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) | – | 63 | 17 |
| All-time Steam reviews | 79% | 74 | 1000 |
| Metacritic user ratings | – | – | 0 |
| Post-patch Steam reviews (trust-weighted) | 94% | 88 | 4 |
| Calibration prior (typical game) | – | 72 | 50 |
Scoring window: last 30 days (no significant patch detected) · 11 reviews sampled · 8 total reviews in window · weighted 4.8 up / 0.3 down · computed 2h ago · full methodology →
Press & Creators reviews (54)
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.
- 50
“Part of me wonders if this might have worked better as more of a short film or something similar, because the story really is worth looking at. Instead we get a disjointed game that ends up stumbling to deliver what it set out to do, and it is honestly quite a shame.”
read full review ↗ - 30
“The Town of Life gets credit for being willing to tackle a tough subject matter head on, and in such an honest way. It never concedes to being entertaining, so the player won't feel uncomfortable. It's a shame, then, that it's so difficult to follow the story and the few puzzles are so abstract. The real killing blows are the atrocious technical hiccups, though, and all of this mars a truly one-of-a-kind experience into a twisted shell of what it could have been.”
read full review ↗ - 60
“The Town of Light is a powerful experience that highlights a fascinating, if chilling, chapter in human history. The heavy atmosphere is achieved through the very real setting of Volterra, and Renée's unfortunate tale of life inside its walls that represents the woes of many real people. The story meanders a little too far into obscurity and can become confusing, and some long load times scupper things further. While you won't necessarily have fun in the traditional sense, it's worth playing if you're at all interested, as it contains some striking sequences that will stay with you long after you finish.”
read full review ↗ - 40
“Depicting the horrors of an asylum with animated pictures was a tender touch to sensitive imagery. Even the 3D animations conveyed moments with care. But the story is confusing and painfully disappointing and the translation errors make matters worse. So I can commend LKA's efforts, but I can't recommend The Town of Light.”
read full review ↗ - 65
“The town of light does some really unique and innovative things for the horror genre but its adventure game aspects are simultaneously mundane and confusing. Still, its real-life horrors stick with you longer than the more fantastical and gruesome images that are commonly seen in other games.”
read full review ↗ - 60
“The Town of Light is a fascinating if unsettling story that is seen through the eyes of a sixteen year old girl. The visual style is unique if not fantastic, with a thick atmosphere that is held back by limited gameplay. This is an adventure game that can fall into the walking simulator category for the most part, which allows you to explore - but at a pace that is going to be too slow for some gamers. There is some payoff here however, for the patient who are willing to survive not just the tale, but some technical challenges along the way as well.”
read full review ↗ - 60
“I encourage you to play The Town of Light, just don't say I promised you an easy ride.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“An impactful exploration of mental health issues that presents a very different kind of horror.”
read full review ↗ - 40
“The Town of Light examines mental illnesses and the hospitals meant to treat them in the early 1900s, but ultimately fails to stick the landing.”
read full review ↗ - 55
“Even though the game touches upon very insightful ideas with a very critical eye, it's not engaging enough to actually make you have fun. The gorgeous landscape and the abandoned hospital are great settings, but this game's ambitions are too serious, and it often doesn't come across as such.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“The Town of Light isn't a game you play for fun. There's nothing enjoyable about the true face of mental illness nor the fear and isolation it engenders. Instead of aiming to reward players with a sense of enjoyment, LKA.it strives to help them empathise with the character of Renée and the unspeakable horrors she's forced to endure. There's a sobering, meaningful story to be witnessed and while its delivery is imperfect, The Town of Light still makes for one of the most thought-provoking games of this year.”
read full review ↗ - 50
“Tackling such a difficult subject matter is laudable, but as a video game documentary this only really succeeds in terms of its good intentions.”
read full review ↗
Gamer Escape
Cubed3
Push Square
GameWatcher
ZTGD
Chalgyr's Game Room
FingerGuns
Eurogamer
GameSpot
GameGrin
TheSixthAxis
Metro GameCentral…and 42 more tracked reviews.
Patch history
- Thank You For PlayingFeb 24, 2022significant · resets scoring window
- MARTHA IS DEAD IS OUT NOW!Feb 24, 2022significant · resets scoring window
- The Town of Light Enhanced update is now available for everyoneJun 6, 2017significant · resets scoring window
- The Town of Light Enhanced update is now available for everyoneJun 6, 2017significant · resets scoring window
- Patch 2.0Oct 28, 2016significant · resets scoring window
- Patch 2.0Oct 28, 2016
- Patch 1.51: New English localizationJun 23, 2016significant · resets scoring window
- Patch 1.51: New English localizationJun 23, 2016
- Renée’s diary is now inside the game.Mar 10, 2016significant · resets scoring window
- Renée’s diary is now inside the game.Mar 10, 2016
- Patch 1.42Feb 29, 2016
- Patch 1.42Feb 29, 2016