videogamescritic
← all games
Abiotic Factor

Abiotic Factor

Deep Field Games · released Jul 21, 2025

ActionAdventureRPGSimulationPCPlayStation 5Xbox Series X

Abiotic Factor is a survival crafting experience for 1-6 players set in the depths of an underground research facility. Caught between paranormal containment failure, a military crusade, and chaos from a dozen realms, the world’s greatest minds must survive against the universe’s biggest threats.

Steam page ↗Metacritic 88 · users 8.3 ↗
89
VGC Score
■Stablehigh confidence

anchored at patch: “The Cosmic Companions Update is LIVE!” (4mo ago)

88%
At launch
96%
Steam all-time
88%
Press
81%
Player sentiment
95%
Recent sentiment

PC 89 · PlayStation 79 · Xbox 77

Screenshots & trailers

What players say

Why the number is what it is: aspect mentions counted across 392 sampled Steam reviews (382 positive / 10 negative), recent and most-helpful. Plain keyword counting, fully reproducible; nothing here is written by a machine.

What positive reviews talk about

  • Story & writing19% mention it
  • Progression & loot8% mention it
  • World & exploration8% mention it
  • Multiplayer & servers6% mention it
  • Visuals & art5% mention it

What negative reviews complain about

Negative reviews don't converge on specific aspects.

Satisfaction by hours played

Same score, different games: see how sentiment holds up the longer people play.

Under 5h

80%

15 reviews

5-15h

100%

30 reviews

15-40h

92%

51 reviews

40-100h

99%

138 reviews

100h+

99%

158 reviews

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)–8839
All-time Steam reviews96%911000
Metacritic user ratings–8755
Post-patch Steam reviews (trust-weighted)95%903000
Calibration prior (typical game)–7250

Acclaim gate: the raw blend lands at 89.6, but scores above 88 must be earned in front of a mass audience; this verdict rests on 58,684 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 4, 2026) · 300 reviews sampled · 3414 total reviews in window · weighted 237.6 up / 12.7 down · computed 1h ago · full methodology →

Press & Creators reviews (4)

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.

  • 86
    Game8Game8
    trust 62Jul 31, 2025

    “Abiotic Factor stands out in the survival crafting genre by fusing humor, tension, and sci-fi absurdity into a deeply replayable experience. It’s clever, strange, and thoroughly satisfying, but not without its rough edges. Several mechanics are left entirely unexplained, and playing solo can feel overwhelming without companions to share the burden. Yet despite its flaws, it’s an experience that thrives on discovery, rewarding those who approach it with curiosity and a willingness to experiment.”

    read full review ↗
  • 92
    PC GamerPC Gamer
    trust 62Jul 22, 2025

    “Abiotic Factor is an unforgettable interdimensional odyssey with you and your closest friends.”

    read full review ↗
  • 90
    Games.cz
    trust 59Aug 7, 2025

    “A clever mix of survival and RPG with an immersive world that’s more than just a tribute to Half-Life. Driven forward with a story full of sharp satire, action, and horror, while overflowing with ideas, surprises, and new inventions. Whether you’re battling alien scum with a launcher of razor-sharp discs or just racing down hallways on office chairs with a silly grin, you’re in for a great ride.”

    read full review ↗
  • 82
    DayOneDayOne
    trust 55Jul 22, 2025

    “If you fancy moonlighting as a budding scientist battling for survival against other-worldly forces and scientific experiments gone wrong, you’re going to love Abiotic Factor. It’s a refreshing and charming take on the survival genre, full of great mechanics and systems, an engaging story and world and importantly it’s an absolute blast to play with friends. Go in as blind as you can, because like with all scientific endeavours, the joy is in the discovery.”

    read full review ↗

Patch history

  1. Hotfix v.1.4.0.28206
    Jul 27, 2026
  2. Hotfix v.1.4.0.27939
    Jul 14, 2026
  3. Community Update #4 - the Anniversary Update!
    Jul 13, 2026
  4. Hotfix v1.3.0.26036
    May 12, 2026
  5. Hotfix v1.3.0.25870
    May 6, 2026
  6. The Cosmic Companions Update is LIVE!
    May 4, 2026significant · resets scoring window
  7. SR #24: Second Look at Cosmic Companions
    Apr 28, 2026significant · resets scoring window
  8. SR #23: First Look at the Cosmic Companions Update
    Mar 15, 2026significant · resets scoring window
  9. Hotfix 1.2.0.23023
    Dec 17, 2025
  10. 1.2 - Holiday Cryosphere
    Dec 15, 2025
  11. 1.1 - Community Update #3
    Nov 3, 2025significant · resets scoring window
  12. 1.1+ Roadmap
    Oct 12, 2025
  13. Hotfix 1.0.0.21184
    Sep 29, 2025
  14. Hotfix 1.0.0.21035
    Sep 2, 2025
  15. Over 1.4 Million Scientists and Growing!
    Aug 22, 2025
  16. Hotfix 1.0.0.20909
    Aug 20, 2025
  17. Hotfix 1.0.0.20809
    Aug 14, 2025significant · resets scoring window
  18. Hotfix 1.0.0.20513
    Aug 3, 2025
  19. Hotfix 1.0.0.20474
    Aug 3, 2025significant · resets scoring window
  20. Hotfix 1.0.0.20184
    Jul 28, 2025
  21. ABIOTIC FACTOR 1.0 OUT NOW!
    Jul 22, 2025significant · resets scoring window
  22. 1.0 Update - Cold Fusion
    Jul 22, 2025significant · resets scoring window
  23. 1.0 Refresher for Tenured Scientists
    Jul 18, 2025significant · resets scoring window
  24. 1.0 Save Upgrading Guide
    Jul 15, 2025significant · resets scoring window
  25. Hotfix 0.10.0.15580
    Feb 13, 2025
  26. Dark Energy Bonus Update
    Feb 12, 2025significant · resets scoring window
  27. Hotfix 0.10.0.15406
    Feb 8, 2025
  28. Hotfix 0.10.0.15383
    Feb 7, 2025significant · resets scoring window
  29. Hotfix 0.10.0.15324
    Feb 6, 2025significant · resets scoring window
  30. Hotfix 0.10.0.15244
    Feb 5, 2025
  31. Hotfix 0.10.0.15214
    Feb 5, 2025
  32. Dark Energy
    Feb 4, 2025significant · resets scoring window
  33. Hotfix 0.9.3.13099
    Dec 10, 2024
  34. Hotfix 0.9.3.13049
    Dec 6, 2024
  35. Hotfix 0.9.3.13042
    Dec 6, 2024
  36. The Christmas Update
    Dec 5, 2024significant · resets scoring window
  37. Hotfix 0.9.2.12333
    Oct 24, 2024
  38. Hotfix 0.9.2.12106
    Oct 11, 2024
  39. Hotfix 0.9.1.11753
    Sep 20, 2024
  40. Hotfix 0.9.1.11736
    Sep 19, 2024

…and 11 earlier patch announcements.