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) | – | 86 | 30 |
| All-time Steam reviews | 89% | 82 | 1000 |
| Metacritic user ratings | – | 82 | 26 |
| Post-patch Steam reviews (trust-weighted) | 99% | 95 | 4 |
| Calibration prior (typical game) | – | 72 | 50 |
Scoring window: last 30 days (no significant patch detected) · 12 reviews sampled · 9 total reviews in window · weighted 8.5 up / 0.1 down · computed 4h ago · full methodology →
Press & Creators reviews (68)
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
“Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom is one of the most beautiful adventures of this year, flavored with funny moments and fascinating puzzles in the wizarding world. If you were looking for an exciting hybrid of Rayman Legends and Zelda II, now you have found it.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“Monster Boy is a tremendous accomplishment. It's a gorgeous looking game with a fantastic soundtrack and does its spiritual predecessors proud by nailing the Wonder Boy mechanics while still offering something that will appeal to modern audiences. As long as you can appreciate that it's still very much an old-school game at heart and you're going to get some 8-bit era platforming trickiness as a result, you're going to thoroughly enjoy playing through this adventure for the 12-15 hours it'll take you to beat it. It may not be Wonder Boy by name, but it's definitely wonderful by nature.”
read full review ↗ - 95
“It is a game that reminds you how some titles earned their legendary status in the history of video games, and teaches you how it can be possible to implement that epic old school essence into the modern age of gaming. A truly superb and rewarding gem you should not let slip unnoticed.”
read full review ↗ - 80
- 80
“Despite the concerns and some frustrations Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom is a very well-designed and gorgeous title as a whole. When you’re in the groove it feels absolutely brilliant and up to a point I appreciate the fact that you won’t be able to get through many sections on the first try as you may need to experiment a bit. The boss battles are challenging but often pretty smart and really none of them play out in the same way or even as you may expect due to their creativity. While I would have rated it higher if it either outright toned down its spikes in challenge or added a means to alter or skip them I’d recommend it without reservations. If you’re willing to either gut it out or assume that the game could get patched at some point to help out you’re in for a treat, just be aware that it can have a mean streak in places.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom is not on the budget side of the indie spectrum, but what Game Atelier and FDG Entertainment have released is far from a cheap experience. The beautifully hand drawn art style, rocking soundtrack, rewarding boss battles, excellent progression system, and thrilling adventure, offers the very best of what makes a great action-adventure platformer, and turns it into a must own for anyone interested in the genre.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“I did mostly enjoy the game as a whole and don’t regret my time with it, but it feels uneven and frustrating to me a lot of the time.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom is a wonderful modern reimagination of the Wonder Boy franchise. The story and graphics are filled with nods to the franchise’s long history.”
read full review ↗ - 85
“series, except with much better art and music. Some warts do show up, mostly stemming from a steep early difficulty curve and occasionally hard-to-judge hitboxes and jumps, but on the whole, Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom is a fabulous entry in a relatively dormant series. My future-gazing hope is that this team can have another go and make it more of a bolder, modern game than a warm, loving throwback to a series clearly near and dear to them.”
read full review ↗ - 84
“Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom is different, but otherwise goes in all respects as a legitimate successor to the last Wonderboy games through. Connoisseurs of the old games, especially of Dragon`s Trap, feel immediately at home and immediately recognize the numerous references. Monsterboy is almost unconditionally recommended. However, those who only grew up with "modern" games should complain here and there about the "old-fashioned" level of difficulty.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“ It was so refreshing to see a game like this, especially one that plays and looks as great as it does. Any fan of 2D action games should pick this game up without question, and don’t worry if you’ve never played this series before, I was able to enjoy it fully with absolutely no knowledge of it.”
read full review ↗ - 67
“Still, the overall experience should prove enjoyable for those looking for a retro inspired action-platformer with a beautifully produced visage; there are just some hurdles you’ll need to clear first.”
read full review ↗
GameMAG
Nintendo Life
PLAY Zine
VGChartz
Nindie Spotlight
Cubed3
PC Invasion
Capsule Computers
NintendoWorldReport
neXGam
ZTGD
Nintendojo…and 56 more tracked reviews.
Patch history
- Steam Deck™ UpdateMay 30, 2022
- Patch #1 (Update:Live)Aug 8, 2019significant · resets scoring window
- Developer Update #7Jul 19, 2019
- Developer Update #6Jul 17, 2019
- Preparing for Launch, Price $29.99Jul 12, 2019
- Final Demo Update!Jul 3, 2019
- Demo Update #2Jun 26, 2019
- Demo Update #1Jun 11, 2019
- Developer Update #5Jun 3, 2019
- Demo Submitted, Full Version almost readyMay 22, 2019
- Developer Update #4May 8, 2019
- Developer Update #3Apr 4, 2019
- Developer Update #2Mar 7, 2019
- Developer Update #1Feb 21, 2019