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 (Metacritic) | – | 89 | 8 |
| All-time Steam reviews | 96% | 90 | 1000 |
| Metacritic user ratings | – | 90 | 17 |
| Post-patch Steam reviews (trust-weighted) | 95% | 89 | 31 |
| Calibration prior (typical game) | – | 72 | 50 |
Acclaim gate: the raw blend lands at 89.5, but scores above 88 must be earned in front of a mass audience; this verdict rests on 8,196 player reviews, a largely self-selected fanbase. As more players weigh in, the ceiling rises (full scale unlocks at 100,000 reviews).
Scoring window: last 30 days (no significant patch detected) · 90 reviews sampled · 78 total reviews in window · weighted 68.9 up / 3.8 down · computed 2h ago · full methodology →
Press & Creators reviews (15)
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.
- 69
“If you've never tried tower defense and you want a great introduction to the genre, Kingdom Rush is perfect. If you're devoted to the genre and want to play the prominent examples of it, this is absolutely up your street. But if you've played one or two prototypical tower defense games and are looking for something new, Kingdom Rush doesn't have much to offer.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“Brilliantly combining as stiff a task as you're likely to encounter with a perfectly pitched sense of fun, Kingdom Rush breathes new life into the tower defence genre, and has a whole lot of laughs doing it.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“Kingdom Rush is an instant classic and is guaranteed to turn up on 2012 "best of" lists. Anyone remotely interested in either tower defense or strategy should consider it a most-own. Gamers that think they don't enjoy the genre should give Kingdom Rush a shot anyway, it might just win you over. ”
read full review ↗ - 90
“If you couldn't play Kingdom Rush the first time around, you owe it to yourself to play it now.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“Kingdom Rush offers enough variety in towers and enemies to take up more than a few minutes of someone's time, especially those who enjoy a very well done tower defense game. And this is one of them making it an easy recommendation to buy.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“A fantastic package. It's a game that made me take notice, that made a well-trod genre seem a bit fresher and more interesting than it's been in a while.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“An incredibly addictive tower defense game. Its star-based upgrade system, paired with crisp artwork and butter smooth gameplay, will definitely have you soaking hour after hour into the game.”
read full review ↗ - 100
“Kingdom Rush is a beaut of a tower defense game, with new ideas that make it feel extremely polished and refined.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“The cute presentation is great, and gives further enjoyment.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“Kingdom Rush deserves a lot of goodwill, simply because it's able to make tower defense gameplay feel fresh and fun. In addition to the deep, challenging gameplay, the game's production values are simply outstanding. This is easily one of the best tower defense games currently in the App Store.”
read full review ↗ - 94
“Overall, Kingdom Rush is a very enjoyable game. The gaming challenge and hours of play you will get from it make it one of the best gaming bargains you'll find.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“A solid Tower Defense, with nice production values and perfect gameplay balance. Probably one of the better games of its genre, with a surprising ability not to bore the player during the waves of ennemies.”
read full review ↗
ZTGD
IGN…and 3 more tracked reviews.
Patch history
- The Primal Ravage update is hereSep 29, 2022
- A new expansion: Forgotten treasures is here!Mar 7, 2019significant · resets scoring window
- Play the second Origins expansion now!Jan 31, 2019significant · resets scoring window
- Hulking rage expansion is here!Dec 18, 2018significant · resets scoring window