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) | – | 70 | 13 |
| Creator reviews (1 tracked) | – | 97 | 0 |
| All-time Steam reviews | 69% | 66 | 301 |
| Metacritic user ratings | – | – | 0 |
| Post-patch Steam reviews (trust-weighted) | 84% | 78 | 1 |
| Calibration prior (typical game) | – | 72 | 50 |
Scoring window: last 30 days (no significant patch detected) · 3 reviews sampled · 2 total reviews in window · weighted 1.1 up / 0.2 down · computed 3h ago · full methodology →
Press & Creators reviews (36)
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.
- 85
“The King's Bird is a beautiful game. It's easy to learn, with movements that make for a unique take on the classic 2D platformer, set against a bold and stunning backdrop.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“The King's Bird is a tightly designed precision platformer whose gameplay loop consists of retrying the same frustrating areas until reaching the satisfaction of conquering them. Lather, rinse, repeat. The moments of flying through a dreamscape and sticking the landing are a true delight, at least. For fans of hard-mode platformers, this may arrive as a welcome treat and worth sinking a handful of hours into for that sweet payoff, but those with other tastes may want to keep looking elsewhere.”
read full review ↗ - 75
“You play the game as a very nimble young woman capable of some pretty impressive wall-jumping acrobatics but also with a limited ability to glide and fly...”
read full review ↗ - 60
“There are moments in The King's Bird where it's easy to lose yourself in the gameplay and striking visuals. Rocketing around colourful stages and indulging in the serene soundtrack is fun, but frustrating puzzle mechanics and little variance in the gameplay taint the experience.”
read full review ↗ - 50
“The Kings Bird is perhaps one of those games suited to gamers who love speedruns, where twitch platforming comes second nature and has the patience to really stick with the game. I enjoyed the first few levels, but the shortcomings of the controls and the haphazard nature of if they work or not kind of distracted me from what is an interesting and challenging game to play. Perhaps I need to just get better and these types of games, but having played games for 27 odd years I like to think I have the skills necessary to at least get to grips with the most challenging of games. As it stands The Kings Bird is hard to recommend to the casual gamer, but speedrunners will probably get the most out of this if they can get to grips with the somewhat broken mechanics.”
read full review ↗ - 60
“Perhaps The King's Bird's brilliance shines through on other platforms. Maybe speedrunners will find the level timer an irresistible challenge. I might even Git Gud myself if significant updates round out the edges, but for now, I'd recommend something a bit more polished.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“When things are going well, The King's Bird is a wonderful and fluid experience.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“The King's Bird is a good example of a platform game that follows the old adage "easy to learn, difficult to master", as its demanding controls will demonstrate. Players who muddle through it with patience and perseverance, however, will find a work that is very rewarding, and not just because of its marvelous art style. A very welcome addition to the Nintendo Switch catalogue, which could perhaps improve on its gameplay's repetitiveness in some instances.”
read full review ↗ - 50
“The lovely aesthetics and graceful movement in A King's Bird are undercut by a too steep difficulty and imprecise controls.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“The King’s Bird is a beautiful, daring platformer that lacks a strong narrative.”
read full review ↗ - 60
“WORTH CONSIDERING - The King’s Bird could have been something truly special, but middling controls, average level design, and infuriating difficulty will leave many giving up on it well before the ending. Some will no doubt cherish the challenge, but most would be better served looking elsewhere.”
read full review ↗ - 60
“The King's Bird captures a freewheeling spirit in its aerial platforming but doesn't do enough to leave a mark with anyone but the most hardcore.”
read full review ↗
Pure Nintendo
Nintendo Life
Nindie Spotlight
Push Square
FingerGuns
NintendoWorldReport
TheSixthAxis
FNintendo
GameSpot
MonsterVine
Nintendo Times
TechRaptor…and 24 more tracked reviews.
Patch history
- Followup Patch to 1.3Jan 4, 2024
- Patch 1.3 Release!Dec 21, 2023
- Patch 1.2 has arrived!Feb 12, 2019significant · resets scoring window
- Patch 1 is here!Sep 7, 2018
- Patch 0 is out!Aug 29, 2018