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) | – | 74 | 11 |
| All-time Steam reviews | 89% | 83 | 409 |
| Metacritic user ratings | – | – | 0 |
| Post-patch Steam reviews (trust-weighted) | – | – | 0 |
| Calibration prior (typical game) | – | 72 | 50 |
Scoring window: last 30 days (no significant patch detected) · 0 reviews sampled · 0 total reviews in window · weighted 0 up / 0 down · computed 3h ago · full methodology →
Press & Creators reviews (27)
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.
- 65
“I found Headliner: NoviNews entertaining enough to play through multiple times. Yet I still have several concerns with it.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“It's evident that the team at Unbound Creations is refining the idea of taking tough political issues and making them interesting, digestible, and thought provoking, creating something special and potentially significant.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“Being put in charge of choosing the headlines that will run for a big city's major source of news must be a weighty responsibility...”
read full review ↗ - 70
“The game has a lot to say and not much interest in whether or not it's exactly what you want to hear. I think it's an interesting experience that anybody with an interest in politics should absolutely check out, and its "no perfect solution" approach is very interesting even if it is oversimplified. The heavy handedness and the lack of gameplay variety make this game feel hard to recommend.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“A few niggles aside, Headliner: NoviNews is a smart and impactful game with a tonne of replayability. While it’s set in a fictional land featuring fictional characters and fictional news, it’s easy to draw parallels with the news agencies of our own countries, holding up a mirror to the way news is reported and the spin that is applied to facts. Exploring the ramifications of your decisions and what information you disseminate to the public, whether that’s becoming a state sponsored outlet or sticking to your responsibilities to provide impartial news, is fascinating. Headliner: NoviNews is an easy recommendation to anyone who fancies something a little bit different.”
read full review ↗ - 60
“Headliner: NoviNews has some good intentions and can be very good during some sections of gameplay, but an oversimplified political system and lacklustre art and sound directions prevent the game from fulfilling its full potential. Having said that, it can still be a good entry point for people who want to get into the world of politics in a more meaningful way.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“Headliner: NoviNews is a fun game that really can emphasis just how powerful a headline and news story can be, not to mention the wider impact it can have on a society. This is an experience that pushes the adage that actions have consequences so well.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“There are not a lot of games like Headliner: NoviNews but this new addition to the Nintendo Switch catalogue has a lot of merit, starting with being such a simple game to get into at the same time that it makes the player take decisions of a major importance. This stimulates the player into putting more and more effort into the game and while it's definitely not for everyone, there's plenty in Headliner: NoviNews to keep players satisfied.”
read full review ↗ - 85
“Headliner: NoviNews is a great achievement that could be considered a genuine jewel among independent games today. It doesn't only have unique gameplay, but also an engaging story and the ability to significantly influence the story with many different decisions.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Unbound Creations’ Headliner: Novinews is a hyper-compressed exploration of how society reflects the stories it tells, and what this means when the powerful hold all the pens.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“Headliner: NoviNews is an engaging, interesting game with a rich story, and what you publish as a national news editor truly impacts the world around you.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“Despite the repetitive nature that comes with playing a game multiple times however, Headliner: NoviNews is still as enjoyable, intriguing and powerful a year after my first experience with it. ”
read full review ↗
Pure Nintendo
VGChartz
Nindie Spotlight
NintendoWorldReport
FingerGuns
The Game is a Lie
TheSixthAxis
FNintendo
SomHráč.sk
Kritiqal
Geeks Under Grace
GameSpew…and 15 more tracked reviews.
Patch history
- Soundtrack Now Available + Game Update!Sep 24, 2019significant · resets scoring window
- Update: Controller support, re-balances, performance & bug fixes!May 24, 2019significant · resets scoring window
- Play next big update early on beta branch!Apr 5, 2019significant · resets scoring window
- Mega Update!Feb 3, 2019significant · resets scoring window
- Big Content Update and Price Change Coming SoonJan 30, 2019significant · resets scoring window
- Patch 1.0.40s Out - Fixes Galore!Nov 15, 2018significant · resets scoring window
- First Patch is out!Oct 24, 2018