Screenshots & trailers
What players say
Why the number is what it is: aspect mentions counted across 302 sampled Steam reviews (243 positive / 59 negative), recent and most-helpful. Plain keyword counting, fully reproducible; nothing here is written by a machine.
What positive reviews talk about
- Story & writing30% mention it
- World & exploration7% mention it
- Visuals & art7% mention it
- Bugs & crashes4% mention it
- Progression & loot4% mention it
What negative reviews complain about
- Story & writing32% mention it
- World & exploration12% mention it
Satisfaction by hours played
Same score, different games: see how sentiment holds up the longer people play.
Under 5h
67%
33 reviews
5-15h
78%
60 reviews
15-40h
79%
132 reviews
40-100h
90%
61 reviews
100h+
94%
16 reviews
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) | – | 82 | 15 |
| All-time Steam reviews | 90% | 84 | 1034 |
| Metacritic user ratings | – | 73 | 101 |
| Post-patch Steam reviews (trust-weighted) | 87% | 80 | 3000 |
| Calibration prior (typical game) | – | 72 | 50 |
Scoring window: since the last significant patch (Aug 12, 2025) · 300 reviews sampled · 11229 total reviews in window · weighted 222.1 up / 35.6 down · computed 1h ago · full methodology →
Patch history
- Below Zero Security HotfixOct 3, 2025
- Below Zero 2025 PatchAug 12, 2025significant · resets scoring window
- Teeny-Tiny HotfixOct 4, 2022
- What the Dock UpdateSep 13, 2022
- Language Pack PatchAug 18, 2021
- Below Zero 1.0 Released!May 14, 2021
- We Are Disabling Steam Cloud SavesApr 8, 2021significant · resets scoring window
- Seaworthy UpdateFeb 25, 2021
- Subnautica: Below Zero Price IncreasingDec 16, 2020
- Teeny-Tiny UpdateDec 4, 2020significant · resets scoring window
- Relics of the Past UpdateOct 29, 2020
- Stranger Pings UpdateAug 13, 2020
- Salad Days UpdateJun 25, 2020
- Frostbite UpdateApr 30, 2020significant · resets scoring window
- Lost Ship UpdateFeb 19, 2020
- Deep Dive UpdateNov 27, 2019
- Ice Worm UpdateSep 17, 2019
- Experimental Beta Updates & RisksJul 25, 2019significant · resets scoring window
- Arctic Living UpdateJul 17, 2019
- Spy Pengling UpdateJun 5, 2019
- Snowfox UpdateApr 24, 2019
- Seatruck UpdateMar 8, 2019
- Micro Update ReleasedFeb 12, 2019significant · resets scoring window
