Screenshots & trailers
What players say
Why the number is what it is: aspect mentions counted across 299 sampled Steam reviews (292 positive / 7 negative), recent and most-helpful. Plain keyword counting, fully reproducible; nothing here is written by a machine.
What positive reviews talk about
- Music & audio15% mention it
- Story & writing9% mention it
What negative reviews complain about
Negative reviews don't converge on specific aspects.
Satisfaction by hours played
Same score, different games: see how sentiment holds up the longer people play.
Under 5h
96%
100 reviews
5-15h
98%
110 reviews
15-40h
100%
56 reviews
40-100h
100%
24 reviews
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) | – | 88 | 9 |
| All-time Steam reviews | 98% | 93 | 1000 |
| Metacritic user ratings | – | 88 | 14 |
| Post-patch Steam reviews (trust-weighted) | 97% | 92 | 70 |
| Calibration prior (typical game) | – | 72 | 50 |
Acclaim gate: the raw blend lands at 92.2, but scores above 88 must be earned in front of a mass audience; this verdict rests on 26,162 player reviews, a largely self-selected fanbase. As more players weigh in, the ceiling rises (full scale unlocks at 100,000 reviews).
Scoring window: last 30 days (no significant patch detected) · 193 reviews sampled · 199 total reviews in window · weighted 134.5 up / 4.4 down · computed 2h ago · full methodology →
Press & Creators reviews (27)
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.
- 85
“Just Shapes & Beats is a unique combination of rhythm and arcade games that's fun and accessible. There's a lot of visual and audio stimulation, but it works well and makes for a fun party game.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“The sheer verve of Just Shapes and Beats is infectious. True to its name, the elements are simple, but Berzerk Studio explores and executes on its modest premise with an exceptional level of polish. It injects pure joy into the oppressive, pulsing panic of Super Hexagon and creates a celebratory explosion of the audio-visual in video games. Challenge mode and the hectic multiplayer will keep you occupied after you’ve conquered the refreshingly breezy story.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“Whether you're a bullet hell aficionado who blasts through the main campaign in a few hours, or a fumbling novice preserving through each level by sheer luck, Just Shapes & Beats is the whole package.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“Overall, it’s extremely hard for me not to smile while playing Just Shapes and Beats, even when some of the boss battles are absolutely kicking my butt. With some experience under your belt or simply some practice through remembering the major patterns in general all levels can be conquered, just some are definitely harder than others. An absolutely game-changing revelation I had while playing in Online mode, and would watch players who were obviously much more experience than I was, is that in many cases life can be easier simply staying still if you know the right spot in the right map. If done successfully this can mean simply hitting the button to dodge periodically rather than trying to move and keep track of everything going on around you. It takes some practice and discipline but there’s no arguing with the results they got. If you enjoy great music, a load of surprises, and just a bit of craziness Just Shapes and Beats is a unique and very worthwhile experience on Switch!”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Just Shapes & Beats is an inventive, creative, and memorable experience. It takes a simple concept and does so much with it, causing each level to feel wholly special, even if the lag issue can sometimes dampen the moment. The story mode is a joy to play, and the online mode offers hours of entertainment, as well. ”
read full review ↗ - 90
“I never knew I wanted a bullet-less shoot-’em-up that was dripping with rhythm game style, but that’s exactly what Just Shapes & Beats is. It’s a thoroughly unique game with a myriad of options that can be played in a variety of ways. It’s awesome.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“Just Shapes & Beats is the best EDM compilation album you can play, and assuming the music floats your ear-shaped boat, it’s an absolute treat. Challenging, engrossing and exhibiting a purity we so often forget, this is a genre mash-up where everybody wins.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“Just Shapes & Beats is an audio-visual masterpiece, and I give serious kudos to the talented artists and designers who blended their crafts in such a tight display. With a staggering variety of options for gameplay, fun party modes, and a thoroughly catchy tracklist, developer Berzerk has delivered a standout rhythm title.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“Just Shapes and Beats is gaming filtered into its purest form. While E3 may have treated us to immense cinematics, bigger worlds and even bigger promises, it’s great to be reminded that not every video game needs to be this. Sometimes it’s enough to just be able to sit down, pick up a controller and play. Just Shapes and Beats may be a simple concept but it’s one that combines its soundtrack and visuals to craft a truly addictive and memorable experience.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“Just Shapes & Beats is highly recommendable if you have the means.”
read full review ↗ - 60
“I can’t say Just Shapes and Beats is a bad game, just is a game that’s not really for me. I prefer my rhythm games to be a bit more tactile in nature. If the core gameplay looks compelling to you, there’s certainly a lot to get out of this game here. A pretty sizable soundtrack, even a co-op mode with both local and network support. There’s a total of 39 songs, though you’ll have to unlock a good amount of them. There’s a challenge mode that tasks you with clearing two songs and a boss, and you earn in-game currency based on your performance used to unlock more songs. The playlist mode is basically just a free play, no string attached mode. This is the Hardcore Edition of the game, which also adds a Hardcore difficulty to both the Challenge and Playlist modes. This mode makes each song quite a bit harder, and changes up the experience quite a bit for each song. If the normal difficulty gets a bit too mundane for you, this should spice things up a bit. I don’t think I could personally recommend this game, but if the idea of it sounds appealing to you, it might be worth the $20 asking price. The story only takes a few hours to get through, but if you enjoy the gameplay, there’s tons of replayability to be had.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“Just Shapes & Beats shapes up to be a perfect party music game for the Switch. It may be short, and not the best solo experience, but it’s still a fun ride with plenty of replay value.”
read full review ↗
Pure Nintendo
Nintendo Life
Paste Magazine
Nindie Spotlight
Cubed3
NintendoWorldReport
TheSixthAxis
We Got This Covered
Nintendo Insider
Geeks Under Grace
oprainfall
bemanistyle…and 15 more tracked reviews.
Patch history
- Minor security updateOct 14, 2025
- Lost Chapter + Patch 1.6.30Sep 30, 2021significant · resets scoring window
- 1.5.54 Release notesOct 1, 2020
- 1.5.52 release notesSep 23, 2020significant · resets scoring window
- 1.4.15 HotfixesJun 9, 2020significant · resets scoring window
- MIXTAPE #3 IS HEREMay 31, 2020significant · resets scoring window
- v1.3.19Jan 13, 2020
- Mixtape #2 :: Just Shovels & KnightsDec 19, 2019significant · resets scoring window
- In the year 2000Jun 25, 2019significant · resets scoring window
- Just Mac & Linux SupportMar 1, 2019
- Just Shapes & Beats Mixtape #1Nov 15, 2018significant · resets scoring window
- Obligatory almost Day 1 Patch is here!Jun 4, 2018