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) | – | 73 | 4 |
| All-time Steam reviews | 85% | 79 | 1000 |
| Metacritic user ratings | – | – | 0 |
| Post-patch Steam reviews (trust-weighted) | 58% | 59 | 15 |
| Calibration prior (typical game) | – | 72 | 50 |
Scoring window: last 30 days (no significant patch detected) · 44 reviews sampled · 37 total reviews in window · weighted 15.6 up / 11.1 down · computed 3h ago · full methodology →
Press & Creators reviews (13)
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.
- 80
“Kingdom: New Lands adds more interesting mechanics to the fun core of its predecessor, and thanks to the ability to travel between islands, it ensures much greater replayability. The only downsides are a few minor bugs and the price, which seems relatively high compared to Kingdom: Two Crowns. Some players might also be put off by the time limit in the form of winter, which effectively prevents you from playing indefinitely.”
read full review ↗ - 60
“A deceptively simple idea that can become laboured and bewildering as well as oddly compelling, Kingdom: New Lands is certainly a curious take on the strategy genre. Its ambiguous, incredibly minimalistic nature will initially intrigue and could easily frustrate in equal measure. Fans of roguelikes or tower defence-style games may prefer more complexity, as the simple mechanics give you control over choices rather than actions and rely on astute observation and perseverance, rather than on skill or improvisation. There is a balance to learn and a set of rules to be discovered, but even with the admittedly gorgeous aesthetic - and progressing beyond the initial stages to where the dilemma of ambition over security ramps up - it may still not be enough of a pay off to reward your time. Definitely one to consider, albeit carefully.”
read full review ↗ - 85
“While Kingdom: New Lands is hardly a perfect game the experience you get to undertake playing it is fresh and new, blending elements of tower defense with real-time strategy and resource management. As long as you understand the limits of what you can do and you’re willing to explore, experiment, and initially fail quite a lot it offers something unique and challenging to the Switch lineup.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“The set up of randomly generated island variations makes every playthrough both exciting and scary, and the feeling of branching out and fortifying your base is very satisfying. This is not a very action-heavy game, but more a dynamic adventure with the highs of triumph and the lows of defeat all wrapped up in a beautiful simulation game. With a great challenge, subtle and organic strategy and a gorgeous presentation, Kingdom: New Lands brings an excellent title to the Switch, one you won't want to miss.”
read full review ↗ - 60
“Kingdom: New Lands starts off on a welcome note that seems to promise a wide and ambitious experience but other than its stunning audiovisual component, the game begins its descent too early on. While simplicity is usually something to praise, Kingdom: New Lands is too simple for its own good and this ends up harming it, especially as it also becomes too repetitive early on.”
read full review ↗ - 75
“I love how Kingdom: New Lands looks, sounds, and feels. But as a busy parent I wish progress wasn’t so slow. I wish the trial-and-error approach it requires wasn’t so punishing of mistakes. “Hand-holding” is often a negative term in gaming, but this is one game that could use a little hand-holding. Or a quicker pace. I’m doubtful of beating the game without a strategy guide or investing more time than it’s worth. This is what mars an otherwise unique and relaxing strategy game with great pixel animation and sound, plus a minimalist interface to be proud of. So while I can firmly say I like this game, I’ve decided to move on from it. Not out of boredom, as I do enjoy it, but because I want to see if New Lands‘ sequel (Kingdom: Two Crowns) offers a better experience.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“It’s an incredible sense of discovery that soon sees Kingdom: New Lands become such a remarkable experience. It can be confusing at first, for sure. But, as you start to piece together all the systems that are at play, this standout addition to the Nintendo eShop soon becomes fiercely compelling to the point that you can happily sink countless hours into it at a time. Just keep an eye out for Greed.”
read full review ↗ - 85
“Kingdom New Lands is a ruthless game, the players did not show and don't explain everything purely by trial and error, a game that requires the player slowness and thorough study, the ability to spend money and sacrifice, as life and Kingdom as a whole. Kingdom New Lands, is a trip in the harsh world of the middle ages, which can last for hundreds of hours, during which will be built not only one Kingdom and shed the same blood.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“You spawn as a randomly generated king or queen inside a wild, untamed wood with nothing more than your crown, your steed and a sack of coins. As you gallop through the side-scrolling forest, you pass a stone structure which spells out “Kingdom.””
read full review ↗ - 80
“Kingdom: New Lands is a diamond in the rough that is just a few extra tweaks and refinements away from being another sparkling gem in the eShop lineup.”
read full review ↗ - 60
“The strength of Kingdom is in its trial-and-error learning.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“The beauty of Kingdom: New Lands is that while it’s frustrating, like all the best roguelikes, it’s also addictive and you never feel cheated.”
read full review ↗
Gaming Professors
Nintendo Life
Nindie Spotlight
NintendoWorldReport
FNintendo
LadiesGamers.com
Nintendo Insider
ZEFGame.ru
Nintendo Now
Expansive
Destructoid
GameSpace…and 1 more tracked reviews.
Patch history
- Kingdom Eighties Survival Mixtapes - OUT NOW 📼Aug 28, 2023significant · resets scoring window
- Update for Kingdom: New Lands on thy MacintoshNov 28, 2019
- Kingdom OST location change (small patch)Feb 1, 2018
- Kingdom OST location change (small patch)Feb 1, 2018
- PATCH UPDATE: 1.2.8 (R2116) out nowJan 3, 2018
- PATCH UPDATE: 1.2.8 (R2116) out nowJan 3, 2018
- Halloween update has returned! (Plus BIG SALE ON EVERYTHING!)Oct 27, 2017significant · resets scoring window
- Halloween update has returned! (Plus BIG SALE ON EVERYTHING!)Oct 27, 2017significant · resets scoring window
- An update on Kingdom: Two CrownsAug 30, 2017significant · resets scoring window
- An update on Kingdom: Two CrownsAug 30, 2017significant · resets scoring window
- Update 1.2.3 Adds More Languages & Some FixesFeb 20, 2017
- Update 1.2.3 Adds More Languages & Some FixesFeb 20, 2017
- Patch 1.2.1Jan 4, 2017
- Patch 1.2.1Jan 4, 2017
- Christmas update (1.2.0) is live!Dec 21, 2016
- Christmas update (1.2.0) is live!Dec 21, 2016
- Update 1.1.0 is Live!Nov 16, 2016significant · resets scoring window
- Update 1.1.0 is Live!Nov 16, 2016
- Patch 1.1.0 BETANov 9, 2016
- Patch 1.1.0 BETANov 9, 2016
- Patch 1.0.7Oct 30, 2016
- Patch 1.0.7Oct 30, 2016
- Patch 1.0.5Oct 24, 2016
- Patch 1.0.5Oct 24, 2016
- Happy Anniversary! (Patch 1.0.4)Oct 21, 2016significant · resets scoring window
- Happy Anniversary! (Patch 1.0.4)Oct 21, 2016
- Kingdom: New Lands 1.0.3Oct 6, 2016
- Kingdom: New Lands 1.0.3Oct 6, 2016
- Kingdom: New Lands Patch v1.0.2 now out!Sep 21, 2016
- Kingdom: New Lands Patch v1.0.2 now out!Sep 21, 2016