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) | – | 65 | 13 |
| All-time Steam reviews | 77% | 72 | 1000 |
| Metacritic user ratings | – | 71 | 5 |
| Post-patch Steam reviews (trust-weighted) | 69% | 66 | 6 |
| Calibration prior (typical game) | – | 72 | 50 |
Scoring window: last 30 days (no significant patch detected) · 18 reviews sampled · 17 total reviews in window · weighted 9.2 up / 4.1 down · computed 3h ago · full methodology →
Press & Creators reviews (39)
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.
- 50
“Nine Parchments has a lot of potential, it's just too bad most of that potential didn't make the final cut.”
read full review ↗ - 70
- 70
“Nine Parchments is a game with an awful lot of potential; the combat is fun, the multiplayer co-op works a treat, and the gorgeous art creates a visually impressive world to explore. Repetition in the format and layout of levels - and the incredibly strange decision to delete your save data when wanting to switching between single player and co-op games - are unfortunate shortcomings, however. If you love your co-op adventure-type games, and especially if you like the sound of the light RPG elements, you may well get a good time from this game, just keep our warnings in mind.”
read full review ↗ - 75
“All said there are many things I really like about Nine Parchments. I found that combat was far more engaging and difficult than the genre normally offers. Each skirmish, especially once you amp up the difficulty to Hard, will test both your planning and your skills as you try to pick apart the combination of enemies thrown at you. That said, for the most part getting through these challenges tends to be very weakly rewarded as the game’s loot system doesn’t ultimately have much to offer. As a whole I’d consider my experience with multiplayer to be a draw with the downsides of joining a group of people, and the chaos it can add, roughly coming out even with the upsides. Playing it solo is most definitely different than with a group though and I can see where people could settle on either as their preference. In the end it all makes for a game that is both compelling and, at times, frustrating but also very unique in its play style.”
read full review ↗ - 50
“Nine Parchments can be enjoyable in small doses with others. Playing alone can feel depressing as the grind of pressing on feels strongly palpable. There really isn't anything wrong with the mechanics since it controls nicely and feedback is satisfying. The art direction is top-notch and fantasy atmosphere has a much more colourful Magic the Gathering vibe going on. It is the sheer unimaginative level design and pedestrian scenarios that will bore most people. There is very little variation from the first stages to the end game stages and there is desperately a need for something to mix up the action.”
read full review ↗ - 65
“Some design choices are also questionable, but in the end, I found the overall package contained a decent amount of content and had some fun collecting new spells and unlocks with some people online.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“After watching a quick video or two of Nine Parchments I instantly grabbed the review copy for some single player action on the Switch that I was desperately looking for. Coming in later, the multiplayer action was more fun than I could of hoped for. Spending at least a good 20 hours of playing the game in single player and roughly the same in multiplayer, there was more than enough time to experiment with the unique items and spells trying to figure out which would suit my tastes. Taking my time exploring through the beautiful scenery I am happy to share my thoughts on this co-op twin-stick magic based shooter. So here is my Nine Parchments review on the Nintendo Switch from Frozenbyte.”
read full review ↗ - 65
“Nine Parchments has its problems, but for the most part, it is still an entertaining dungeon crawler.”
read full review ↗ - 84
“Nine Parchments might not be the most complex experience, but it's certainly an enjoyable time.”
read full review ↗ - 75
“A game lovingly made by a studio with big ambition that, for the most part, succeeds. Single player and a lack of story are its downfall, but, none of that matters when you are adventuring with your friends and writing your own story!”
read full review ↗ - 63
“Nine Parchments isn't necessarily a bad game. It's a very basic experience that lacks many different qualities, and from what I've witnessed, the title has to work out some major technical issues. However, many people will find a very enjoyable experience here, with a lot of unlockable characters and stuff to find. If you're into co-op experiences, you can't go wrong with Nine Parchments on Nintendo Switch. If you rely on online play, you may want to hold off until a patch is released to fix the connection and save file issues.”
read full review ↗ - 60
“Nine Parchments is a solid release. Its gorgeous art style, dependable controls and fun co-op play almost hide a multitude of sins. Almost. Unfortunately, with a poor save system and combat mechanics that never really develop from the first level onwards, Nine Parchments soon becomes a slog that is less than magical.”
read full review ↗
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Patch history
- Inctroducing Astral Challenges – A Free Content Update!Jun 7, 2018significant · resets scoring window
- Updates added! (Build 4455)Mar 6, 2018
- Updates added! (Build 4455)Mar 6, 2018
- New patch is now live! (Build 4230)Jan 2, 2018
- New patch is now live! (Build 4230)Jan 2, 2018
- Upcoming Updates to Nine Parchments + HotfixDec 8, 2017
- Upcoming Updates to Nine Parchments + HotfixDec 8, 2017
- Nine Parchments Hotfix!Dec 8, 2017
- Nine Parchments Hotfix!Dec 8, 2017