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) | – | 78 | 10 |
| Creator reviews (1 tracked) | – | 97 | 0 |
| All-time Steam reviews | 91% | 85 | 603 |
| Metacritic user ratings | – | – | 0 |
| Post-patch Steam reviews (trust-weighted) | – | – | 0 |
| Calibration prior (typical game) | – | 72 | 50 |
Scoring window: last 30 days (no significant patch detected) · 0 reviews sampled · 0 total reviews in window · weighted 0 up / 0 down · computed 3h 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.
- 85
“Overall, if there’s any piece of you that has a love for a rock-solid arcade shooting experience The Bug Butcher is a wonderful surprise with an extremely fair price. If you’re an old-school gamer like me you’ll likely appreciate the nods to Pang’s iconic style but if you’re not familiar with that title it will probably just feel like a shooter with bouncing enemies that you’ll need to carefully destroy to get maximum results. Throw in global leaderboards, an ability to slowly enhance your skills, and a pretty surprising variety of weirdo bugs to deal with and it’s a very good time. While I don’t expect my high scores to last for long, it was a lot of fun getting them.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“The Bug Butcher is a fun, finely-polished, Pang-inspired shooter that modernises the classic formula with sharp controls, frantic pacing and charming presentation. Its short campaign and limited modes hold it back, making it a title that’s great for short bursts but not for extended play. Think of it as a small snack between the bigger meals. A snack made out of vibrantly colourful alien insects, that is. If the price is right, it’s a solid recommendation for arcade afficionados and not only.”
read full review ↗ - 84
“The Bug Butcher is the brainchild of the old arcade classic Buster Bros/Pang, in a very well-crafted and exciting version. However, it really needs more content in order to be considered as a classic.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“The music is also surprisingly catchy. The Bug Butcher is a fun Pang-style romp that works in bursts or in longer play sessions, I found it a good game to play while catching up on TV shows. If you like this arcade game style, The Bug Butcher should definitely be on your radar.”
read full review ↗ - 85
“In the end, this is a decently fun arcade shooter, much like Galaga or Space Invaders. It has a neat art style and plays really well. All for ten bucks too. If you're feeling a little old school and want something that could last you around four to five hours, this is it. You'll get your money's worth out of it.”
read full review ↗ - 85
“As stated at the beginning of the review, The Bug Butcher is an absolutely solid homage to classic arcade shooters. It nails the shooting mechanic and provides a gradual level of difficulty that doesn't veer too much into impossible territory. Though it's a short game, there's enough to keep people interested for more than an afternoon, and it's a good fit on the Switch thanks to the short levels and co-op gameplay for endless mode. This is another indie port to Nintendo's console that's worth checking out.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“I went into The Bug Butcher with few expectations, so I was pleasantly surprised by how well the classic arcade mechanics held up to today's standards. It's a challenging game that never feels cheap or unfair.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“The Bug Butcher is a flashy and fun arcade experience.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“The Bug Butcher is a spiritual successor that is very much possessed by its muse. This isn't a subtle nod, it is soaked in Pang and it's great because of it. The ability to play the game endlessly to beat your own score will keep you coming back. The fact that you can do it with a friend is just an even bigger incentive. The Bug Butcher isn't reinventing anything, but it is a damn fine version of a classic game.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“The Bug Butcher builds on the classic 1980s and 1990s 2D arcade shooters to bring a fun and addictive experience, riddled with humour, fluid animations and wide amounts of contents. An experience that is certain to please to all kinds of players and which is especially recommended to fans of the genre.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“Gorgeous graphics, combined with explosive, and addictive, gameplay make The Bug Butcher the perfect addition to your Nintendo Switch library.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“The rough-around-the-edges menus and price might pose problems for some people, but The Bug Butcher breaks convention. The cute and vivid insects put phobias to bed, and because anti-hero Harry only fires his weapons vertically, the gameplay reinvents side-scrolling shooter mindsets.”
read full review ↗
Nindie Spotlight
Cubed3
NintendoWorldReport
ZTGD
Worth Playing
The Escapist
MonsterVine
TheSixthAxis
FNintendo
Nintendo Times
We Got This Covered…and 30 more tracked reviews.
Patch history
- Language fixesJun 29, 2016
- Language fixesJun 29, 2016
- Level loading bug fix.Apr 22, 2016
- Level loading bug fix.Apr 22, 2016
- Quick FixApr 18, 2016
- Quick FixApr 18, 2016
- Some quick fixesFeb 16, 2016
- Some quick fixesFeb 16, 2016
- Release bug fixes 1.3Jan 26, 2016
- Release bug fixes 1.3Jan 26, 2016
- Achievements fix 1.2Jan 22, 2016
- Achievements fix 1.2Jan 22, 2016
- Achievements fixJan 21, 2016
- Achievements fixJan 21, 2016
- Release bug fixesJan 20, 2016
- Release bug fixesJan 20, 2016
- Release dateJan 10, 2016
- Release dateJan 10, 2016
- Update 3.1 - bug fixesDec 7, 2015
- Update 3.1 - bug fixesDec 7, 2015
- Update 3.0Nov 30, 2015
- Update 3.0Nov 30, 2015
- Update 2.1Sep 21, 2015
- Update 2.1Sep 21, 2015
- Update 2.0Sep 18, 2015
- Update 2.0Sep 18, 2015
- Update 1.21Aug 27, 2015
- Update 1.21Aug 27, 2015
- Update 1.2Aug 26, 2015
- Update 1.2Aug 26, 2015
- Update 1.1Aug 8, 2015
- Update 1.1Aug 8, 2015
- Update 1.0 just went liveAug 6, 2015significant · resets scoring window
- Update 1.0 just went liveAug 6, 2015significant · resets scoring window
- Battling the fluAug 4, 2015
- Battling the fluAug 4, 2015