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) | – | 70 | 6 |
| All-time Steam reviews | 97% | 93 | 1000 |
| Metacritic user ratings | – | 85 | 13 |
| Post-patch Steam reviews (trust-weighted) | 99% | 95 | 70 |
| Calibration prior (typical game) | – | 72 | 50 |
Acclaim gate: the raw blend lands at 92.1, but scores above 88 must be earned in front of a mass audience; this verdict rests on 23,202 player reviews, a largely self-selected fanbase. As more players weigh in, the ceiling rises (full scale unlocks at 100,000 reviews).
Scoring window: last 30 days (no significant patch detected) · 200 reviews sampled · 193 total reviews in window · weighted 153.8 up / 1.4 down · computed 2h ago · full methodology →
Press & Creators reviews (6)
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
“Fran Bow is a wonderfully dark and surreal adventure that is definitely worth the price of voluntary admission.”
read full review ↗ - 89
“More than the sum of its parts. Dark. A favorite forgotten bedtime story from Hell. Beautiful in the intricacy of it's world. The single greatest indie adventure game surprise of 2015. ”
read full review ↗ - 60
“An occasionally horrific game with a memorable character and some fantastically grotesque artwork, it’s absolutely worth the journey.”
read full review ↗ - 53
“Fran Bow is chaos in its purest form. A stream of gibberish. A classic example of a story written on a napkin.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“Despite an average story Fran Bow was an interesting journey that even left me feeling uneasy in dark places. [11/2015, p.40]”
- 85
“Disturbing yet adorable, full of violence but at the same time tender, Fran Bow is an adventure with a compelling and sad story that we utterly recommend. The final part of the game might seem confusing and chaotic, but it's still a great moment that will hit you right in the guts. ”
read full review ↗
CD-Action
SpaziogamesPatch history
- Fran Bow 2.0 PlushieJul 8, 2024
- Legacy Fran Bow Achievement bugfixMay 9, 2023
- Fran Bow UpdateApr 28, 2023
- Fran Bow update!Apr 28, 2023
- Fran Bow Anniversary!Aug 26, 2016
- Fran Bow Anniversary!Aug 26, 2016
- Fran Bow hotfix!Feb 3, 2016
- Fran Bow hotfix!Feb 3, 2016
- Fran Bow Update #3Nov 23, 2015
- Fran Bow Update #3Nov 23, 2015
- Fran Bow Update #2Sep 25, 2015significant · resets scoring window
- Fran Bow Update #2Sep 25, 2015
- Fran Bow first patch and thank you!Sep 1, 2015significant · resets scoring window
- Fran Bow first patch and thank you!Sep 1, 2015