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) | – | 70 | 5 |
| Creator reviews (1 tracked) | – | 66 | 0 |
| All-time Steam reviews | 85% | 79 | 208 |
| Metacritic user ratings | – | – | 0 |
| Post-patch Steam reviews (trust-weighted) | 100% | 97 | 0 |
| Calibration prior (typical game) | – | 72 | 50 |
Scoring window: last 30 days (no significant patch detected) · 1 reviews sampled · 1 total reviews in window · weighted 0.4 up / 0 down · computed 2h ago · full methodology →
Press & Creators reviews (16)
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.
- 100
“It's hip to be square? Nah. It's hip to be Nefarious! Grade A platforming, hilariously charming characters, and reverse boss battles make this indie stand out among a bloated genre. It would be downright nasty to give this title anything less than a perfect score.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Filled with humor, abundant references to popular franchises, and solid fun Nefarious is a breath of fresh air. Crow’s surface villany is backed by a fair degree of heart and his interactions with the world’s heroes and the princesses he abducts tend to be entertaining for how they play with and subvert expectations. Topping that off with some epic boss fights you’ll generally experience from the other side it simultaneously thumbs its nose at and shows great appreciation for classics we’ve come to know and love. If you’ve ever wondered what it would be like to take the reigns and help the bad guy win for once it’s a fun ride full of surprises.”
read full review ↗ - 30
“Other than the amusing boss battles, Nefarious is barely competent. Controlling bosses from various genres is a novel spin on the concept of the boss battle and if this was just a series of battles, like Cuphead, there could have been something worth playing here. Everything else, which is about 90% of the game, is just soul-crushing. It is the kind of title that feels like work, and continuing is just exhausting because of how poor the playbility is.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“The story isn't super deep, but it's not trying to be. This is a fun take on a villain doing what old-school villains have always done, and the thought process around that. If you're into simpler platformers that don't eat up a lot of time, and want some charming characters, Nefarious might just be for you.”
read full review ↗ - 60
“efarious features a concept that sets it apart from most games, only to throw the player into an experience that feels bland and repetitive. While a lot of the game's aspects are competent, the level design makes it duller and much more linear than it should and the very difficult jumping required will not make the experience more enjoyable, which feels like a waste in a game that promises so much.”
read full review ↗ - 65
“Nefarious features unforgettable characters and interesting mechanics, but the substandard running and jumping make the game harder to recommend than it should be.”
read full review ↗ - 73
“The concept of Nefarious where you play as a villian is original but, the execution is lacking a bit. It feels a lot like a random 2D platforming game but, with amazing boss fights. Looking at the complete picture though you will enjoy the game as a whole.”
read full review ↗ - 66
“Despite an interesting world and characters you want to follow that bend the genre, it ultimately doesn't standout from a control or gameplay fashion.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Nefarious a very fun game that now finds the perfect home in the Nintendo Switch. With around 5 to 7 hours of gameplay depending on your skill level, this is definitely a great pick for those who love platformers and for people looking for something to shake up their game library.”
read full review ↗ - 60
“Nefarious is the good kind of bad in a lot of ways. It’s an enjoyable, throwback, satirical adventure that lampoons a lot of the silly things we take for granted in video games. A lack of variety and some sharp edges leave it just a few evil cackles shy of world domination.”
read full review ↗ - 55
“There is so much heart and so many great ideas in Nefarious that I want to see it as a better game than it is. I want to be able to recommend it as a hidden gem in Steam’s massive collection of throwback indie titles. But I can’t. It’s a sloppy game that feels in many respects half-done. All the heart in the world can’t make up for something that just isn’t fun to play.”
read full review ↗ - 72
“All in all I enjoyed Nefarious. It throws a massive spin on princess kidnapping games and it allows you to experience things from the other point of view from normal.”
read full review ↗
Pure Nintendo
Nindie Spotlight
Cubed3
NintendoWorldReport
FNintendo
TechRaptor
Daily Nintendo
Dragnix
PS3Blog.net
Without the Sarcasm
Destructoid
AbsoluteXbox…and 4 more tracked reviews.
Patch history
- Oreo's PatchMay 25, 2017
- Oreo's PatchMay 25, 2017
- Patch 1.1 The Mac/Linux Edition!Mar 16, 2017significant · resets scoring window
- Patch 1.1 The Mac/Linux Edition!Mar 16, 2017significant · resets scoring window