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Fell Seal: Arbiter's Mark

Fell Seal: Arbiter's Mark

6 Eyes Studio · released Apr 30, 2019

IndieRPGStrategy

Fell Seal: Arbiter's Mark is a turn-based tactical RPG with a focus on storytelling and strategic battles. Unfold a mature story as you progress through hand-crafted scenarios, controlling your own group of Arbiters, with each character customizable from a wide selection of classes and abilities!

Steam page ↗OpenCritic ↗
81
VGC Score
▼Decliningmedium confidence
86%
At launch
88%
Steam all-time
84%
Press
86%
Recent sentiment

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.

ComponentPositiveQuality (0-100)Weight (pseudo-reviews)
Press reviews (OpenCritic)–8418
All-time Steam reviews88%811000
Metacritic user ratings––0
Post-patch Steam reviews (trust-weighted)86%796
Calibration prior (typical game)–7250

Scoring window: last 30 days (no significant patch detected) · 16 reviews sampled · 14 total reviews in window · weighted 12 up / 2 down · computed 4h 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.

  • 80
    GameMAGGameMAG
    trust 78Jul 14, 2019

    “6 Eyes Studio under the supervision of 1C managed to create a project that will please the fans of tactical role-playing games. The developers carefully adapted the classic mechanics and added an interesting plot. Uneven graphics slightly spoils the experience, but interesting gameplay is able to captivate fans of the genre for a long time.”

    read full review ↗
  • 80
    RPGamerRPGamer
    trust 74Jun 4, 2019

    “Fell Seal is a game that is easy to recommend simply because it does everything well.”

    read full review ↗
  • 70
    VGChartzVGChartz
    trust 71Sep 13, 2019

    “Fell Seal: Arbiter's Mark is a rock-solid successor to games like Final Fantasy Tactics and Tactics Ogre.”

    read full review ↗
  • 80
    Cubed3Cubed3
    trust 70Jan 29, 2020

    “In spite of a somewhat spotty presentation, Fell Seal: Arbiter's Mark manages to fill a tactical RPG niche that had been lying dormant for far too long. Beyond just serving as a competent TRPG, however, Fell Seal engages with the genre in increasingly dynamic ways. It borrows a good deal of its concepts from Final Fantasy Tactics, but nothing is just brought over as is. While there are conceptual similarities between the titles, this has more than enough mechanical depth to stand on its own. Strong map design and plenty of customization options make this game a must-have for fans of tactical RPGs.”

    read full review ↗
  • 90
    Capsule ComputersCapsule Computers
    trust 69May 13, 2019

    “Those looking for a new tactical RPG that harkens back to the classics of the genre will find that Fell Seal: Arbiter’s Mark manages to do that and more by creating a unique story that sets itself apart from the rest.”

    read full review ↗
  • 80
    NintendoWorldReportNintendoWorldReport
    trust 69Aug 23, 2019

    “Fell Seal: Arbiter's Mark is a terrific option for fans of the tactical RPG genre who are looking for a title with a more retro feel. It provides that feeling of nostalgia while still making its own unique mark. Wonderfully written dialogue and a plethora of customization options will provide hours of entertainment for those who get sucked into its world.”

    read full review ↗
  • 88
    Chalgyr's Game RoomChalgyr's Game Room
    trust 67May 16, 2019

    “Excellent visuals, a well-thought out system of combat and character progression compliment a mostly good if sometimes inconsistent story to make Fell Seal: Arbiter's Mark one of the most entertaining strategy games I have played in some time. There is room for improvement in a few areas, but the overall package is certainly an impressive, enjoyable one that I can easily recommend to fans of the genre.”

    read full review ↗
  • 60
    Killa PenguinKilla Penguin
    trust 67Dec 30, 2019

    “It’s easy to feel like every single mid-to-late-game map in Fell Seal: Arbiter’s Mark is soul-crushingly awful, but in reality, only around half of them are. That’s still far too much gameplay that’s held back by busywork, especially since the explosion of status effects that most often bogs down Fell Seal‘s gameplay can cause the bad maps to last 2-4 times longer than the good ones, but there are glimmers of potential that shine through all the way through to the end. It’s just hard to give the game credit for the things it does right when the things it does wrong are so egregious.”

    read full review ↗
  • 75
    The Game is a LieThe Game is a Lie
    trust 66May 11, 2019

