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ReviewDisparity

Critics, outlets, and games against player sentiment

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ReviewDisparity tracks how critics, outlets, and games compare with player opinion across Steam and Metacritic. The goal is simple: make disagreement visible instead of burying it in scattered scorecards.

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© 2026 ReviewDisparity. Independent review disparity tracking.

Data sourced from publicly available information on OpenCritic, Steam, and Metacritic. ReviewDisparity is not affiliated with or endorsed by any of those services.

Track critic scores against the player curve

Browse release-by-release disagreement between professional reviews and player response, then sort by recency, disparity, or title to find where the biggest score gaps live.

Beyond Words

Beyond Words

Release Date: Apr 9, 2026
-10.1

Latest Review

Jim Smale at Gert Lush Gaming

Apr 21, 2026 | Score 74

“A dangerously addictive word-smithing time sink that proves the pen is mightier than the sword, even if it won’t let me use my favourite swear words.”

Critics
80
Steam
90
Metacritic
—
Beyond Words

Beyond Words

Release Date: Apr 9, 2026

Latest review: Jim Smale at Gert Lush Gaming

Apr 21, 2026 | Score 74

“A dangerously addictive word-smithing time sink that proves the pen is mightier than the sword, even if it won’t let me use my favourite swear words.”

-10.1
Critics
80
Steam
90
Metacritic
—
Lay of the Land

Lay of the Land

Release Date: Apr 8, 2026
-9.1

Latest Review

Erik Hodges at Try Hard Guides

Apr 11, 2026 | Score 70

“Lay of the Land stands out in the voxel-craft genre with the use of actual voxels, allowing for far more creative builds and stunning environments than anything else in the genre. While the experience is pretty short, players are sure to appreciate what’s in that six- to ten-hour timeframe, even if they might not be very compelled to play for longer.”

Critics
70
Steam
79
Metacritic
—
Lay of the Land

Lay of the Land

Release Date: Apr 8, 2026

Latest review: Erik Hodges at Try Hard Guides

Apr 11, 2026 | Score 70

Morbid Metal

Morbid Metal

Release Date: Apr 8, 2026
N/A
Critics
—
Steam
83
Metacritic
—
Morbid Metal

Morbid Metal

Release Date: Apr 8, 2026
N/A
Critics
—
Steam
83
Metacritic
—
Find Your Words

Find Your Words

Release Date: Apr 8, 2026
-14.5

Latest Review

Kim Snaith at GameSpew

Apr 9, 2026 | Score 80

“Find Your Words is very short, and has a few issues – but considering it's available for free, any problems are easily forgiven. A cute little adventure about a non-verbal child communicating via a binder full of symbols, it's a must for any kid – or indeed any grown-up wanting an hour of cosy escapism.”

Critics
83
Steam
97
Metacritic
—
Find Your Words

Find Your Words

Release Date: Apr 8, 2026

Latest review: Kim Snaith at GameSpew

Apr 9, 2026 | Score 80

“Find Your Words is very short, and has a few issues – but considering it's available for free, any problems are easily forgiven. A cute little adventure about a non-verbal child communicating via a binder full of symbols, it's a must for any kid – or indeed any grown-up wanting an hour of cosy escapism.”

Good Luck

Good Luck

Release Date: Apr 8, 2026
N/A
Critics
—
Steam
78
Metacritic
—
Good Luck

Good Luck

Release Date: Apr 8, 2026
N/A
Critics
—
Steam
78
Metacritic
—
Incantation

Incantation

Release Date: Apr 8, 2026
-4.2

Latest Review

Justin Nation at Nindie Spotlight

Apr 10, 2026 | Score 63

“If you’re willing to be patient on the more suspenseful moments and scares, there’s at least some payoff here, but there’s also a lot of downtime and general disappointment in between”

Critics
70
Steam
74
Metacritic
—
Incantation

Incantation

Release Date: Apr 8, 2026

Latest review: Justin Nation at Nindie Spotlight

Apr 10, 2026 | Score 63

“If you’re willing to be patient on the more suspenseful moments and scares, there’s at least some payoff here, but there’s also a lot of downtime and general disappointment in between”

The House of Hikmah

The House of Hikmah

Release Date: Apr 8, 2026
-23.0

Latest Review

Thumb Culture Staff at Thumb Culture

Apr 9, 2026 | Score 80

“Like a bowl of soup, The House of Hikmah is a satisfying blend greater than the sum of its parts. It takes a hearty stock of engaging story and builds upon it, with beautiful graphics, challenging puzzles, and atmospheric music. And while you may encounter occasional glitches, nothing should be too hard to swallow. In fact, it’ll likely leave you wanting a second helping. I greatly enjoyed my time in The House of Hikmah and I believe you will too. I give it the Thumb Culture Gold Award and my personal recommendation.”

