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) | – | 77 | 26 |
| All-time Steam reviews | 85% | 79 | 71 |
| Metacritic user ratings | – | – | 0 |
| Post-patch Steam reviews (trust-weighted) | 100% | 97 | 1 |
| Calibration prior (typical game) | – | 72 | 50 |
Scoring window: since the last significant patch (Aug 26, 2026) · 1 reviews sampled · 1 total reviews in window · weighted 1 up / 0 down · computed 2h ago · full methodology →
Press & Creators reviews (13)
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.
- 90
“While it doesn't reinvent the formula, Clockwork Ambrosia nonetheless makes it all the more entertaining with its tough bosses, gun mods, great traversal power-ups dished out for the intrepid explorers, and exhilarating shooting controls and feel. As someone who adores both search action titles and run-and-guns like Contra and Gunstar Heroes, this one's a match made in heaven.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“A crazy weapon modification system let’s you turn a rocket launcher into an entire army in Clockwork Ambrosia. But the rest of this Metroidvania is pretty standard, and there are a lot of rough edges that hold it back.”
read full review ↗ - 76
“Clockwork Ambrosia mixes classic Metroidvania exploration with one of the most ambitious weapon customization systems the genre has seen in years. It’s messy, creative, addictive, and occasionally frustrating, but it never feels boring. While pacing issues and repetitive rewards hold it back from true greatness, there’s still a lot here for fans of deep experimentation and fast-paced combat.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“Overall, I had a fun time with Clockwork Ambrosia and its heavily moddifiable gun-based combat, stunning pixel art visuals, and vibrant soundscape. However, a lacklustre narrative and signposting, unsolvable tech issues, as well as missing quality-of-life and fundamental design elements, led to frustration, confusion, and left me feeling somewhat deflated by the end of my 16-hour playthrough.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“I found Clockwork Ambrosia to be fun, but not as fun as I was hoping. The weapons do get absurd, but it takes too long to get there, a lot of the exploration can end up feeling unrewarding, especially as most weapons feel like there's one or two best builds for them, and swapping between weapons feels too sluggish, minimising the overall customisation I was hoping for. I like it, but I don't think it's going to stick with me.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“The weapon mods are clever, the world is fun to poke around in, the pixel art has personality, and the basic loop of finding gear and slowly becoming stronger works. But the rough technical state, weak map, uneven pacing, and occasional difficulty spikes make it harder to recommend without caveats.”
read full review ↗ - 60
“Clockwork Ambrosia is a decent Metroidvania with a really good gun customization feature. It's an indie project that's been in the works for 15 years now, since the team couldn't work full-time on it. A good game for fans of the genre, but one that won't really surprise you. It's a perfect title to play on the go, but it doesn't play ball with non-Windows systems.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Clockwork Ambrosia is a highly entertaining and charming homage to the classic run-and-gun action platformers of yesteryear, and whilst the sometimes-fiddly controls and brutal death penalties can be frustrating, the sheer creativity of the gunsmithing, the joy of exploring its world, and the gorgeous presentation make it well worth your time. I had a lot of fun with the game, with it clear throughout that the developer put a lot of love and care into those fourteen years spent crafting the game.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“It’s a solidly above-average metroidvania that looks like it could’ve come out at any point in the last forty years or so, and it plays pretty much as you’d expect it to. If you pick it up, I can’t imagine you’d be too disappointed in it (though I have one or two nitpicks that I’ll get to shortly) but I also don’t know that there’s anything that makes it stand out in a crowded field.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“Clockwork Ambrosia is a Metroidvania throwback that does everything right, and the gun mods make for some seriously exciting collectibles.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Beautiful and fun, Clockwork Ambrosia takes a retro approach to build a vast and demanding exploration experience, with little help in finding the next destination, which can be frustrating for those who don't want to feel lost. The combat is interesting because of how we can modify weapons with many accessories, encouraging experimentation to test what is most appropriate for different situations.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Clockwork Ambrosia is a solid Metroidvania experience. The weapon customization gives players near-infinite loadout combinations, significantly changing gameplay and lending itself well to replayability or even a challenge run for those inclined. From the weapon-modifying combat to the killer soundtrack to the beautiful pixelated art style, Clockwork Ambrosia is a game you shouldn't skip out on.”
read full review ↗
Kakuchopurei
Wolf's Gaming Blog
GamesCreed
Gamer Social Club
TheSixthAxis
Duuro Magazine
Final Weapon
Use a Potion
Gaming Age
Loot Level Chill
GameBlast
SmashPad…and 1 more tracked reviews.
Patch history
- Clockwork Ambrosia - Patch v1.0.4 [Beta]Aug 26, 2026significant · resets scoring window
- Clockwork Ambrosia - Patch v1.0.3Jul 7, 2026significant · resets scoring window
- Clockwork Ambrosia Hotfix 1.0.2.2Jun 2, 2026
- Clockwork Ambrosia Hotfix 1.0.2.1Jun 1, 2026
- Clockwork Ambrosia - Patch v1.0.2Jun 1, 2026significant · resets scoring window
- Clockwork Ambrosia Hotfix 1.0.1.1May 23, 2026
- Clockwork Ambrosia - Patch v1.0.1May 22, 2026significant · resets scoring window
- A li'l Clockwork HotfixMay 18, 2026
- Clockwork Ambrosia - Demo Update v0.4Feb 18, 2026significant · resets scoring window
- Clockwork Ambrosia Demo Re-ReleaseAug 13, 2025significant · resets scoring window
- Development Update, Spring 2025Mar 24, 2025significant · resets scoring window
- Clockwork Ambrosia Demo Patch #3Jun 7, 2024
- Clockwork Ambrosia Demo Patch #2Jun 7, 2024significant · resets scoring window
- Clockwork Ambrosia Demo Update! Enhanced controller/keyboard support!Mar 1, 2024significant · resets scoring window
- Developer Update - January 2022Feb 1, 2022