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) | – | 72 | 22 |
| All-time Steam reviews | 76% | 71 | 873 |
| Metacritic user ratings | – | – | 0 |
| Post-patch Steam reviews (trust-weighted) | 72% | 68 | 4 |
| Calibration prior (typical game) | – | 72 | 50 |
Scoring window: last 30 days (no significant patch detected) · 11 reviews sampled · 9 total reviews in window · weighted 5.7 up / 2.2 down · computed 4h ago · full methodology →
Press & Creators reviews (58)
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.
- 90
“Despite the star authors, Where The Water Tastes Like Wine runs the risk of being overlooked by the general public. Game is very specific in form and deep in content, almost devoid of gameplay in the usual sense. A collection of stories, dipping into folklore and exploring basic American archetypes under the guise of a video game.”
read full review ↗ - 40
“ There is space in gaming for narrative output like this, but they need to be carefully tailored to be games first and experiences second. You don't even want to know what this water tastes like.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“One of the things I love the most about indie games and devs are the risks you see being taken in the form of new experiences that challenge the status quo and expectations of what a game can be...”
read full review ↗ - 30
“Another example of that latest trend of videogames with "high artistic quality," Where the Water Tastes Like Wine is not something brand new, unique, and meaningful, but something boring, boring, boring that uses big words to say things that aren't that interesting. Oh, and it has Sting in it…”
read full review ↗ - 75
“Overall, if you enjoy a very slow burn game that really seems better suited to being played for an hour or so a day, or just really want something with a huge focus on narrative, Where the Water Tastes Like Wine may scratch that itch. Those looking for a game with more varied gameplay probably won't find much to like here, however, as just walking around an admittedly bland map will likely come to bore you sooner rather than later. The game has value and I certainly enjoyed my time with it, but its Switch debut likely won't turn any more heads than its original release did.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“This game isn't worth a deal with a devil, but it could be worth it for you if there's a good deal. Just don't put up your soul as collateral. ”
read full review ↗ - 90
“Where The Water Tastes Like Wine is a colossal re-imagining of what a narrative driven game can be.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“A continent-sized anthology of American campfire tales that will keep pulling you in deeper, once you acclimatise to its slow pace.”
read full review ↗ - 60
“A unique game about collecting and trading stories across the American Dust Bowl doesn't give much room to craft your own story in the process.”
read full review ↗ - 100
- 65
“A story packed adventure which spans across the USA, with some wonderfully written stories, a fantastic soundtrack, and some sublime voice acting. However, Where the Water Tastes Like Wine is let down by a map that is too large often resulting in a lot of time spent walking, doing nothing.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“The aesthetics, soundtrack, and writing here are wonderful and more than reward the patience required to fully unravel the game's mysteries. Playing it resulted in an immersion that went beyond my niggles with the gameplay.”
read full review ↗
3DNews
Nintendo Life
Nindie Spotlight
Cubed3
NintendoWorldReport
Worth Playing
FingerGuns
Eurogamer
GameSpot
MonsterVine
GameGrin
TheSixthAxis…and 46 more tracked reviews.
Patch history
- Linux Video FIxSep 21, 2021
- Bug Fixes, Engine UpdateMay 26, 2021significant · resets scoring window
- Tall Tales UpdateJun 2, 2018
- 4/10 Patch - Better Content DistributionApr 10, 2018
- 4/10 Patch - Better Content DistributionApr 10, 2018
- 4/5 Patch - Learning is FunApr 5, 2018
- 4/5 Patch - Learning is FunApr 5, 2018
- 3/14 Patch - BugfixesMar 14, 2018
- 3/14 Patch - BugfixesMar 14, 2018
- Travel patch!Mar 11, 2018
- Travel patch!Mar 11, 2018
- 3/7 Patch - performance, bug fixes, end game polishMar 7, 2018significant · resets scoring window
- New Volume Sliders, plus bug fixesMar 4, 2018
- New Volume Sliders, plus bug fixesMar 4, 2018
- First patch!Mar 2, 2018significant · resets scoring window
- First patch!Mar 2, 2018