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) | – | 55 | 5 |
| All-time Steam reviews | 49% | 51 | 101 |
| Metacritic user ratings | – | – | 0 |
| Post-patch Steam reviews (trust-weighted) | – | – | 0 |
| Calibration prior (typical game) | – | 72 | 50 |
Scoring window: last 30 days (no significant patch detected) · 0 reviews sampled · 0 total reviews in window · weighted 0 up / 0 down · computed 2h ago · full methodology →
Press & Creators reviews (16)
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.
- 30
“As a visual novel, Wheels of Aurelia is a lacklustre experience. As a driving game, it's even worse. However you wish to identify it, this title lacks genuine substance; it's a solid idea executed poorly. The key themes and settings are deceptive, making the title seem like it is built on strong foundations when in reality, it's made up of a series of convoluted verbal exchanges between characters who forcefully touch on an array of dicey topics relevant but not always central to the time. The historical-links also suffer as this information is often overridden by an aggressive sense of agenda-setting that robs the exchanges of impact. Then there's the main narrative focused on a person you're likely to not even care about due to the concise nature of each road trip. It's simply not on par with the best titles this genre has to offer, and although you could argue that the esoteric nature of the game means it will illicit wildly different emotional reactions from different people, the core package just isn't compelling, challenging or appealing enough to back up that line of debate.”
read full review ↗ - 45
“Wheels of Aurelia plays out as a hodge podge of ideas put together in a package that is hard to define a target audience for...”
read full review ↗ - 50
“undefined.We certainly need developers willing to take risks and experiment with different ideas to move the industry forward, but unfortunately not every new idea is going to work. As with every niche I'm sure there is an audience that will appreciate the beautiful visuals and pleasant soundtrack, but for me I just couldn't get past the uninteresting back stories and repetition of playing through the same experience to get slightly different endings.”
read full review ↗ - 50
“Wheels of Auerlia has potential but squanders its opportunities to say something.”
read full review ↗ - 40
“Wheels of Aurelia presents a captivating premise and its dialogues are nothing short of interesting. Unfortunately the game's execution does not allow it to become a fully enjoyable hybrid between a visual novel and driving simulator and the dialogue's mechanics often disappoint, which along with an unpolished visual component makes this an unfulfilled promise.”
read full review ↗ - 50
“Wheels of Aurelia is about the road trip not the destination, we’re told. Santa Ragione should feel proud of their efforts to bring to light stories and events in Italy’s history, in educating a generation that may well be less aware of them. I’m just not certain that this was the best way to impart what they learned.”
read full review ↗ - 50
“Tally Wheels of Aurelia was the most difficult summary that I have ever written, in my head I had the idea, for whom this game? She gives the player? Is it worth it to buy it to fans of graphic novels? But, upon further reflection, I realized that the Wheels of Aurelia does not give the players anything. The entire journey is reduced to a simple trip with a disgusting physics, where the car felt like iron on the ice. The trip, which does not carry anything unusual, the dialogue simplistic, and the story of the characters uninteresting.”
read full review ↗ - 38
“Wheels of Aurelia is a disappointing attempt at bringing the Visual Novel genre to the Switch, it's too short to be engaging, and at its current price tag seems a bit too steep.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“An original mix between interactive fiction and arcade racing that brings you in the Italy of the seventies: a truly unique game that deserves to be played.”
read full review ↗ - 84
“But it would be remiss to end on a negative for this review of a very, very special game. Wheels of Aurelia is a narrative triumph, with dialogue that has more to say than the vast majority of games would ever dare.”
read full review ↗ - 72
“Wheels of Aurelia is unlike any game I've played. It's 1970's style and original approach to story telling make for an experience you won't find anywhere else. Good or bad is a matter of opinion; what we have here is something new and for that alone, it's a road worth taking!”
read full review ↗ - 45
Nintendo Life
Nindie Spotlight
NintendoWorldReport
FingerGuns
FNintendo
Nintendo Insider
ZEFGame.ru
Switch Player
IGN
Bit Cultures
Real Game Media
Kill Screen…and 4 more tracked reviews.
Patch history
No patch announcements found on Steam yet.