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) | – | 67 | 7 |
| All-time Steam reviews | 86% | 80 | 29 |
| 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 (20)
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
“Overall, the experience from The Inner Friend felt distinctly lacking, if not at least positive. The game is way too short, some of the areas felt either way too long (the ruins) or way too short (the mall literally took me less than 2 minutes to finish), and more often than not, just when a stage was reaching its end did I really start getting into it. The Inner Friend also suffers from a bit of a "genre disorder" halfway through, as it turns into less spooky, more weird mini games and escorting without the same eerie feeling, and some rather clunky handling on occasion. There was a lot that felt unfurnished and unexplored, and The Inner Friend would have really benefited from some refining and expansion to the different themes explored.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“The Inner Friend is a short but sweet experience that will give back as much as you put into it. You’ve got to read between the lines with this game and if you like your narratives to have a clear structure, you’ll likely bounce right off this. If you like a game to challenge you, to make you think and maybe, just maybe, make you feel something, then The Inner Friend is certainly worth a look. Some sticky platforming sections aside, it’s a thrilling and occasionally chilling game that’s truly artistic in its vision.”
read full review ↗ - 50
“It is hard to recommend The Inner Friend even at its steeply discounted price because of its short length and limited gameplay.”
read full review ↗ - 50
“The Inner Friend isn't a bad game, but it never really rises above mediocrity. As a result, it's difficult to recommend unless the narrative premise attracts you. There are some moments of greatness amidst an interesting take on trauma and the idea of replaying unresolved memories from one's past, but the overall feel is distinctly average.”
read full review ↗ - 70
- 75
“Traversing a terrifying, multi-dimensional modern art exhibit for 2 hours can get tedious, but it never stops piquing your curiosity.”
read full review ↗ - 50
“The Inner Friend showcases a ton of heart and some clever concepts, but fails to translate that into compelling gameplay or a coherent story.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“The Inner Friend is creepy, abstract, touching, and something that will get under your skin. There’s a story here that is relatable, yet presented in a way that captures the exaggerated-ness of a child’s imagination. Movement is a little fiddly, and it’s all over quickly, but the experience is still one that will stick with us for some time yet.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“It’s not for everyone, and the ending could be a bit smoother, but the experience is still a good one if you’re looking for something a little bit different to dive into and don’t mind not sleeping for a few weeks.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“The Inner Friend nails the horror even if it's disappointingly short.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“If you can look past the few technical issues, which can hopefully be ironed out with a patch, you’ll find a worthwhile story about overcoming loneliness and self-doubt, cherishing your friendships and rediscovering who you are.”
read full review ↗ - 65
“The Inner Friend is a game with interesting ambitions that doesn't quite gel together into a cohesive whole. While elements of the game (music and creature design) are quite stellar, other areas (puzzles, controls) suffer enough to hold the game back from what it could have been. The Inner Friend is still worth a look as an interesting experiment, just go in forewarned about the parts that don't work so well.”
read full review ↗
Chalgyr's Game Room
FingerGuns
Game Freaks 365
TheSixthAxis
Rely On Horror
TechRaptor
Geeks Under Grace
Xbox Tavern
The Indie Game Website
Screen Rant
GameSpew
Gaming Nexus…and 8 more tracked reviews.
Patch history
- May 1st 2020 Bug FixMay 1, 2020
- New Content UpdateApr 28, 2020
- PATCH 1.2 IS LIVE!Sep 20, 2018