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) | – | 77 | 18 |
| All-time Steam reviews | 81% | 75 | 1000 |
| Metacritic user ratings | – | – | 0 |
| Post-patch Steam reviews (trust-weighted) | 86% | 79 | 353 |
| Calibration prior (typical game) | – | 72 | 50 |
Scoring window: since the last significant patch (Jun 16, 2026) · 300 reviews sampled · 353 total reviews in window · weighted 212.6 up / 35.6 down · computed 4h ago · full methodology →
Press & Creators reviews (14)
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.
- 70
“A fairly by-the-book platformer where gameplay never goes to any great heights or depths. Certain small aspects regarding platforming and combat can occasionally become annoying, but these negatives aside, the art and general charm of the game is quiet compelling. The story hints at some dark sci-fi plots, and exploration is satisfying, if sometimes annoyingly difficult. The characters are especially attractive with their highly animated visual novel portraits, which gives a sense of life this genre often doesn't have. Overall, though, Kotama and Academy Citadel feels like it needed more cohesion to really come together.”
read full review ↗ - 75
“Kotama and Academy Citadel is a good metroidvania with stylish combat and an exciting world to explore. However, you may encounter some issues that can make your Caramel Star campaign more of a pain than it should.”
read full review ↗ - 64
“There are a lot of different things in Kotama and Academy Citadel. It has a great combat system, a smart way to heal, and a strong visual personality through the way the characters are designed. Plus, it has rough platforming, a story that isn’t focused, technical problems, and systems that aren’t fully developed and never quite reach their full promise.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“Kotama and Academy Citadel hits the ground running and expects you to keep up from frame 1. It's a beautiful and well animated metroidvania that packs a punch when it comes to art and gameplay, but leaves a lot to be desired when it comes to creating a cohesive beginning-and-end narrative experience.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Kotama and Academy Citadel stands out as a cheerful counterpoint to a genre that’s lately leaned hard into gloom and grit. It’s also my latest addiction; a consistently enjoyable trip whether you’re experiencing it at its highest highs or pushing through its not very significant lows. As a bonus, it’s also shockingly affordable for just how much visual personality it brings to the table.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“Kotama and Academy Citadel is fun once you stop trying to brute-force it. Enemies hit hard, healing costs money, and fights make more sense when you start switching weapons and reacting instead of rushing in. It’s rough in spots, and the story doesn’t push itself to the front, but if you like metroidvanias where getting better comes from playing smarter, it’s easy to stick with.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Kotama and Academy Citadel was a fun experience that you can tell it took years to put together. With a lot of passion behind each character, story, and twist that I came across. Sure there was some very voluptuous reasons to play the game. The gameplay more than makes up for it. There’s even the creative mechanics that you’ll learn how to preform and execute on the fly. So, if you pick up the game, don’t give up so soon. You’ve just start your way to being the next Carmel Star. I just hope they read this and understand to just have certain pop-ups when getting the same item again only once. I give Kotama and Academy Citadel the Thumb Culture Gold Award”
read full review ↗ - 90
“A good metroidvania is all about that fluid movement, rewarding exploration and a simple yet exciting combat. Kotama and the Academy Citadel checked all that except for some polish issues”
read full review ↗ - 70
“I was really hoping to enjoy my time more with the game, but ultimately Kotama and Academy Citadel fell prey to unclear mechanics and incredibly challenging progression. While the adventure is quite attractive and novel in many ways, this Metroidvania fan was hoping for something much more streamlined. Here’s hoping the next adventure from Atomstring Games builds upon to good here to deliver a true knockout adventure.”
read full review ↗ - 65
“I spent a lot of time complaining in this review because it chafed against my particular tastes for these kinds of experiences, but there’s little here that’s bad on an objective level. As such, Kotama and Academy Citadel wouldn’t be at the top of my metroidvania recommendation list, but that’s due more to the amount of stellar competition in the genre than any particular flaw of its own.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Kotama and Academy Citadel delivers a visually striking sci-fi metroidvania experience that thrives on its bold anime aesthetics and satisfying combat systems. While the story lacks cohesion and the translation often falters, the game’s inventive mechanics and weighty encounters keep players engaged. Despite some unclear systems and rough onboarding, its core gameplay loop stands strong for genre enthusiasts seeking challenge and flair.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Kotama and Academy Citadel is a solid entry into a very crowded genre that struggles to distinguish itself from its numerous peers. It does have above-average combat and tons of sexy anime girls, but really if you have played a Metroidvania in the past few years, this will feel pretty familiar. It's an enjoyable enough way to pass 20 hours if you have an itch for the genre, but if you're expecting the next Hollow Knight or Super Metroid, you're going to come away disappointed.”
read full review ↗
Cubed3
GameGrin
GamesCreed
TheSixthAxis
Game8
Cloud Dosage
Thumb Culture
Saudi Gamer
Hey Poor Player
Noisy Pixel…and 2 more tracked reviews.
Patch history
- V.1.03.00.00 Special Update & Limited-Time Sale!Jun 16, 2026significant · resets scoring window
- V1.01.00.01 Version UpdateMar 27, 2026significant · resets scoring window
- v.1.00.03.01 Version UpdateMar 13, 2026
- V1.00.03.00 UpdateMar 6, 2026significant · resets scoring window
- v.1.00.02.01 Version UpdateFeb 13, 2026
- V1.00.02.00 UpdateFeb 6, 2026significant · resets scoring window
- V1.00.01.05 UpdateJan 30, 2026significant · resets scoring window
- V1.00.01.04 Update: HDR Compatibility FixesJan 28, 2026significant · resets scoring window
- V1.00.01.03 Update: Controller Trigger Optimization & New Backstep ToggleJan 23, 2026significant · resets scoring window
- Version V1.00.01.02 Update: Controller Customization & Platforming OptimizationJan 20, 2026significant · resets scoring window
- Addressing Your Concerns 2.0! Bug FixesJan 16, 2026significant · resets scoring window
- "Kotama and Academy Citadel" Price Revealed and Q&A 2.0Jan 9, 2026significant · resets scoring window
- "Kotama and Academy Citadel" FAQ & Full Version Preview!Nov 12, 2025significant · resets scoring window
- Kotama&Academy Citade Update ContentOct 13, 2025significant · resets scoring window