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) | – | 61 | 13 |
| All-time Steam reviews | 66% | 64 | 1000 |
| Metacritic user ratings | – | – | 0 |
| Post-patch Steam reviews (trust-weighted) | 56% | 56 | 7 |
| Calibration prior (typical game) | – | 72 | 50 |
Scoring window: last 30 days (no significant patch detected) · 19 reviews sampled · 8 total reviews in window · weighted 2.9 up / 2.4 down · computed 2h ago · full methodology →
Press & Creators reviews (42)
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
“IMGN.PRO's indie survial horror game encourages profound contemplation, specifically about living with death.”
read full review ↗ - 50
“I don’t know how it’s possible, but I love and hate this game all at once.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“Among the genres that are the toughest to evaluate in gaming and may be the most divisive are those that are "walking simulators" at their core...”
read full review ↗ - 60
“Kholat may be daunting to approach at first with its massive scale, but its eerie setting is worth exploring for its intentionally perplexing narrative and unsettling visual and aural atmosphere. The simplistic gameplay may turn some off with how tedious exploration can become with few scares and long stretches of nothing, but if you choose to remain steadfast on this trail, the sights, sounds, and story may very well be worth your effort.”
read full review ↗ - 75
“Despite its issues I still feel Kholat is a genuinely disturbing experience, full of atmosphere, tension and visually impressive for an Unreal Engine 4 game. Its faults take it out of the really awesome category but I personally loved it and how it blended horror with unravelling parts of a real world mystery. As it is I believe Kholat is still worth playing but just be aware that frustration and tension will be present in equal measure.”
read full review ↗ - 75
“As a lifelong fan of Fortean mystery and atmospheric adventures, Kholat is a game I really wanted to love, but it left me out in the cold in more ways than one.”
read full review ↗ - 40
“Kholat's poor attempts to creep and confound you fail to capitalize on its terrific premise.”
read full review ↗ - 40
“It's a shame because Kholat has one of the best horror game set-ups we've seen for quite some time. Not only that, the team at IMGN.PRO has clearly put effort into sculpting an spooky collection of vistas each dripping in atmosphere. Sadly, wedged between these tense moments is way too much filler. The mind-numbing map reading and navigation would have been easy to overlook if that only made up a small portion of the game. Instead, it forms this drab and unappealing bedrock that threatens to drag Kholat down whenever there isn't something scripted happening on-screen.”
read full review ↗ - 50
“Kholat brings the atmosphere, but makes you wish you had brought your own compass.”
read full review ↗ - 65
“While the graphics and sound are something to behold. Kholat ends up being more of a frustrating walk in the wilderness than a memorable horror experience. If you love your horror and you don’t mind the slow pace of a walking simulator this is worth experiencing. I will say though the game really did make me miss taking long walks in the mountains. Haven’t done that in a while.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“Kholat has plenty of issues but there is no denying that it also one of the most atmospheric games I've played recently and is really creepy. The game makes great use of the Unreal Engine 4 as well to deliver some great visuals. I also like that it is based on a real world event as it adds more to the game. If you're into these kind of experiences I highly recommend it but do expect some frustration to come with it.”
read full review ↗ - 40
“Kholat had a lot of potential, but is unfortunately hard to enjoy, due to frustrating gameplay and hard to decipher orienteering mechanics. It will appeal to the odd soul, who will fall in love with its disturbing and maze-like mountaintop setting, but most will come away annoyed.”
read full review ↗
Slant Magazine
Seasoned Gaming
Nindie Spotlight
Push Square
GameWatcher
Eurogamer
GameSpot
TheSixthAxis
GameSkinny
LadiesGamers.com
ThisGenGaming
We Got This Covered…and 30 more tracked reviews.
Patch history
- Kholat is available in Japanese now!Dec 20, 2016
- NEW LANGUAGES in Patch 1.03!Jul 24, 2015
- NEW LANGUAGES in Patch 1.03!Jul 24, 2015
- Patch 1.02Jul 14, 2015
- Patch 1.02Jul 14, 2015
- Kholat Patch 1.01Jul 3, 2015
- Kholat Patch 1.01Jul 3, 2015