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) | – | 71 | 25 |
| All-time Steam reviews | 73% | 69 | 226 |
| Metacritic user ratings | – | – | 0 |
| Post-patch Steam reviews (trust-weighted) | 100% | 97 | 1 |
| Calibration prior (typical game) | – | 72 | 50 |
Scoring window: last 30 days (no significant patch detected) · 2 reviews sampled · 0 total reviews in window · weighted 0.6 up / 0 down · computed 4h ago · full methodology →
Press & Creators reviews (52)
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
“Beautiful to watch and genuinely challenging, Etherborn offers an innovative approach to puzzle games that has resulted in something unique and provocative.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Etherborn is beautifully constructed yet flawed in its execution, but you shouldn't miss out on this short foray into a topsy-turvy puzzle world built with dream-logic.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“Etherborn looks fantastic, sounds incredible and revolves around a brilliant game mechanic that initially feels like it's going to lead to some clever puzzles but ramps things up far too quickly and engulfs you with frustratingly complex stages while you're still trying to find your feet. There's still a great game in there, but you'll need to have the patience of a saint to stumble up its 90-degree difficulty curve to find it.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“Altered Matter’s confection of abstract art, sound, and puzzle design balances increased difficulty with an unspoken delicacy.”
read full review ↗ - 85
“The definite stand-out title of the week is Etherborn, a gorgeous, challenging, and somewhat mind-bending 3D environmental puzzler...”
read full review ↗ - 70
“Etherborn is well worth checking out if brain teasing is your thing. As it toys with gravity and shifts surfaces to the forefront while you traverse them, mechanics come and go to keep the experience fresh at all times. This environmental puzzler doesn't last particularly long, but it's sure to provide an afternoon's worth of challenge and enjoyment.”
read full review ↗ - 60
“But these are overshadowed by the thin layer of frustration caused by the loose controls and overly restrictive camera. There is potential here and if you enjoy more artful puzzle games like the ones this game has been heavily compared to, it's at least worth a look. Just be ready for a few hangups along the way that might take you out of the experience.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Overall, Etherborn is a lovely title that I thoroughly enjoyed, even though the story didn't need to be included. As a result, I give it an 8 out of 10. It has some beautiful music, an interesting puzzle design, and a fantastic minimalist art style. I highly recommend this title if players are looking for a quick puzzle game that will challenge their understanding for a time.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“The narrative and visual issues aside, the ultimate draw of this game is the complex, wonderful level designs and the intricate puzzles and they mountain over any serious concern I had with the game. Keep your head down and you should be able to crack Etherborn in around 3-4 hours, which is more than enough of this kind of gravity-puzzler for me.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Nice excursion with great level design and puzzle elements. Just too short.”
read full review ↗ - 60
“Etherborn is a compelling, gravity-shifting puzzle platformer, but its convoluted plot and limited worlds stop it from being exceptional.”
read full review ↗ - 60
“Etherborn has so much potential, but its best moments are over far too quickly, leaving little replay value aside from showing people how cool the design is.”
read full review ↗
Pure Nintendo
Jump Dash Roll
Nintendo Life
VGChartz
Nindie Spotlight
Push Square
NintendoWorldReport
Chalgyr's Game Room
FingerGuns
SECTOR.sk
GameSpot
TheSixthAxis…and 40 more tracked reviews.
Patch history
- Patch 1.0.3 is now live!Jun 1, 2020significant · resets scoring window
- Update 1.0.2 & Japan re-releaseOct 2, 2019
- An update on our release dateMay 28, 2019