Critics
75
Steam
98
Metacritic
—
The House of Hikmah

The House of Hikmah

Release Date: Apr 8, 2026
P

Pokemon Champions

Release Date: Apr 8, 2026
+17.8

Latest Review

Chris Jones at Lords Of Gaming

Apr 22, 2026 | Score 89

“Pokemon Champions succeeds in doing something the series has struggled with for years: making competitive Pokemon accessible without stripping away its depth. Between the streamlined systems, balanced design choices, and strong progression, it creates an experience that feels welcoming to newcomers while still challenging veterans to adapt. While issues like the Replica Team system and lack of a replay feature hold it back slightly, the overall package is incredibly strong. After 30 hours of play and plenty of time in ranked battles, it’s clear this is a game built to last and one that I’ll continue playing well beyond this review.”

Critics
69
Steam
—
Metacritic
51
P

Pokemon Champions

Release Date: Apr 8, 2026

Latest review: Chris Jones at Lords Of Gaming

The Occultist

The Occultist

Release Date: Apr 8, 2026
-5.3

Latest Review

Jonathan Laurin at Geeks & Com

Apr 17, 2026 | Score 70

“The Occultist is a solid narrative horror game that focuses more on atmosphere and exploration than on action. Thanks to its unique pendulum mechanics, varied environments, and intriguing story, it manages to hold your interest from start to finish. Despite a few flaws, such as limited replayability, occasionally confusing navigation, and uneven voice acting, the experience remains solid and immersive. It’s a relatively short but well-paced game that will appeal to fans of survival horror focused on exploration and puzzles.”

Critics
67
Steam
76
Metacritic
69
The Occultist

The Occultist

Release Date: Apr 8, 2026

Latest review: Jonathan Laurin at Geeks & Com

Samson

Samson

Release Date: Apr 8, 2026
+0.2

Latest Review

3DNews Staff at 3DNews

Apr 19, 2026 | Score 50

“Quote not yet available”

Critics
54
Steam
55
Metacritic
52
Samson

Samson

Release Date: Apr 8, 2026

Latest review: 3DNews Staff at 3DNews

Apr 19, 2026 | Score 50

“Quote not yet available”

+0.2
Critics
54
Steam
55
Metacritic
52
Origament

Origament

Release Date: Apr 7, 2026
-24.5

Latest Review

Cubed3 Staff at Cubed3

May 14, 2026 | Score 70

“Despite a couple of minor issues, Origament manages to be a perfect stress reliever. Its slow pace combined with very smooth controls and relaxing surroundings create a dreamlike experience. However, just as with dreams, the logic does not always make sense, which sadly translates into some very weird invisible walls and difficulty separating what is meant to be explored from what is not. All in all, it is a great game to play through in an otherwise stressful evening, or to just let one's child play as one of their first video game experiences.”

Critics
73
Steam
97
Metacritic
—
Origament

Origament

Release Date: Apr 7, 2026

Latest review: Cubed3 Staff at Cubed3

Starfield - Terran Armada

Starfield - Terran Armada

Release Date: Apr 7, 2026
+52.6

Latest Review

Uagna Staff at Uagna

Apr 15, 2026 | Score 90

“Starfield’s arrival on PS5 brings one of this generation’s most significant RPGs to Sony users, despite its flaws. Its release, coinciding with the Free Lanes update and the Terran Armada DLC, offers an extremely content-rich package overall. Although Terran Armada adds a lot to the mix, of the two updates it is Free Lanes that most significantly enhances the experience: the new free interplanetary travel system adds a much-needed element and breathes new life into Bethesda’s space opera. Finally, the excellent implementation of the DualSense is worth noting, with its features utilised to the full to make the controls more comfortable and intuitive.”

