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) | – | 76 | 12 |
| All-time Steam reviews | 72% | 68 | 483 |
| 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 · 0 total reviews in window · weighted 0.2 up / 0 down · computed 2h ago · full methodology →
Press & Creators reviews (40)
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
“All told, Ironcast is one of the most in-depth and engaging match three puzzlers that we've seen. The game's pitch is a bit of a tough sell, it's clearly trying to juggle a lot of different genre elements, but Ironcast somehow manages to pull it all off in a way that is uniquely innovative and frustratingly addicting. The various elements being fused here make for a game that is endlessly replayable, but not at the cost of becoming repetitive or boring. We would strongly recommend that you pick up Ironcast if you're looking for a game that can be a good time sink, but can also be comfortably played in short bursts. Do yourself a favour and try this one out.”
read full review ↗ - 85
“If you enjoy being challenged and engaging in highly strategic gameplay my answer would be it is absolutely worth your time and effort to learn. With that in mind I’ll also say that I was among the people who greatly enjoyed Has-Been Heroes while a great number of people chose to throw their hands up in frustration instead. Of all of the games I’ve played on the Switch in many ways I consider Ironcast to have a similar spirit as HBH as a game that won’t apologize or compromise just because you’re struggling. It sets the bar high and expects you to get there or die trying. That said, if you take the time and put in the effort you absolutely can beat the game and I’ll say accomplishing that feat was among the most rewarding experiences I’ve had in quite some time. Ironcast is the kind of game that only indie studios would likely be daring enough to attempt, defying all traditional expectations and making people invest some blood, sweat, and tears to cross the finish line. If you’re up to the challenge your mech is waiting for its Commander, and the good people of England are depending on you!”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Ironcast is a daring title with a concept many would be terrified to touch. The reward is huge, though, as this might be one of the strongest match puzzle games on the market at this point, with depth unlocked thanks to the choice of theme. Every piece of Ironcast works together in a wonderful resonance between style and gameplay, and creates a unique and entertaining experience that fans of the genre will not forget in the near future.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Ironcast is the very definition of the saying "easy to pick up, difficult to master". The world, the characters and the art style are all top notch and really serve to draw you in, and once you are in, the compulsion to just have one more go is almost irresistible. The gameplay is balanced very nicely and we can't not recommend it, with only the freezes and crashes to really report as drawbacks. If you are looking for a puzzle game for your Xbox One, look no further than this. Picking it up would be a capital idea, what what?”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Ironcast is a surprisingly strategic and complex game, while will hold your interest for quite a while. There's enough randomisation for the title to feel fresh for a long time, and every battle is one of tension and risky moves, with each action really meaning something. Winning a skirmish feels very satisfying, with the rewards after feeling even better, and though the difficulty may put people off, those who can grin and bear the painful defeats will be treated like un prince.”
read full review ↗ - 85
“Depending on your skill and luck, Ironcast can be a fun 10 hour or so romp, fraught with many failures but likely numerous last-second victories and absolute dominations. The mixture of turn-based strategy and match-three puzzling is novel and for the most part, works extremely well in the rogue-like permadeath structure. The tedious and humdrum story can be tiresome, but if you focus on honing tactics to take down your rivals while building up your gear and abilities, Ironcast is a fantastic and unique game.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Ironcast rewards those who aren't easily frustrated by loss. The constant losing can be discouraging, but the incremental progress made through each defeat means the game eventually gets easier and more satisfying. It also helps that the only mode happens to be long enough to sustain many losses, so it'll be quite some time before players reach the end. For puzzle fans who crave difficulty, Ironcast is worth checking out.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“Ironcast has proved once again that ports are nothing but a plus for Nintendo Switch.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Ironcast is a match three roguelike with surprisingly detailed tactical combat, but it's as much based of random luck as it is your own forward planning.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Like most roguelikes, though, the true game is about fighting back against the randomness, and you do this with each lesson you learn about the sorts of augmentations to prioritise, and each trick you uncover for minimising battle scars and maximising scrap. If you've got the stomach for the learning curve, you can probably cut it in this army. And if you can, you'll discover a game that's tense and personable and clever.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Ironcast is an esoteric little package with a lot to offer. The levels vary in difficulty and really do need you to keep your head in the game, despite it looking like a simplistic match-3. If match-3 and strategy are your thing, then this is a perfect game for you.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“Ironcast will attract players who are into carefully selecting their elements before stepping into combat. Thanks to its interesting and well implemented mechanics, this is a game that can easily turn into an addictive experience. It should also be noted that Ironcast could use more variety and that its random components can have a disproportionate weight on the game's difficulty.”
read full review ↗
Nintendo Life
Nindie Spotlight
Cubed3
Pure Xbox
Push Square
NintendoWorldReport
Worth Playing
FingerGuns
Eurogamer
GameGrin
FNintendo…and 28 more tracked reviews.
Patch history
- Ironcast 1.1.1 Update is now live!Jul 1, 2015
- Ironcast 1.1.1 Update is now live!Jul 1, 2015
- Ironcast 1.1 Update is now live!May 29, 2015significant · resets scoring window
- Ironcast 1.1 Update is now live!May 29, 2015significant · resets scoring window
- Ironcast 1.0: Update notesMar 23, 2015
- Ironcast 1.0: Update notesMar 23, 2015
- Beta Build 5: Patch notes (final release candidate!)Feb 24, 2015significant · resets scoring window
- Beta Build 5: Patch notes (final release candidate!)Feb 24, 2015significant · resets scoring window
- Beta Build 4: Patch notes (and Happy Holidays!)Dec 24, 2014significant · resets scoring window
- Beta Build 4: Patch notes (and Happy Holidays!)Dec 24, 2014significant · resets scoring window
- Beta Build 3: Patch notesDec 14, 2014significant · resets scoring window
- Beta Build 3: Patch notesDec 14, 2014significant · resets scoring window
- Beta Build 2: Patch notesDec 12, 2014
- Beta Build 2: Patch notesDec 12, 2014