edges, however, in terms of some scratchy framerate and animation issues, a soundtrack that may be divisive at points and occasional slip-ups in design and implementation. The overall impression is a positive one, but occasionally the lights of this puppet show flicker, making the strings visible and taking away a little bit of the magic.”
read full review ↗ - 50
“The game was clearly not optimized for the system and some additional polish could have gone a long way. Next to that, it is just a really short game that I can only recommend in co-op. If you do decide to take the plunge, you can't go wrong with the puzzles and story, but you will have to put up with a lot to truly enjoy yourself.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“Shadow Puppeteer is a fun and simple co-op game. It's dragged down a tad by awkward controls and difficulty spikes. As a single-player game, it's significantly more flawed and should be avoided unless you've got a high tolerance for struggling with controls. For players with a friend who's ready to play co-op, the game can really shine and show off its stronger points. It's not a game for everyone, but for parents and kids, it's an enjoyable experience and well worth a shot.”
read full review ↗ - 50
“In single-player mode, Shadow Puppeteer is a much weaker game, technical issues and control problems become more evident and it's not challenging enough to justify a new go. Despite being based on several good ideas, Shadow Puppeteer performs way below its potential.”
read full review ↗ - 48
“Shadow Puppeteer is an admirable attempt at a fun, unique co-operative experience, but is ultimately let down by its lack of technical polish.”
read full review ↗ - 55
“There are many great games on the Nintendo eShop, but unfortunately Shadow Puppeteer is not one of these games.”
read full review ↗ - 50
“Shadow Puppeteer tries to do interesting things, but ultimately comes off as unpolished, bland, repetitive, and mediocre. I really tried to enjoy it, but I just couldn't bring myself to care about it.”
read full review ↗ - 55
“I can only hope that Sarepta continues to work on Shadow Puppeteer post-launch. It's a tough sell right now, but given the time and resources it deserves, this could be a great game.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“Shadow Puppeteer is an enjoyable game, if you can get past a few frustrations. The platforming is tedious at times, with you controlling both the boy and his shadow, though figuring out how to get through each area isn't all that difficult. Sadly, the game is somewhat short, only taking a few hours to get through. But if you're playing with someone, it can make for a fun afternoon.”
read full review ↗ - 65
“The puzzles are fun, it could benefit from some polish in terms of presentation, but you'll enjoy Shadow Puppeteer more with a second player by your side.”
read full review ↗ - 79
“Shadow Puppeteer is one of the best cooperative experiences that I've ever played.”
read full review ↗
Nintendo Life
NintendoWorldReport
Worth Playing
FNintendo
Nintendo News
Nintendo Enthusiast
Destructoid
NZGamer
Gaming Nexus
God is a Geek
Video ChumsPatch history
- Update #5: Major PC patchSep 14, 2015significant · resets scoring window
- Update #5: Major PC patchSep 14, 2015significant · resets scoring window
- Update #4 PC patchApr 15, 2015
- Update #4 PC patchApr 15, 2015
- Update #3: Major PC patchNov 5, 2014
- Update #3: Major PC patchNov 5, 2014
- Update #2Oct 8, 2014
- Update #2Oct 8, 2014
- Update #1Oct 2, 2014
- Update #1Oct 2, 2014