Critics
90
Steam
37
Metacritic
—
Starfield - Terran Armada

Starfield - Terran Armada

ChainStaff

ChainStaff

Release Date: Apr 7, 2026
-13.2

Latest Review

Lorenzo Bologna at Uagna

Apr 18, 2026 | Score 75

“ChainStaff is an imperfect yet incredibly inspired game. An action platformer that takes the best of a bygone era and reimagines it with a visual imagination that is all too rare in today’s landscape. It has obvious flaws, including an uneven pace, a few too many frustrating moments, and gameplay that isn’t always flawless. But it also has something that many more polished games lack: a strong, distinctive and constantly surprising vision. It is a title that dares, overdoes it, makes mistakes, but never ceases to be interesting. And in a market full of well-made but soulless games, that is no small feat.”

Critics
81
Steam
94
Metacritic
—
ChainStaff

ChainStaff

Release Date: Apr 7, 2026

Latest review: Lorenzo Bologna at Uagna

Machine Child

Machine Child

Release Date: Apr 7, 2026
-6.2

Latest Review

John Rafael at NookGaming

Apr 7, 2026 | Score 60

“Machine Child is a raising sim visual novel that features a cast of cute daughters that readers are given the opportunity to dote on as they accompany them through a critical year of personal growth. The game, through its simplistic gameplay and easy-to-understand mechanics, offers a relaxing time should you give it a try. Although I find the narrative too segmented to properly appreciate its implied continuity, the mini-episodes that lead to any of the heroine’s seven possible endings were concise and weirdly emotional despite the very limited format in which the text is implemented. But for most of the game, the text feels too shallow in its progression that it’s a little bit hard to enjoy, despite the relatively interesting social dynamics it tries to discuss. ​When it comes to visual presentation, however, the game is well supplied with beautiful art from Ooyari Ashito housed within an adorable UI layout that just oozes cute. There’s also a healthy mix of fashionable and skimpy outfits for each heroine that are exciting yet equally frustrating to try to collect until completion. This pretty image does come at a cost, however, as many of the cute screen transitions related to the gameplay loop do artificially increase the length of every playthrough. It makes it a little bit unappealing to continuously replay, especially considering that missing items might be gated behind unpredictable RNG mechanics. ​If you like grindy raising sims that mainly revolve around cute girls doing cute things regardless of whether or not there’s an overarching storyline, then Machine Child might be a game for you. The in-game achievement list and available outfits make for a good challenge, whether it be to figure out the most efficient way to unlock everything or simply help you to stay sane as a minor mistake costs you your entire run. Just be careful about its lack of a save system; it’s pretty easy to lose hours of progress by misclicking important buttons. Not all button prompts are created equal, after all!”

Sigma Star Saga DX

Sigma Star Saga DX

Release Date: Apr 7, 2026
N/A

Latest Review

César Núñez at GamerFocus

Apr 17, 2026 | Score 65

“Our score for Sigma Star Saga DX is heavily influenced by the use of the mGBA emulator without even giving it credit from the start, because this kind of practice cannot be normalized and then pretended to be undone by a subsequent update or agreement. Reputable companies like WayForward and Limited Run Games not only can, but MUST do better, especially when they have a game with a unique blend of elements that they wanted to legally revive. Ironic, given all the controversy.”

Critics
72
Steam
88
Metacritic
—
Sigma Star Saga DX

Sigma Star Saga DX

Release Date: Apr 7, 2026

Latest review: César Núñez at GamerFocus

KuloNiku: Bowl Up!

KuloNiku: Bowl Up!

Release Date: Apr 7, 2026
-15.8

Latest Review

SavePoint Gaming Staff at SavePoint Gaming

Apr 10, 2026 | Score 85

“KuloNiku: Bowl Up! wins you over, not through spectacle, but through sincerity. Its cooking is satisfying, its town is full of warmth, and its cultural identity gives the whole experience a flavour that sticks. A little repetition does creep in, but the heart of this one is easy to love.”

Critics
81
Steam
97
Metacritic
—
KuloNiku: Bowl Up!

KuloNiku: Bowl Up!

Release Date: Apr 7, 2026

Latest review: SavePoint Gaming Staff at SavePoint Gaming

Apr 10, 2026 | Score 85

People of Note

People of Note

Release Date: Apr 7, 2026
+0.4

Latest Review

Lucas Soares at Pizza Fria

Apr 19, 2026 | Score 81

“People of Note is an example of how it's possible to innovate within a traditional genre without losing its essence.”

