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) | – | 62 | 4 |
| All-time Steam reviews | 69% | 66 | 541 |
| Metacritic user ratings | – | – | 0 |
| Post-patch Steam reviews (trust-weighted) | 87% | 80 | 1 |
| Calibration prior (typical game) | – | 72 | 50 |
Scoring window: last 30 days (no significant patch detected) · 4 reviews sampled · 4 total reviews in window · weighted 1.4 up / 0.2 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
“Phoning Home doesn't seem to want to be the flashiest of the survival genre. Instead, it seems to want to be the most accessible and the strongest. While it doesn't always succeed, it hits enough of the right notes to be both a recommendation and a surprisingly unique member of the survival genre. With a bit of polish, it could easily be one of the best.”
read full review ↗ - 65
“In the end, Phoning Home has some issues to it. and the first couple of hours are the roughest part of the game as far as exploration and pacing goes, but if you take your time with it and progress, the game does get much better.”
read full review ↗ - 25
“The smooth textured environments do not make up for the game play issues and infuriating dialogue.”
read full review ↗ - 60
“Phoning Home is a good game with pleasant music, nice graphics and ideal difficulty. At least for the first few hours. Unfortunately, due to various mistakes, it´s only a forgettable experience.”
read full review ↗ - 82
“Phoning Home doesn’t play out like your typical survival game. Instead, it carries a deeper storyline and game dynamic.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“The world in which Phoning Home is based is gorgeously designed; each organism you come across is new and different, some glow, some shine, and together, it is all incredibly beautiful.”
read full review ↗ - 73
“A tender story of a robot and his companion trying to find their way back home. A healthy mix of survival, exploration and crafting brings Phoning Home to the forefront in a cloud of games of the same genre.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“If I have to recommend this game, I would recommend it to someone who wants long adventures with a mix of survivability in a more relaxing way.”
read full review ↗ - 65
“An interesting title that combines light resource collecting and exploration, with a mysterious story. More linear than it initially seems, but this works in the game's favour. Clunky design and some glitches hamper the experience, however.”
read full review ↗ - 100
- 50
“Phoning Home is a mediocre survival adventure through excessively large game spaces with a slow robot and his inept companion.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Phoning Home is not the same old survivor game, but tries to bring to light some serious theme, thanks to the link between ANI and ION, the two protagonists.”
read full review ↗
Cubed3
ZTGD
GameGrin
SomHráč.sk
Fortress of Solitude
GameSpew
Entertainment Buddha
Sirus Gaming
PushStartPlay
Handsome Phantom
New Game Network
Spaziogames…and 2 more tracked reviews.
Patch history
- World Environment Day Celebration SaleJun 5, 2019
- Summer UpdateJun 18, 2018
- Chinese UpdateDec 11, 2017
- Chinese UpdateDec 11, 2017
- Version 1.3Sep 15, 2017significant · resets scoring window
- Version 1.3Sep 15, 2017
- 40% off during the Exploration SaleAug 23, 2017
- More Bugfixes and Game RecommendationJul 18, 2017
- NVIDIA Ansel integration - Create your own 360° screenshotsJun 24, 2017significant · resets scoring window
- Spring PolishMay 22, 2017significant · resets scoring window
- HeatMay 15, 2017
- Version 1.2May 7, 2017significant · resets scoring window
- Version 1.2May 7, 2017
- Version 1.1Apr 24, 2017significant · resets scoring window
- Version 1.1Apr 24, 2017significant · resets scoring window
- Update 7Mar 10, 2017significant · resets scoring window
- Update 7Mar 10, 2017
- Update 6 - ANI, Speed, BalancingFeb 25, 2017significant · resets scoring window
- Update 6 - ANI, Speed, BalancingFeb 25, 2017
- Update 5 - Controller Improvements, Desert terrain adjustmentsFeb 18, 2017significant · resets scoring window
- Update 4 - UI Tweaks, Auto-Sprint & BalancingFeb 14, 2017significant · resets scoring window
- Update 4 - UI Tweaks, Auto-Sprint & BalancingFeb 14, 2017significant · resets scoring window
- Update 3 - ImprovementsFeb 12, 2017
- Update 3 - ImprovementsFeb 12, 2017
- Update 2Feb 10, 2017significant · resets scoring window
- Update 2Feb 10, 2017
- Update 1Feb 8, 2017
- Update 1Feb 8, 2017