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) | – | 79 | 11 |
| All-time Steam reviews | 86% | 80 | 393 |
| Metacritic user ratings | – | 80 | 8 |
| Post-patch Steam reviews (trust-weighted) | 86% | 79 | 2 |
| Calibration prior (typical game) | – | 72 | 50 |
Scoring window: last 30 days (no significant patch detected) · 7 reviews sampled · 7 total reviews in window · weighted 5.4 up / 0.9 down · computed 2h ago · full methodology →
Press & Creators reviews (37)
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
“Blossom Tales: The Sleeping King does a great job at paying homage to the Zelda franchise, and though a few things were found to be annoying at times, it's still very much a great game to play and definitely worth your time.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“Judging a game on its own merits is very important. However, when a title happens to borrow just about every aspect of its design from an iconic game series, it’s hard not to acknowledge. Claims could be made that a game like this is nothing more than a shameless clone, but thankfully in the case of Blossom Tales: The Sleeping King, the developer has intentionally crafted it with a sense of love and admiration of classic Zelda games. While it’s not as flawlessly executed as the series it draws inspiration from and it doesn’t add anything particularly groundbreaking, it's still a heartfelt tribute to the earlier entries in Nintendo’s long-running series. ”
read full review ↗ - 85
“As a whole Blossom Tales really shines on the Nintendo Switch and easily inspires nostalgia for Nintendo’s classic franchise. Carefully doing just enough to be different but not deviating too far from the games that inspired it somehow manages to carefully walk the tightrope effectively. Ultimately I see both it and Ittle Dew 2+ being two equal sides of the same reverent coin, offering their own takes on Link to the Past. I’d consider both to be worth your time, in the case of Blossom Tales it is just far more direct a copy of the formula rather than merely being inspired by it, but the quality of the execution makes it stand on its own regardless.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“While it may be easy to disregard Blossom Tales as a simple Zelda clone, the amount of charm and effort put into making it wholly unique, while honouring its inspiration, is both admirable and deserving of attention. Its dungeons feature genuinely thought-provoking puzzles, its combat requires a fair amount of strategy, and its story's Princess Bride-like narration lends itself to copious amounts of charismatic story beats. The faux retro graphics won't win over anyone sick of the style and the first impression perhaps relies upon referencing A Link to the Past a bit too much, but Blossom Tales is an incredibly creative and wholesome adventure that knows exactly what it is, even if it isn't entirely original. If nothing else, it's an immensely satisfying scratch for the Switch's 2D action-adventure itch.”
read full review ↗ - 85
“Like most kids, I grew up playing and absolutely adoring classic Zelda games. Blossom Tales successfully accomplishes it’s goal of recreating the tried and true simplistic gameplay found in the classic action/adventure genre, but also adds a bit of its own personality as well. By adapting new mechanics for a more fluid experience and combining that with the charming story-telling narrative, Castle Pixel has created an elegant love letter to one of Nintendo’s most cherished and beloved titles. So if you yearn for a polished Zelda experience, look no further - Blossom Tales: The Sleeping King is a beautiful homage.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Blossom Tales scratches an itch I have of wanting to venture through Link to the Past once a year. It is well-designed if not a bit cliché in its approach. Still for those with the same nostalgia for Link’s SNES adventure, there are few games that capture it as well as this one.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Blossom Tales: The Sleeping King is another indie game which feels right at home on Nintendo’s platform, despite also being available on Steam. The game will appeal to those looking for a bit of classic dungeon crawling, and it will be sure to please those that have missed top-down Zelda adventures. With a lovely kingdom to explore and a varied range of objectives, Blossom Tales shows us that this genre is still very much alive.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“Blossom Tales stands as a good example at how a game with a rather simple origin can provide a surprising amount of content and a world to explore, even if it does not reach the monumental peaks it would like to. Thanks to its fine controls and gameplay and to the satisfaction of exploration, as well as to a visually charming outlook, Blossom Tales is a very welcome addition to the adventure and exploration games of the Nintendo Switch catalogue.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Do you like the 2D Zelda games? If so, Blossom Tales is the perfect substitute until the real thing eventually comes along for the Switch. The story is entertaining and the world is fun to explore. It might be a little too close of a copycat for some, but it’s charming enough to stand on its own.”
read full review ↗ - 100
“Through its fun, witty writing and its grounded, sometimes challenging gameplay, Blossom Tales offers an adventure you honestly don’t want to miss out on.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Blossom Tales achieves with flying colors a synthesis of what used to make a 2D Zelda a great game, while adding enough ideas to satisfy the old-school fanatics. Thanks to a charming art direction, Castle Pixel's second game will please most of nostalgic gamers. But such reverence to the original Zelda series will not come along with many surprises, even with such a short length.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Where The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild broke free from the long-held conventions that the green tunic-clad hero’s adventures had been built around, Blossom Tales: The Sleeping King pays an irrepressibly charming tribute to them. This quest to save the Kingdom of Blossom from eternal darkness is a standout addition to the Nintendo eShop for Nintendo Switch, and one that I’m certain many will enjoy sinking hours into.”
read full review ↗
Pure Nintendo
Nintendo Life
Nindie Spotlight
Cubed3
NintendoWorldReport
ZTGD
TheSixthAxis
FNintendo
Nintendo Times
SwitchRPG
Gameblog
Nintendo Insider…and 25 more tracked reviews.
Patch history
- Winter UpdateFeb 27, 2018significant · resets scoring window
- Winter UpdateFeb 27, 2018
- First feature update!Jun 9, 2017
- First feature update!Jun 9, 2017