    “Being an RPG fan, I particularly enjoyed 6 Eyes Studios' creation, since, like every good game in the genre, it offers its own combat system and a well-elaborated story. If you like a good story and the kind of gameplay proportioned by RPGs, Fell Seal would be a great addition to your game library.”

    read full review ↗
  • 75
    SECTOR.skSECTOR.sk
    trust 66Jul 29, 2019

    “The Group of Arbiters is cogent in turn-based battles. But There is a decent linear story and some little flaws.”

    read full review ↗
  • 70
    FNintendoFNintendo
    trust 65Oct 24, 2019

    “Fell Seal: Arbiter’s Mark is a tactical RPG that may seem like it's trying to follow the footsteps of its older counterparts but that doesn't mean it's not a game with its own merits. With a stunning visual environment, a top notch audio environment and an immense variety of characters, Fell Seal is easily accessible for most players and well worthy of praise.”

    read full review ↗
  • 90
    GameSkinnyGameSkinny
    trust 65Aug 28, 2019

    “Fell Seal: Arbiter's Mark is a deep and engrossing tactical RPG no genre fan should miss. With interesting characters and complex combat, it's a poster child for the greatest the genre can provide.”

    read full review ↗

…and 26 more tracked reviews.

Patch history

  1. Plushie update (and some news)!
    May 31, 2022significant · resets scoring window
  2. Fell Seal: Arbiter's Mark update 1.6.0 is out!
    Sep 9, 2021significant · resets scoring window
  3. Update incoming soon!
    Aug 26, 2021
  4. Patch 1.5.1a
    Feb 4, 2021
  5. Simplified Chinese language has been added to Fell Seal: Arbiter’s Mark
    Dec 17, 2020
  6. Status Update!
    Dec 15, 2020
  7. Update 1.4.1 is live.
    Jul 15, 2020significant · resets scoring window
  8. Update 1.4.0 is live
    Jul 12, 2020significant · resets scoring window
  9. Update 1.3.6 is live.
    Jul 8, 2020
  10. Update 1.3.5 is live.
    Jul 6, 2020significant · resets scoring window
  11. Update 1.3.4 is live.
    Jul 5, 2020significant · resets scoring window
  12. 1.3.3 Update is live.
    Jul 2, 2020significant · resets scoring window
  13. Update 1.3.2 is live
    Jun 30, 2020significant · resets scoring window
  14. Update 1.3.1d is live!
    Jun 28, 2020
  15. Patch 1.3.1c is live
    Jun 27, 2020
  16. Missions and Monsters is OUT NOW!
    Jun 23, 2020significant · resets scoring window
  17. Update 1.2.2b - Mods error logging
    May 24, 2020
  18. Build 1.2.2a - Hotfix (kinda)
    May 17, 2020
  19. Update 1.2.2 - UI Tweaks and small fixes
    May 13, 2020significant · resets scoring window
  20. Update 1.2.1 - Final update before Expansion
    May 11, 2020significant · resets scoring window
  21. Hotfix 1.2.0c
    May 7, 2020
  22. New 64bits version
    May 7, 2020
  23. Hotfix 1.2.0b
    May 7, 2020
  24. Hotfix for 1.2.0
    May 7, 2020
  25. Update 1.2.0 - Patch Notes 2/2
    May 6, 2020significant · resets scoring window
  26. Update 1.2.0 - Player AI, more autosaves...
    May 6, 2020significant · resets scoring window
  27. Missions and Monsters DLC - New Gear
    Apr 24, 2020significant · resets scoring window
  28. Stygian: Reign of the Old Ones gets a major content update!
    Dec 19, 2019
  29. Build 1.1.2
    Nov 16, 2019significant · resets scoring window
  30. Build 1.1.1 Keyboard QoL Update!
    Oct 19, 2019
  31. Hotfix for New Game Plus
    Oct 13, 2019
  32. Build 1.1.0, with New Game Plus!
    Oct 11, 2019significant · resets scoring window
  33. Build 1.0.4 - Bug fixes and small QoL updates
    Jun 7, 2019significant · resets scoring window
  34. What's next for Fell Seal and Dreamhack Dallas!
    May 28, 2019significant · resets scoring window
  35. Build 1.0.3 is live! - Bug fixes, QoL, balance updates
    May 10, 2019significant · resets scoring window
  36. Build 1.0.2 is out - Localization restored!
    Apr 30, 2019significant · resets scoring window