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Cursed Words: The Word Game That Isn't

Cursed Words: The Word Game That Isn't

Buried Things · released Apr 1, 2026

CasualIndieStrategyPC

From letters to lunacy, Cursed Words is a roguelike chasing ever-stronger synergies. Start with simple words like BUY or THIS or GAME, then use game-altering combos to break the rules. Before long you’ll be ¼♖♙K5XNG the ⅗H♗4 out of these 83VK??7?!

88
VGC Score
Stablehigh confidence

anchored at patch: “⭐ Patch Notes v4.9” (3mo ago)

89%
At launch
96%
Steam all-time
n/a
Press
96%
Recent sentiment

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.

ComponentPositiveQuality (0-100)Weight (pseudo-reviews)
Press reviews (Metacritic)0
All-time Steam reviews96%91352
Metacritic user ratings0
Post-patch Steam reviews (trust-weighted)96%92229
Calibration prior (typical game)7250

Acclaim gate: the raw blend lands at 90.0, but scores above 88 must be earned in front of a mass audience; this verdict rests on 704 player reviews, a largely self-selected fanbase. As more players weigh in, the ceiling rises (full scale unlocks at 100,000 reviews).

Scoring window: since the last significant patch (May 18, 2026) · 222 reviews sampled · 229 total reviews in window · weighted 177.7 up / 6.7 down · computed 4h ago · full methodology →

Patch history

  1. ⭐ Patch Notes v4.9
    May 18, 2026significant · resets scoring window
  2. ⭐ Patch Notes v4.5
    Apr 22, 2026significant · resets scoring window
  3. ⭐ Patch Notes v4.4
    Apr 10, 2026significant · resets scoring window
  4. ⭐ Patch Notes v4.3
    Apr 8, 2026significant · resets scoring window
  5. ⭐ Patch Notes v4.1
    Apr 5, 2026significant · resets scoring window
  6. 🔮 Demo Update: Patch Notes v3.15-a
    Mar 27, 2026significant · resets scoring window
  7. ⭐ Playtest Update: Patch Notes v1.3 + v1.4
    Dec 4, 2025significant · resets scoring window