videogamescritic
← all games
EarthNight

EarthNight

Cleaversoft · released Dec 2, 2019

Indie

EarthNight is an illustrated epic 2D platformer about the dragon apocalypse.

72
VGC Score
·No trend datalow confidence
n/a
At launch
78%
Steam all-time
72%
Press
n/a
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)7212
All-time Steam reviews78%7357
Metacritic user ratings0
Post-patch Steam reviews (trust-weighted)0
Calibration prior (typical game)7250

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 (23)

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.

  • 70
    trust 80Dec 18, 2019

    A good entry into what feels like a genre of old, successfully maintaining the fun, and feeling fresh when it wasn't that long ago this would've felt played out. The visuals are the real feature, especially when the package is as light as it is, altogether making it a great game for mobile, and a decent one for the Switch.

    read full review ↗
  • 80
    trust 76Dec 4, 2019

    Auto-runners don’t get much better than this, and it’s a blast to play through.

    read full review ↗
  • 70
    trust 72Dec 3, 2019

    This is a game that both looks gorgeous and hits its target in terms of straightforward play that keeps bringing you back for another round of diving and slashing to the surface of the Earth. If you’re keen on losing yourself in that dream-like trance, it’s going to do a good job of that.

    read full review ↗
  • 80
    trust 70Dec 3, 2019

    When you see or hear the words endless runner the typical reaction is to go straight into eye-rolling mode...

    read full review ↗
  • 50
    trust 70Mar 24, 2020

    EarthNight is really a product of its genre. It's rare that auto-runners feel truly unique, and while this does a decent job of introducing new mechanics regularly, it does such a poor job with enemy placement that you will have to run through the same kind of courses over and over before you get to see them - unless you skip on through the fray, and that only works so long. Even when you find these new ideas, they are often just one tweak shy of something a lot better than they ended up being, and it's a shame such an original idea feels so flat.

    read full review ↗
  • 70
    trust 69Feb 20, 2020

    A simple idea executed very well.

    read full review ↗
  • 85
    trust 69Dec 2, 2019

    undefined.Thankfully, EarthNight wins the day with its enthralling style and art, packing in so many secrets inside its distinctive look. A few issues crop up, chiefly the narrower viewpoint during the fast levels and some long-tail grindy repetition, but the overwhelming killer vibe of this uniquely beautiful video game make it something special, even if dozens (hundreds?) of games have made use of the terms roguelite, procedural generation, and platformers since EarthNight was first revealed half a decade ago.

    read full review ↗
  • 75
    trust 67Feb 19, 2020

    After all is said and done, EarthNight is an incredibly intriguing game.

    read full review ↗
  • 50
    trust 65Dec 16, 2019

    Earthnight is a pretty package that contains dull gameplay and technical issues that simply shouldn't exist in this style of game.

    read full review ↗
  • 60
    trust 65Dec 3, 2019

    EarthNight is an endless runnner that was originally made for mobile devices, which means this Switch adaptation is hardly a monument when it comes to its technical components. Nevertheless, this game has some fun moments to provide and those who enjoy the style have enough content here for some fun moments, even if the experience never reaches outstanding levels.

    read full review ↗
  • 69
    trust 62Dec 2, 2019

    EarthNight is superb audio-visual experience that has its own style. It just simply looks awesome. The rather short gameplay with no incentive to keep playing is one issue, but can be overlooked if you just like the gameplay for what it is. The convoluted way of padding for upgrades and the procedurally-generated elements that can't commit to one unique playstyle that is player-dependent is what hurts it overall.

    read full review ↗
  • 40
    trust 61Feb 24, 2020

    EarthNight provides solid auto-running platforming that can be fun in spurts but its uneven difficulty and sheer blandness keep it grounded.

    read full review ↗

…and 11 more tracked reviews.

Patch history

  1. EarthNight 3.0
    Aug 26, 2021significant · resets scoring window
  2. EarthNight 2.0 is Here!
    Jul 3, 2020significant · resets scoring window