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) | – | 85 | 11 |
| All-time Steam reviews | 98% | 93 | 1000 |
| Metacritic user ratings | – | 84 | 7 |
| Post-patch Steam reviews (trust-weighted) | 97% | 93 | 14 |
| Calibration prior (typical game) | – | 72 | 50 |
Acclaim gate: the raw blend lands at 92.3, but scores above 88 must be earned in front of a mass audience; this verdict rests on 10,374 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) · 40 reviews sampled · 41 total reviews in window · weighted 33.8 up / 1 down · computed 2h ago · full methodology →
Press & Creators reviews (38)
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.
- 90
“West of Loathing is not your average RPG; in fact we’d go so far as to say you’ve probably never played anything quite like it in your life. Its combat won’t blow you away but don’t be lulled into believing that’s what this game is about, as really the whole thing is an adventure in exploration and interaction with a bit of fighting sprinkled in. It can occasionally be a little bit difficult to decipher, but the satisfaction felt upon working out a problem totally makes up for it. The humour is as wonderfully dry as the desert you’re traversing and the writing is some of the best you can find on the Switch. ”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Asymmetric Publications has created a highly entertaining title in West of Loathing. The game provides an excellent mixture of humour and exploration that is very easy to get sucked into. Switch owners, and those on PC, Mac, or Linux who haven’t done so yet, would do well to check it out.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“Don’t let its simple stick figure look fool you, this is an odd, funny, and extremely worthwhile gem of an adventure worth your time”
read full review ↗ - 80
“While this is obviously not Red Dead Redemption or anything of the sort, West of Loathing proves to be truly entertaining for what it is. The huge amount of text to read through to really appreciate the humour may be deterring to some of the audience, as much of the events and details are conveyed solely through the text on-screen, and the simplistic aesthetic may not do this game any favours to attract attention, but let nobody be fooled as this is indeed a truly awesome story to sit through.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“West of Loathing succeeds by making you giggly and happy while you play it. Treating this game like a super-serious RPG is the wrong way to go about it, as that’s where the holes start to emerge, whether it’s the middling combat or the mildly annoying quest and item management troubles. This is a comedy, pure and simple, and thankfully it’s one that’s clever and funny in a way that makes up for any lesser gameplay segments. It’s a great chaser between the ample supply of serious games out there, especially if you have Stupid Walking turned on.”
read full review ↗ - 85
“West of Loathing is a highly entertaining, sometimes bizarre and mostly a charming RPG.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“West of Loathing's visuals are monochromatic, but there's enjoyable comedy painted between every line, a pitch-perfect Spaghetti Western soundtrack, and a full spectrum of role-playing possibilities to choose from that make it a consistently enjoyable madcap cowboy jaunt.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“West of Loathing is something particular. An adventure RPG with a bare simple art style and full of humour in a wild west setting...and it works, anyone who enjoys a good dose of humour, plenty of text, an absurd plot and who doesn't mind the rather uninspired combat system will have enough content here to go through the entire game and even to forget about the main story and get lost in all the side quests.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“I'm actually having more fun playing this ludicrous RPG parody drawn with stick people than I did with the bigger budget Wasteland 2.”
read full review ↗ - 85
“Thanks to its superb writing and zany cast of characters, West of Loathing is a must-play turn-based RPG for the Switch. What it lacks in graphical special effects, it totally makes up for in the humor department. It is yet another great addition to your Switch library!”
read full review ↗ - 80
“I am content to recommend this title for what it truly is: a charming adventure with wonderful dialogue and story options. If you seek it for any other reason, you may find yourself holding a tumbleweed rather than a glorious chunk of gold.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“West of Loathing is a wonderfully charming adventure where the stick figures that populate the towns have more character than most of the life-like models in big-budget productions. You’ll spend more time reading than fighting, but when it’s this funny you won’t mind too much.”
read full review ↗
Nintendo Life
RPGamer
Nindie Spotlight
Cubed3
NintendoWorldReport
Gamerheadquarters
GameSpot
FNintendo
GameSkinny
Nintendo Times
SwitchRPG
CDavis_Games…and 26 more tracked reviews.
Patch history
- Patch 1.11.11.11.11.1Oct 16, 2025
- Patch 1.11.11.11.11.0Mar 2, 2022
- Elevens All the Way Down Patch (v1.11.11.11.11)Sep 12, 2020significant · resets scoring window
- Three Year Anniversary Patch (v1.11.11.11.1)Aug 7, 2020significant · resets scoring window
- Taking out the Garbage Patch, Kids (v1.11.11.11)Jul 11, 2019significant · resets scoring window
- Patch of Cookies (v1.11.11.1)Feb 11, 2019significant · resets scoring window
- The Cabbage Patch* (v1.11.11)Feb 8, 2019
- Adding Just a Patch of Salt For Best Flavor (v1.11.1)Nov 22, 2018significant · resets scoring window
- Patch Me, I'm Dreaming (v1.11)Aug 25, 2018
- Can't Believe It's Been a Year Patch (v1.10)Aug 10, 2018significant · resets scoring window
- Give Me Your Elevator Patch (v1.03)Nov 20, 2017significant · resets scoring window
- Give Me Your Elevator Patch (v1.03)Nov 20, 2017
- Patch Adams (v1.02)Aug 19, 2017significant · resets scoring window
- Patch Adams (v1.02)Aug 19, 2017
- Our very first patch (v1.01)Aug 14, 2017significant · resets scoring window
- Our very first patch (v1.01)Aug 14, 2017