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) | – | 75 | 6 |
| All-time Steam reviews | 86% | 80 | 1000 |
| Metacritic user ratings | – | 76 | 3 |
| Post-patch Steam reviews (trust-weighted) | 87% | 81 | 10 |
| Calibration prior (typical game) | – | 72 | 50 |
Scoring window: last 30 days (no significant patch detected) · 29 reviews sampled · 2 total reviews in window · weighted 2.2 up / 0.3 down · computed 3h ago · full methodology →
Press & Creators reviews (26)
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
“Bulb Boy won’t stay in your memories forever; it is a relatively small game that shouldn’t take too long to complete, but whilst it lasts it offers nicely designed puzzles and an underlying humour that offers a different experience. It is clearly lovingly put-together and refreshingly manages to make horror cute and fun, rather than taking itself seriously. Bulb Boy didn’t take our breath away and isn’t revolutionary, but its appeal comes in the form of its characters, craziness and toilet humour, a deadly combination that deserves to be played.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“If you're looking for a unique game experience on the Switch that isn't terribly expensive and will provide you with a few hours of varying challenges and laughs Bulb Boy delivers quite handsomely. Especially since, for the moment, it has nothing comparable to go up against on the console it is a breath of fresh air as well. As long as you keep your expectations for its length in check there's little holding me back from recommending it to people in search of a little adventuring.”
read full review ↗ - 50
“Bulb Boy certainly has an intriguing visual concept, but lays it on a bit thick with the weird and wacky side of things later on without really explaining why, or even bothering to draw everything together into a cohesive package. Rather than being an extremely smart point-and-click adventure with mind-bending puzzles and a clever-but-creepy storyline, it instead strings together a handful of simple scenarios that do not hold the attention for long, and barely offer any challenge - unless awkward controls and long re-loads count. To top it off, there is barely any story to tickle gamers' imaginations, and then it finishes in about an hour, which for its price makes it hard to recommend.”
read full review ↗ - 84
“A small game, but worth your time. An audiovisual package that many games aim for but never reach, Bulb Boy is a fine example for great creative talent. It is a shame that the game hurts itself a little by being a little light on content.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“If you’re looking for a unique game experience on the Switch that isn’t terribly expensive and will provide you with a few hours of varying challenges and laughs, Bulb Boy delivers quite handsomely. Especially since, for the moment, it has nothing comparable to go up against on the console, it is a breath of fresh air as well. As long as you keep your expectations for its length in check, little holds me back from recommending Bulb Boy to people in search of a little adventuring.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Bulb Boy makes itself at home on the Switch to give us a spooky puzzler to play at home or on the go.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“Bulb Boy is a competent effort at creating a game with a horror atmosphere and which features a very interesting light mechanic that fits very well on an overall well executed presentation. While it may be too linear and have not enough content to please everyone, this is still a game that is worth exploring.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Bulb Boy managed to hit the perfect combination of linearity, instinctiveness and charm.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“As a whole, Bulb Boy is a gross yet endearing update to the classic 2D adventure games from studios like Lucasarts and Sierra Interactive. It feels right at home on the Switch, especially when played in handheld mode. While the grim setting and disgusting visuals can be off-putting for some, it's the enjoyable characters and inviting strangeness that make it a worthwhile experience. If you have a classic adventure game itch, this is one of those.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“Despite the short length, Bulb Boy is a really unique project of hand-made, I remind you that the game was developed by two people, so I bow to them for a great implementation, great art style, exciting music that will long remain in my playlist.”
read full review ↗ - 76
“Bulb Boy’s uniqueness is outstanding, offering a very stylish and charismatic game that blends creepiness and cuteness in a creative way. While it's also true that you won’t be in this bright little boy’s shoes for too long, the glimpse of his world will be more than worth the walk.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Bulb Boy is a wonderful addition to the Switch, especially if you’re looking for something a little more unusual.”
read full review ↗
Nintendo Life
Nindie Spotlight
Cubed3
Life is Xbox
NintendoWorldReport
FNintendo
ThisGenGaming
The Game Fanatics
ZEFGame.ru
Switch Player
GameSpew…and 14 more tracked reviews.
Patch history
- Enlightning version 1.03Jun 24, 2016
- Enlightning version 1.03Jun 24, 2016significant · resets scoring window
- Bulb Boy Update 1.02 is shining!May 13, 2016
- Bulb Boy Update 1.02 is shining!May 13, 2016
- Bulb Boy - update 1.01Oct 30, 2015
- Bulb Boy - update 1.01Oct 30, 2015