Screenshots & trailers
What players say
Why the number is what it is: aspect mentions counted across 300 sampled Steam reviews (274 positive / 26 negative), recent and most-helpful. Plain keyword counting, fully reproducible; nothing here is written by a machine.
What positive reviews talk about
- Story & writing17% mention it
- Visuals & art10% mention it
- World & exploration6% mention it
- Bugs & crashes4% mention it
What negative reviews complain about
- Story & writing23% mention it
- Visuals & art19% mention it
- Bugs & crashes15% mention it
- Combat12% mention it
- Music & audio12% mention it
Satisfaction by hours played
Same score, different games: see how sentiment holds up the longer people play.
Under 5h
85%
110 reviews
5-15h
96%
152 reviews
15-40h
88%
24 reviews
40-100h
100%
10 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) | – | 69 | 8 |
| All-time Steam reviews | 89% | 83 | 1000 |
| Metacritic user ratings | – | – | 0 |
| Post-patch Steam reviews (trust-weighted) | 100% | 97 | 8 |
| Calibration prior (typical game) | – | 72 | 50 |
Scoring window: since the last significant patch (Aug 31, 2026) · 8 reviews sampled · 6 total reviews in window · weighted 5.9 up / 0 down · computed 2h 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.
- 60
“Bendy and the Ink Machine has plenty going for it as a new horror instalment on Nintendo Switch, such as the way it builds a growing sense of dread and despair throughout its five chapters while using an animation style that's meant to evoke the safety and joy of childhood memories, but it's let down by some irritating design decisions and frustrating performance issues. Still, if you really do love your horror and want something that ticks all the boxes of a modern scarefest, Bendy and the Ink Machine is still a worthy descent into madness.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Bendy and the Ink Machine is a great horror/thriller game that is now available on home consoles. It will have you trying to piece together the inner workings of Joey Drew Studios to solve it’s mysteries and uncover it’s true story. While the home console ports have had some slight graphical tweaks all of the content from the complete edition of the PC version is present and ready to play here. If you’re looking for a short but interesting thriller title that will have you on the edge of your seat at times you should definitely check it out.”
read full review ↗ - 50
“Bendy and the Ink Machine succeeds in capturing a specific personality and aesthetic, but falters in its gameplay craftsmanship.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Since there haven’t been a ton of games in this vein on the Switch to date if you’re a fan of some scares and a sense of unease Bendy and the Ink Machine delivers nicely and should scratch that itch. The fact that it’s not bloody or over the top could work as a pro or a con depending on what you’re looking for but I like how effectively the setting and strange characters created a real sense of unease throughout. While it may not be for everyone Bendy and his friends make for a very strange and enjoyable experience.”
read full review ↗ - 95
“Despite the gameplay issues, Bendy and the Ink Machine is a fun and creative survival-horror title. Its excellent graphical design and tense atmosphere create a solid backdrop for horrifying shenanigans. An intriguing story motivates players to keep going and find out what's happening next. Bendy delivers fun, and it delivers scares with a tasteful "less is more" formula that builds up the horror as we go. Unique puzzles and collectibles encourage exploration and advance the story to keep players engaged. It's an unorthodox type of horror game, but Bendy and the Ink Machine utilizes two opposite genres that complement each other to create a solid title. The use of cartoon characters in a horror atmosphere blends the purity of animated characters with the terrifying ideals of a scientist gone mad. As we progress, we learn sad truths behind the animation team that led to the spiraling downfall of innocent people. Bendy and the Ink Machine may be a sleeper hit, but it's worth any survival-horror fan's time.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“Our review for the first three chapters of Bendy and the Ink Machine, a first-person puzzle game that wants to ruin your childhood.”
read full review ↗ - 75
“At the end of the day there is something to appreciate about a game that makes it feel OK for kids to play through a creepy story. Bendy and the Ink Machine manages to provide “PG-13 horror” in a game that I’ve never seen done before previously. If you’re in search of a game that you can play with the kids that isn’t within the realm of a party game or a fighter, Bendy could very well be the story for you, if you can get past the very obvious Bioshock comparisons and the couple of irritating bugs within.”
read full review ↗ - 60
“Bendy and the Ink Machine is a very intriguing game. It has an incredible visual style that is unique and certainly has some good horror elements going for it, but it, unfortunately, lets itself down in other areas. Straightforward puzzles, unwanted fetch quests and a clunky combat system really hurt the enjoyment in a big way. However, it is an interesting take on the horror genre and can still be thoroughly enjoyable in the right hands. I do think little more time in the oven was needed.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“Bendy and the Ink Machine is intriguing, but also has quite some shortcomings.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“For its flaws, Bendy and the Ink Machine has an equal amount of triumphs”
read full review ↗ - 73
“More than a year and a half after its first chapter was released, Bendy and the Ink Machine is now complete, and does so in the expectation of that conjunction of Bioshock atmosphere and vintage cartoon aesthetics.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“As the saying goes, I came for the imagery, I stayed for the engaging story and interesting gameplay. Bendy and the Ink Machine is on my list of ‘hidden gems’ of 2018 for sure as it’s a game which may have flown under a few peoples radars, yet it deserves a much bigger push into the limelight. Sure, the puzzles are basic, the hiding from the creatures is overly forgiving, and the combat is rather simplistic as well as a bit too unforgiving in certain areas. However, the other core aspects balance these out and end up overshadowing them. The Borderlands-like graphics help to make what would be a rather horrific state of affairs into a more casual and less disturbing set of events, all whilst retaining the uneasiness and suspenseful emotions it wishes to portray.”
read full review ↗
Nintendo Life
ani-game.com
VGChartz
Nindie Spotlight
Worth Playing
Rely On Horror
SwitchRPG
Nintendo Insider
Daily Nintendo
PowerUp!
NoesPaisparaFrikis
GamePitt…and 13 more tracked reviews.
Patch history
- Quality of Life 2.1.0 is here!Aug 31, 2026significant · resets scoring window
- Hotfix v1.5.1.2Oct 25, 2024
- Hotfix 1.5.1.1Oct 24, 2024
- Quality of Life UpdateOct 24, 2024
- [UPDATE] Chapter Two Download FixApr 27, 2017
- [UPDATE] Chapter Two Download FixApr 27, 2017