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) | – | 67 | 10 |
| Creator reviews (3 tracked) | – | 98 | 1 |
| All-time Steam reviews | 80% | 74 | 1000 |
| Metacritic user ratings | – | – | 0 |
| Post-patch Steam reviews (trust-weighted) | 84% | 78 | 25 |
| Calibration prior (typical game) | – | 72 | 50 |
Scoring window: last 30 days (no significant patch detected) · 71 reviews sampled · 59 total reviews in window · weighted 41.1 up / 7.6 down · computed 3h ago · full methodology →
Press & Creators reviews (33)
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.
- 40
“Although the concept of the game is pretty cool, Punch Club doesn't really provide a lot of entertainment. It does, however, inspire you to head to the gym and lift some real-life weights or perhaps run on a treadmill for an hour or so.”
read full review ↗ - 60
“Punch Club is an effective casual management sim with a well-observed 16-bit aesthetic, but its grindy hands-off mechanics soon start to grate. Here on Nintendo's flagship console, it just feels a little too remote and repetitive to be in with a genuine title shout.”
read full review ↗ - 60
“While Punch Club isn't a bad experience by any means there's no way to get around its limitations. If you enjoy its somewhat relaxed "play it on the cough while you watch TV" style and haven't already indulged in it by all means give it a look. If you've dabbled before or are looking for something action-oriented it likely won't be worth considering though.”
read full review ↗ - 60
“Overall, I think Punch Club is a neat experiment of a game, but it needs a little more story and gameplay variety and a little less repetition. The first rule of Punch Club is obvious (right?), but the second rule is put on some headphones and your favourite podcast. You're in for the grind of your life.”
read full review ↗ - 75
“80s vibe and many movie references will keep you playing this game, but the large amount of grind and repetitive campaign will start to bore you sooner than you hoped for.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“If you are looking for an excellent 16-bit fighter game then look no further than Punch Club as it's a hell of a lot of fun to play and sink some hours into.”
read full review ↗ - 60
“Punch Club features an interesting mix of management, social simulation and some JRPG elements in a game that features an interesting gameplay and whose 16-bit resemblances include several 90s pop culture references. It doesn't fully materialize its promises, as it quickly starts feeling repetitive and at one point, it doesn't quite feel interactive enough to be an outstanding experience.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“I had a lot of fun with this game and put many more hours into it then I would have expected. I got really into building my character’s stats up and tried to reach the top rankings in all the leagues. Those looking for a great fighting game should look elsewhere, but I’d urge you to give this one a chance. It just might suck you in!”
read full review ↗ - 60
“Punch Club provides a parody-filled look at one man ‒ your man ‒ and his rise to martial arts stardom. Managing his hunger, training regiment, and social life contains all the appeal of The Sims franchise, but punishing stat decay and RNG-heavy fights cripple Punch Club's lasting shot at fame.”
read full review ↗ - 50
“A promising start leads to a dismal end. Punch Club's quality dips shockingly fast and leaves a bitter taste upon completion.”
read full review ↗ - 40
“Unfortunatly, Punch Club just does not live up to its promise or its looks. The time management aspect takes over in a frustrating manner, which combined with hands-off fights creates a mundane game.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“I had fun with Punch Club as I unraveled its story between training sessions and my work day. It's definitely worth a play, even if you can't directly control fights. If you want to be the best, you have to work hard, and this game certainly shows you that, one fight at a time.”
read full review ↗
Pure Nintendo
Nintendo Life
Nindie Spotlight
NintendoWorldReport
SECTOR.sk
GameGrin
FNintendo
Nintendo Times
We Got This Covered
TechRaptor
Pause Resume
PS3Blog.net…and 21 more tracked reviews.
Patch history
- 1.31 - Added Korean localizationFeb 23, 2017
- 1.31 - Added Korean localizationFeb 23, 2017
- Announcing LADDERS in Steam WorkshopNov 3, 2016
- 12 languages are available! Enjoy!Jun 23, 2016
- Turkish and Polish added!Jun 20, 2016
- The Dark Fist out now! No, Fluffy, noooMar 8, 2016significant · resets scoring window
- 1.10 The Dark Fist is live!Mar 8, 2016
- Version 1.07Feb 10, 2016
- Version 1.07Feb 10, 2016
- Version 1.06 uploadedFeb 4, 2016
- Version 1.06 uploadedFeb 4, 2016
- Patch 1.05Jan 21, 2016
- Patch 1.05Jan 21, 2016
- 1.04 (hotfix)Jan 14, 2016
- 1.04 (hotfix)Jan 14, 2016
- 1.04 - AGI nerf and some bugfixesJan 13, 2016
- 1.04 - AGI nerf and some bugfixesJan 13, 2016
- Version 1.03 - Lots of changes to the late game mechanicsJan 12, 2016significant · resets scoring window
- 1.02 fixes game crash after logosJan 11, 2016
- 1.02 fixes game crash after logosJan 11, 2016
- Version 1.02Jan 10, 2016
- Version 1.02Jan 10, 2016
- Version 1.01Jan 9, 2016
- Version 1.01Jan 9, 2016
- Version 1.0 uploaded.Jan 6, 2016
- Version 1.0 uploaded.Jan 6, 2016
- Update 0.90 is live!Dec 9, 2015significant · resets scoring window
- Update 0.90 is live!Dec 9, 2015
- Version 0.86 uploaded - some major balance changesSep 27, 2015significant · resets scoring window
- Version 0.86 uploaded - some major balance changesSep 27, 2015significant · resets scoring window