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) | – | 65 | 10 |
| All-time Steam reviews | 92% | 87 | 269 |
| Metacritic user ratings | – | – | 0 |
| Post-patch Steam reviews (trust-weighted) | 82% | 75 | 4 |
| Calibration prior (typical game) | – | 72 | 50 |
Scoring window: last 30 days (no significant patch detected) · 12 reviews sampled · 10 total reviews in window · weighted 8.8 up / 2 down · computed 9h ago · full methodology →
Press & Creators reviews (29)
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.
- 65
“The 25th Ward: The Silver Case is not without some flaws. But the twisting story, puzzle design and its cast of characters make it a title worth playing, especially if you have played The Silver Case. It’s limited gameplay choices feel dated and the whole game lacks voice acting which for this modern remake holds it back from being a great game from the mind of a great writer.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“The Silver Case, besides being weird as hell, is a solid visual novel game. The story works well despite its division into three campaigns and if you can struggle through the puzzles you’ll find an enjoyable experience for any Suda51 fan. Just be prepared for crazy.”
read full review ↗ - 60
“The rest of the game is full of profanity to the point Limp Bizkit would have to call their mums to apologise, and at points, the excellent story pivoted into pure juvenility. I’m not sure if this was a mistranslation or if Suda51 intentionally tried to cause outrage, but in any case, it just feels like it’s trying too hard, which in my eyes is more offensive than actually offending the player by including boob jokes, or multiple F-bombs. It would have been more impactful if the game’s jokes landed in any way, or if there was a reason behind what was being said, but that certainly wasn’t the case. The 25th Ward: The Silver Case is a tale of two halves: the first being a well-written murder mystery that dives head-first into the surreal and is a joy to watch, and the second half is like a petulant teenager who is trying to cause a ruckus because they didn’t get enough attention growing up. The plot though saves the game and managed to captivate me enough to explore every single ending. Even though I had no idea what was going on half the time, I still had to play until it was complete to get closure on the story. The visual novel playstyle isn’t for everyone but if you can put that, and the crass humour to one side, The 25th Ward: The Silver Case is one hell of a strange game to behold.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“The 25th Ward: The Silver Case, while not for everyone, is still a unique visual novel experience that oozes creativity. Its gameplay elements do slightly bog it down, but the stylised writing, entertaining characters, and one of a kind story more than make up for it. It's a truly memorable adventure accompanied by wonderful music and artwork, all coming together to make something that visual novel fans should definitely look into. If okay with checking out something a bit different from what you are probably used to, then you are likely to have a great time going through the weird world of Ward 25 that nobody will be able to forget anytime soon.”
read full review ↗ - 60
“The 25th Ward's splintered narrative will frustrate and confuse, but also fascinate.”
read full review ↗ - 60
“As fearlessly unconventional as the rest of Suda51's work, but even existing fans will have trouble deciphering the hidden depths beneath the surface level of surrealism.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“In short, The 25th Ward , with all its qualities but also its faults, is still a real good narrative game, but can to be a little too old and reserved for the patient players.”
read full review ↗ - 53
“This is a game for true fans of Suda51. The narrative is chaotic and it's difficult to follow. But the story is interesting.”
read full review ↗ - 40
“In the end, The 25th Ward: The Silver Case is a weak game that will only appeal to Suda 51/fans of the original. Without this it's a slow moving, poorly designed and boring title that likely won't keep your interest. Combine this with a lack of voice acting and limited graphics and that is really the only appeal. Well, that and it's an easy platinum.”
read full review ↗ - 25
“In the best case scenario, this game should have been releases many years ago and probably on Gameboy console. This is not a game that belongs to 2018.”
read full review ↗ - 45
“The 25th Ward has a few cool ideas, yet they're almost always held back by outdated ignorance and rampant misogyny, turning what could have been a powerful avant-garde adventure game into a frustratingly juvenile monument to phallocentrism.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“A psychodelic crime fiction from Suda51 that every Grasshopper Manufacture fan should play.”
read full review ↗
ani-game.com
Invision Community
VGamingNews
Cubed3
GameSpot
Metro GameCentral
Gameblog
GaminGuardian
Just Push Start
Digiato
RPG Fan
NEOsite…and 17 more tracked reviews.
Patch history
No patch announcements found on Steam yet.