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) | – | 67 | 19 |
| Creator reviews (2 tracked) | – | 75 | 1 |
| All-time Steam reviews | 88% | 82 | 866 |
| Metacritic user ratings | – | – | 0 |
| Post-patch Steam reviews (trust-weighted) | 100% | 97 | 4 |
| Calibration prior (typical game) | – | 72 | 50 |
Scoring window: last 30 days (no significant patch detected) · 10 reviews sampled · 6 total reviews in window · weighted 5.8 up / 0 down · computed 2h ago · full methodology →
Press & Creators reviews (61)
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
“Mr. Shifty is a game with a great idea and an interesting first levels, which is sorely lacking variability and rebalancing of gameplay in the later stages. Repetitive interiors and almost endless waves of heavily armed enemies begin to disappoint in the middle of the game. Which is very sad.”
read full review ↗ - 50
“We want it to be clear that the version we played for this review was the full Switch eShop release. We've been told that the game runs much smoother on PC in the launch period, so you might want to make that your platform of choice if you want to check this one out, and honestly, you should. There's nothing groundbreaking to be found here, but it's a decent game with interesting ideas that unfortunately aren't fully fleshed out. We just can't fully recommend the Switch version in its initial form, and it's disappointing that this one falls under the category of games released in a sub-par state that leave owners hoping that promised updates will save the day.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“In quintessential evil villain fashion, what awaits you is a face-off to see who will be the only one to survive. Soon the credits roll, the overflowing confidence and braggadocio rapidly disperse, and you're left with an overwhelming disappointment that you're not actually as powerful as Mr. Shifty. And you never will be. But at least you had fun pretending to be.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“For what it sets out to be, and the price point, if you're looking for an engaging brawler that will test both your reflexes and your wits Mr. Shifty delivers some pretty solid goods. While it has issues that keep it from being easy to recommend to anybody if the game looks like it has elements that appeal to you it should reasonably deliver the goods, even if it feels like it doesn't quite live up to its potential.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“Mr. Shifty is an undeniably fun game, with a neat gimmick to add to the top-down action genre. It is a perfect title to make those in control feel like they are Nightcrawler, and it a great experience that can be enjoyed in short spurts. Some gameplay issues and short length keep it from being a full, must-have type of recommendation, but there is definitely still plenty of intense enjoyment to be had in this release.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Mr. Shifty often feels like a low-violence, puzzle-oriented, super-powered version of Hotline Miami. At its very best, it captures the stop-start flow of the original Hotline Miami, observe, plan, and then engage in a glorious display of speed, skill, and violence.”
read full review ↗ - 75
“Shifty is a straightforward, focused caper with little fluff that will last you a few hours as you climb through 18 stages. What it lacks in length its makes up for with a dynamite gameplay hook. Teleporting is incredibly neat and opens up a lot of daring and rewarding circumstances where you can mow down foes. As long as you can overlook the handful of moments where the combat isn't the focus, Mr. Shifty is a great addition to the young Switch eShop.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“Mr Shifty is an intense and gratifying experience that has its tongue pressed firmly into its cheek. It's not quite on the same level as some of its contemporaries but it makes the most of what makes it unique and introduces new ideas from the ground floor to the penthouse. The occasional section of trial-and-error and the mountain-esque difficulty spike towards might be enough to make some players rage quit, but if you can push through the frustrations, there's a funny, exhilarating game to be found underneath.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Mr. Shifty's action-packed adventure about a teleporting hero offers a similar adrenaline high as Hotline Miami and Superhot.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“A scrappy underdog of a game that will send you on a short but glorious power trip.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“In contrast to Hotline Miami's brutal difficulty, you'd think Mr Shifty would be Hotline-lite, but you'd be far from wrong as it can stand tall as being one of best top-down brawlers.”
read full review ↗ - 60
“While Mr. Shifty brings an interesting and fun gameplay, thanks to its mechanics that emphasize fun over everything else, it suffers from technical issues that can harm the overall game experience.”
read full review ↗
GameMAG
Nintendo Life
Paste Magazine
Nindie Spotlight
Cubed3
Nexus Hub
NintendoWorldReport
FingerGuns
Eurogamer
GameSpot
GameGrin
FNintendo…and 49 more tracked reviews.
Patch history
- Alienware FX now supported in patch 1.0.5May 31, 2017
- Alienware FX now supported in patch 1.0.5May 31, 2017
- Patch 1.0.4 released!May 26, 2017significant · resets scoring window
- Patch 1.0.4 released!May 26, 2017