Screenshots & trailers
What players say
Why the number is what it is: aspect mentions counted across 296 sampled Steam reviews (287 positive / 9 negative), recent and most-helpful. Plain keyword counting, fully reproducible; nothing here is written by a machine.
What positive reviews talk about
- Story & writing27% mention it
- Visuals & art17% mention it
- Music & audio11% mention it
- World & exploration4% mention it
What negative reviews complain about
- Grind & repetition44% mention it
- Story & writing33% mention it
Satisfaction by hours played
Same score, different games: see how sentiment holds up the longer people play.
Under 5h
80%
20 reviews
5-15h
98%
197 reviews
15-40h
97%
77 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) | – | 89 | 23 |
| All-time Steam reviews | 97% | 92 | 1000 |
| Metacritic user ratings | – | 91 | 69 |
| Post-patch Steam reviews (trust-weighted) | 97% | 92 | 99 |
| Calibration prior (typical game) | – | 72 | 50 |
Acclaim gate: the raw blend lands at 91.1, but scores above 88 must be earned in front of a mass audience; this verdict rests on 35,765 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) · 282 reviews sampled · 282 total reviews in window · weighted 238.2 up / 7.9 down · computed 2h ago · full methodology →
Press & Creators reviews (68)
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
“With its excellent deduction-based gameplay and great storytelling, Return of the Obra Dinn easily solidifies itself as one of the best detective games to come out in the past decade.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“Return of the Obra Dinn is a skillfully woven web of events and destinies. Unraveling it is not only an excellent workout for the mind, but also a real pleasure. Lucas Pope again remolded routine processes into an exciting gameplay, and, most importantly, he gracefully escaped the “second game syndrome”.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“If you enjoy games that involve investigation and really make you think, I definitely recommend playing Return of the Obra Dinn, you’ll love it. The game takes about eight to twelve hours to complete. You can look forward to a perfectly written story that you’ll definitely enjoy. I also can’t forget to mention the book, which, in my opinion, is both very helpful and beautifully designed.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“Return of the Obra Dinn lives up to the hype, and then some. It's a beautifully crafted and intricately constructed detective mystery unlike anything you've played before with a harrowing narrative at its centre. Unravelling its secrets takes time and requires patience, but you'll be glad you allowed the story to play out at its own pace. What we have here is a thoroughly unique experience that will stay with you, and is among best this genre has ever had to offer.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“An intellectual and aesthetic delight, Return of the Obra Dinn is a morbidly fascinating logic puzzle disguised as a minimalist nautical adventure.”
read full review ↗ - 92
“Return of the Obra Dinn is truly a little gem, with many unique mechanics that will make every player very happy. Everyone should give this title a try, even if some player might find it a little too complicated.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Return of the Obra Dinn is without a doubt a thinking man/woman's piece of crumpet. It is someone that you can take out on a date and have a riveting conversation with, but then scratch your head about some of the things they've said afterwards.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“ Some may struggle with the visuals as it can be a little too noisy in places, but if that's our only quibble, you can deduce that this comes highly recommended.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“If you're looking for a work that has the pleasure of solving riddles in games like Monkey Island, along with a fascinating story that's best told, you shouldn't miss Return of the Obra Dinn.”
read full review ↗ - 92
“Unapologetically old-school, the captivating tragedies of the Obra Dinn are in a class of their own. Visually striking and extraordinarily immersive, a must-play for any mystery fan worth their salt.”
read full review ↗ - 85
“Overall, Return of the Obra Dinn is an incredibly compelling mystery that will constantly have you moving from clue to clue, itching to find that next bit of information that brings it all together. ”
read full review ↗ - 81
“Return of the Obra Dinn is a game with an excellent narrative. The player must use logical deduction and attend to the memories that he witnesses to deduce the destination of all the passengers. Lucas Pope returns to shine with a unique experience.”
read full review ↗
cublikefoot
3DNews
Gaming Professors
Nintendo Life
SpaceNerd.it
Cubed3
Push Square
Zoomg
NintendoWorldReport
SomosXbox…and 56 more tracked reviews.
Patch history
- Update 1.2.120Sep 14, 2022
- Update to the UpdateApr 24, 2019
- Language UpdateApr 18, 2019