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) | – | 73 | 5 |
| All-time Steam reviews | 89% | 83 | 307 |
| 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 3h ago · full methodology →
Press & Creators reviews (19)
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.
- 80
“Lydia is a small game, but it sends a bigger message that sometimes we need to step in and help the ones who can't speak for themselves. I highly recommend checking out this enthralling, interactive story about a little girl overcoming her giant "monster".”
read full review ↗ - 80
“It’s one of the most emotionally impactful games to grace the Switch since its launch nearly three years ago. ”
read full review ↗ - 30
“Lydia is not so much a game as it is a public service announcement about the risks of alcohol, delivered through the medium of the eShop. The dark subject matter is at times well outlined by some bleak and surreal imagery, but it’s discussed in such a blunt manner that even a powerful ending leaves the story feeling less poignant and more thoroughly miserable. There will be those who can forgive the complete lack of gameplay in the face of raising such an important topic, and while I applaud the intention and understand the gravity of its creation, I find it hard to advocate anyone taking on 45 minutes of pure distilled depression, topped with a smattering of trauma.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“Over the past few years in particular there has been a movement towards using games as a vehicle for telling semi-interactive stories as opposed to using more traditional forms of media...”
read full review ↗ - 60
“Short, sweet, and to the point, Lydia makes for a memorable and engaging hour of gameplay. Its story of abuse will prove uncomfortable, but a restrained hand ensures audiences never have to confront anything too visceral through gameplay. There isn't much in the way of replayability, but a well told story, plus an excellent visual style make Lydia a worthwhile play-through for anyone looking for something emotionally dense.”
read full review ↗ - 50
“Lydia is an interactive story telling point and click, the story of a young girl surrounded by substance abuse. The game is short, and from that, the scenes of the narrative can blur and become confusing in which message it is trying to convey. Visually pleasing, and delivers a good atmospheric dark tone, but difficult to recommend for ‘fun’. However, this is an important game in the awareness of substance abuse.”
read full review ↗ - 65
“In general, Lydia is an interesting game with a well put together setting and an art style you probably won’t soon forget, but overall it’s just sort of a slightly underwhelming experience.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“With this stimulating narrative, Lydia is a steady explorative adventure that will leave you speechless by the time you finish it. Its take on adult themes within a childish aesthetic feels familiar but it accomplishes enough to set it apart from other like-minded indie titles. It's a solid debut release by Platonic Partnership and leaves me intrigued to see what comes next from the Finnish studio.”
read full review ↗ - 95
“Games, often have us talking about joy, about the things which made us feel like we’re having fun or experiencing something new. I don’t want you to get the wrong idea, the game at hand, Lydia, is something which feels new, and it is pushing the boundaries of games, in the best of ways. Because of the sensitive content it requires some resolve to get through, but it is a masterpiece. It's a powerful and beautiful game, one that leaves an everlasting impression.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“Lydia is a tough game to recommend to everyone because, as a video game, it is too short and has only a minimal amount of gameplay. However, if you're looking for a thought-provoking experience that will stay with you even after you have finished the game, I can confidently say that Lydia is a very strong candidate for you.”
read full review ↗ - 40
“Lydia brings us a theme that is definitely worth exploring in a medium like gaming but it could have been approached in a much better way. The writing needs a lot of work and despite its very on touch visual environment, the gameplay experience is very subpar and there's little interactivity to be found here.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“Lydia is a dark point and click adventure game about child abuse.”
read full review ↗
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Screen Rant…and 7 more tracked reviews.
Patch history
- The Haunted UpdateSep 25, 2025
- Game starting with Russian language bug fixedAug 31, 2017
- Important information regarding the 1.03 updateJul 27, 2017
- Important information regarding the 1.03 updateJul 27, 2017
- 1.03 Patch is now liveJul 21, 2017
- 1.03 Patch is now liveJul 21, 2017
- New supported languages are on their wayJun 27, 2017
- Lydia - Steam Update v1.02Jun 14, 2017
- Lydia - Steam Update v1.02Jun 14, 2017
- Update 1.02 coming soonJun 10, 2017
- Update 1.02 coming soonJun 10, 2017
- Lydia update 1.01 changelogJun 5, 2017
- Lydia update 1.01 changelogJun 5, 2017
- Issues with the new updateJun 4, 2017
- Issues with the new updateJun 4, 2017
- Update 1.01Jun 4, 2017
- Update 1.01Jun 4, 2017