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) | – | 60 | 19 |
| Creator reviews (1 tracked) | – | 83 | 0 |
| All-time Steam reviews | 79% | 73 | 641 |
| Metacritic user ratings | – | 52 | 5 |
| Post-patch Steam reviews (trust-weighted) | 87% | 81 | 441 |
| Calibration prior (typical game) | – | 72 | 50 |
Scoring window: since the last significant patch (Dec 16, 2024) · 299 reviews sampled · 441 total reviews in window · weighted 215.4 up / 32 down · computed 1h ago · full methodology →
Press & Creators reviews (44)
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.
- 70
“YIIK is visually appealing, has a nice soundtrack and is pretty funny at times. But the battle system needs a little more polish and the main character was… not my cup of tea.”
read full review ↗ - 42
“For everything that I liked about YIIK, everything that I wasn't that big of a fan of outweighed it. The story is very intriguing with the supernatural and spiritual elements which is what kept me going. Every time a battle started though, a feeling of dread washed over me. Trudging through the battles weighed down the experience of great looking graphics and good sound.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“YIIK is a game that will capture the heart of anyone with an affinity for old-school RPGs and absurd, informed, dorky humour, but it'll take patience and perseverance to see it for what it really is.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“YIIK: A Postmodern RPG is a dazzling explosion of stylistic presentation and compelling strangeness. This might go down as “EarthBound for a new generation,” and much like EarthBound, the quality is difficult to score, since it is based less on the precision of design and more on an intangible, heartfelt payoff. While some gamers may not see anything special going on here, YIIK will likely really resonate with some players. If a Weird Stuff RPG appeals to you, strap in and prepare for a wild ride. Surreal themes aside, if you're simply looking for an RPG experience on the Switch with far-out visuals, YIIK should satisfy your turn-based desires.”
read full review ↗ - 50
“Which is why I find myself not angry with, but disappointed in YIIK. Where other games that draw heavily from the most celebrated of surreal ‘90s RPGs feel suffused with caring characters that carry the player through a harsh and weird world, YIIK comes off as callous, ignorant and (when the story finally begins picking up steam in its sixth or seventh hour) simply too late to be the groundbreaking experience that it so tries to be.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“It’s the sort of game that will gain a cult following. These super-fans will appreciate its millennial dread, imperfect friends supporting one another through crises both personal and apocalyptic, and a quirky style that draws on gamer culture, weird horror, and low-poly goofs without getting bogged down in uncritical nostalgia.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“The game’s main character, Alex, is a pretty major departure from a typical hero in the genre, a generally reluctant hipster of sorts, who has come back home from college...”
read full review ↗ - 50
“YIIK: A Postmodern RPG, sadly, never shines as brightly as it does during its opening hours. There's enjoyment to be had here, sure, especially for anyone with love for the '90s, but all of the references to Chrono Trigger and Pogs in the world can't balance out the pleasure-less battle system and overly complicated levelling up mechanics.”
read full review ↗ - 85
“The experience might be muddied by a few rougher edges, like the consistently grating load times and some of the discomforting battle quirks, but more often than not, I came away impressed by how well everything came together in spite of some issues. The ambition and scope of this lengthy indie epic is impressive, taking big swings and, despite the numerous inspirations, carving its own distinct path. If you want your Japanese-style RPG to do to New Jersey what Shin Megami Tensei does to Tokyo, then YIIK is the closest you'll ever get.”
read full review ↗ - 50
“Despite stunning art direction, a kicking soundtrack, and some interesting story points, it's not an enjoyable game for the most part, thanks to its clunky combat, tedious grinding, and poor puzzle design. ”
read full review ↗ - 40
“I may have been quite late in getting to covering YIIK, but in the end, was this worth the wait and time for me, as an RPG fan and a fan of 90s games and visuals? Honestly, I did come out really enjoying the art style for its cool quirky looks, and some of the music is legitimately awesome, but on the other hand, you have a horrid battle system and some voices that sound as if they were recorded from a tin can. It’s a weird mess all around, and even now, I don’t recommend you check this out. Just buy the soundtrack if you have to get anything out of this game.”
read full review ↗ - 50
“YIIK: A Postmodern RPG is certainly full of good intentions and it promises a lot in what it could turn out to be...nevertheless, intentions alone don't make a masterpiece and while its 1990s-tinged environment, its attempts at an innovative fighting system and a few of its musical tracks are certainly worthy of praise, the game drags itself for too long, feels frustrating and confusing too often and the experience is just too inconsistent for its own good. Something which could have turned out much better and whose potential can still be harnessed for something remarkable.”
read full review ↗
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Patch history
- Patch Notes - Version 1.5.003Dec 16, 2024significant · resets scoring window
- Version 1.5.002 (December 9th)Dec 9, 2024
- Version 1.5Dec 2, 2024significant · resets scoring window
- Announcing YIIK | Deviation Perspective I | Wrong Soul Requiem (v1.25)Jan 8, 2021significant · resets scoring window
- YIIK Update Now in Development!Jan 10, 2020
- YIIK Balance Update OptionJan 24, 2019significant · resets scoring window