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 (Metacritic) | – | 78 | 6 |
| Creator reviews (1 tracked) | – | 82 | 0 |
| All-time Steam reviews | 82% | 76 | 1000 |
| Metacritic user ratings | – | 82 | 29 |
| Post-patch Steam reviews (trust-weighted) | 90% | 84 | 17 |
| Calibration prior (typical game) | – | 72 | 50 |
Scoring window: last 30 days (no significant patch detected) · 48 reviews sampled · 43 total reviews in window · weighted 33.2 up / 3.8 down · computed 2h ago · full methodology →
Press & Creators reviews (49)
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
“State of Decay is a game for people looking for a solid gameplay element (Telltale's The Walking Dead is excellent, but it's "just" an interactive story). State of Decay tries to show an emotional plot, but first of all it gives a lot more freedom, combat and exploration. The developers have ignored polishing the details and concentrated on building a convincing survival system (one that is more complicated than "how many bullets have I got?"). I think they nailed it - I had lots of fun and intend to revisit this universe in the future.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“The technical hurdles are very steep at first, but once I put about five hours in, the sting started to dissipate. These flaws mar the atmosphere that State of Decay tries to create. If you can stomach them, however, the game's sense of urgency and its mountain of tasks and systems will be a nice vacation away from the societal constraints of your everyday, zombie-free life. ”
read full review ↗ - 88
“State of Decay is a fun game that puts you right in the middle of a zombie outbreak and forces you to stop and plan your survival strategy. If you've ever asked yourself what would you do in a zombie apocalypse scenario, this game will offer you a different perspective. And yes, you'll find a few annoying bugs and glitches, but you'll also find a compelling and powerful gaming experience.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Undead Labs has created what I truly wanted out of something like The Walking Dead as a video game, and anyone who is a fan of that type of drama should definitely check it out. Be aware of the technical issues going in though, they will be the one thing that can truly hold this title back.”
read full review ↗ - 75
“It's not the most beautiful and polished game, but the end of the world with all it’s small and big problems rarely felt this real.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Naturally, this mortality will drive some players nuts, while others will relish the undeniably heightened sense of danger.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“State of Decay is unrefined but never anything less than interesting. And in video games, interesting has never been at such a premium.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“State of Decay is an immersive and suspenseful open-world zombie adventure that shouldn't be missed.”
read full review ↗ - 60
“In theory this is one of the best zombie games ever made, but in practise it’s riddled with technical flaws that fail to put the necessary meat on its undead skeleton.”
read full review ↗ - 79
“When you realise there are dozens of addictive hours to enjoy, State of Decay proves itself a tempting purchase for zombie lovers and fans of survival-horror alike.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“A good zombie-invasion survival simulator game will please not only the hardcore fans, who forgive the game's questionable technical issues. [Issue#231]”
- 100
“The balance of combat, stealth, scavenging, and environmental interactivity is perfect.”
read full review ↗
GRYOnline.pl
LevelUp
ZTGD
Eurogamer
GameSpot
Metro GameCentral
AusGamers…and 37 more tracked reviews.
Patch history
- Content Update 4 is now live!Nov 18, 2015significant · resets scoring window
- Content Update 4 is now live!Nov 18, 2015
- YOSE: Steam Update 4/29/15Apr 30, 2015
- YOSE: Steam Update 4/29/15Apr 30, 2015