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) | – | 79 | 9 |
| All-time Steam reviews | 92% | 86 | 633 |
| Metacritic user ratings | – | – | 0 |
| Post-patch Steam reviews (trust-weighted) | 100% | 97 | 2 |
| Calibration prior (typical game) | – | 72 | 50 |
Scoring window: last 30 days (no significant patch detected) · 5 reviews sampled · 5 total reviews in window · weighted 3.2 up / 0 down · computed 11h ago · full methodology →
Press & Creators reviews (25)
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.
- 70
“The sound design and relaxing gameplay are easily the game’s greatest strengths. There are some lazy side-objectives tacked onto the experience, but they can easily be skipped.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“The unique mechanics of Candleman: The Complete Journey will keep you engaged just long enough to become invested in a deeper-than-expected story.”
read full review ↗ - 87
“Candleman: The Complete Journey is a pretty zen game with a very attractive core design of puzzles. Using 10 seconds of light to find a way out is always full of expectation, especially the producer made the graphics extremely artistic and beautiful, which reminds me some former masterpieces like Journey or Monument Valley. Besides, I am really into the story about the self-redemption of this little candleman. ”
read full review ↗ - 90
“A solid platformer clothed in a heartwarming story and topped with some brilliantly designed levels and challenges. The looks are the cherry on top of the cake - and there's always room for more candles.”
read full review ↗ - 73
“A platform game that can make you stress, but it would require all your atention if you want to complete it.”
read full review ↗ - 77
“Candleman: The Complete Journey is a more sedate experience which takes players through a beautiful, well-paced and relaxing journey.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Nice platforming game that may be too slow for some players, but makes almost everything right.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Despite Candleman being a tad too easy, you'll end up rooting for the underdog as you traverse through wondrous environments to discover the fate of this lone little candle.”
read full review ↗ - 95
“Candleman: The Complete Journey is a beautiful game in both its visuals and its story it tells. The music may be subtle in most places but the amazing quality of the ambient sound effects more than makes up for it as it creates an atmosphere so thick you could cut it with a knife! The level design combined with the lighting, the contrast between light and dark, and all the various hazards, create a truly original and enchanting experience you won’t find anywhere else. Literally, no other game holds a candle to Candleman in the puzzle-platformer genre.”
read full review ↗ - 85
“Candleman: The Complete Journey is one of the best indie platformers I've played in some time. Certainly, one of the best 3D indie platformers. Candleman mixes clever mechanics, varied level design, and a whole lot of charm to create an experience that's guaranteed to light your fire.”
read full review ↗ - 85
“Candleman: The Complete Journey is a very nicely developed 3D platformer that has a great hook or "gimmick" that it introduces immediately and utilizes throughout.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“Candleman is a platformer puzzler that puts a strong emphasis on atmosphere to sell its story. That atmosphere is whimsical at times and haunting at others. Walking through the darkness with limited light in search of a greater purpose, Candleman beautifully illustrates the point that some times the bravest thing of all is to hope. And with each step forward, though the darkness may come, it cannot hide the light.”
read full review ↗
cublikefoot
GameSkinny
Gamersky
TechRaptor
GaminGuardian
NoobFeed
IGN
Geeks Under Grace
GamePitt
Wccftech
Digital Chumps
GameSpace…and 13 more tracked reviews.
Patch history
- 🕯️Usability UpdateNov 22, 2024
- now supports HungarianMar 11, 2022
- Spanish localization updateOct 25, 2021
- 11/5/2021May 11, 2021
- Candleman Patch Notes June 10, 2020Jun 11, 2020
- Update 2.9.18Feb 9, 2018
- Update 2.9.18Feb 9, 2018