Critics
79
Steam
91
Metacritic
66
People of Note

People of Note

Release Date: Apr 7, 2026

Latest review: Lucas Soares at Pizza Fria

Apr 19, 2026 | Score 81

“People of Note is an example of how it's possible to innovate within a traditional genre without losing its essence.”

Fortune Seller

Fortune Seller

Release Date: Apr 6, 2026
-16.0

Latest Review

Cosmin Vasile at Softpedia

May 22, 2026 | Score 75

“Fortune Seller offers a new take on the ideas that made the likes of Balatro a huge success, but its mechanical innovation is limited. The idea of playing a sort of Tetris while finding the right Tarot and spell combinations to rack up huge scores sounds more engaging than it actually is. Fans of the genre will appreciate the variety and the relatively quick runs.”

Critics
75
Steam
91
Metacritic
—
Fortune Seller

Fortune Seller

Release Date: Apr 6, 2026

Latest review: Cosmin Vasile at Softpedia

May 22, 2026 | Score 75

Hacked: The Streamer

Hacked: The Streamer

Release Date: Apr 6, 2026
-14.6

Latest Review

Mike Bridge at MKAU Gaming

Apr 25, 2026 | Score 70

“Overall, Hacked: The Streamer is a well-put-together title; the story is engaging and keeps you guessing as you go along. Its storyline taps into people’s real emotions around online bullying and the danger of putting yourself in the public eye, a sick mother who needs to be looked after, and the realisation that you cannot always control the outcome of a situation. If you enjoy FMV games, you will enjoy this one, though there aren’t many hours of content. What’s there though, can be rewarding if you manage to sort out who the hacker is.”

Critics
60
Steam
75
Metacritic
—
Hacked: The Streamer

Hacked: The Streamer

Release Date: Apr 6, 2026
Hidden Things: Beach Elves

Hidden Things: Beach Elves

Release Date: Apr 3, 2026
N/A
Critics
—
Steam
97
Metacritic
—
Hidden Things: Beach Elves

Hidden Things: Beach Elves

Release Date: Apr 3, 2026
N/A
Critics
—
Steam
97
Metacritic
—
PreviousPage 9 of 731Next

“Lay of the Land stands out in the voxel-craft genre with the use of actual voxels, allowing for far more creative builds and stunning environments than anything else in the genre. While the experience is pretty short, players are sure to appreciate what’s in that six- to ten-hour timeframe, even if they might not be very compelled to play for longer.”

-9.1
Critics
70
Steam
79
Metacritic
—
-14.5
Critics
83
Steam
97
Metacritic
—
-4.2
Critics
70
Steam
74
Metacritic
—

Latest review: Thumb Culture Staff at Thumb Culture

Apr 9, 2026 | Score 80

“Like a bowl of soup, The House of Hikmah is a satisfying blend greater than the sum of its parts. It takes a hearty stock of engaging story and builds upon it, with beautiful graphics, challenging puzzles, and atmospheric music. And while you may encounter occasional glitches, nothing should be too hard to swallow. In fact, it’ll likely leave you wanting a second helping. I greatly enjoyed my time in The House of Hikmah and I believe you will too. I give it the Thumb Culture Gold Award and my personal recommendation.”

-23.0
Critics
75
Steam
98
Metacritic
—

Apr 22, 2026 | Score 89

“Pokemon Champions succeeds in doing something the series has struggled with for years: making competitive Pokemon accessible without stripping away its depth. Between the streamlined systems, balanced design choices, and strong progression, it creates an experience that feels welcoming to newcomers while still challenging veterans to adapt. While issues like the Replica Team system and lack of a replay feature hold it back slightly, the overall package is incredibly strong. After 30 hours of play and plenty of time in ranked battles, it’s clear this is a game built to last and one that I’ll continue playing well beyond this review.”

+17.8
Critics
69
Steam
—
Metacritic
51

Apr 17, 2026 | Score 70

“The Occultist is a solid narrative horror game that focuses more on atmosphere and exploration than on action. Thanks to its unique pendulum mechanics, varied environments, and intriguing story, it manages to hold your interest from start to finish. Despite a few flaws, such as limited replayability, occasionally confusing navigation, and uneven voice acting, the experience remains solid and immersive. It’s a relatively short but well-paced game that will appeal to fans of survival horror focused on exploration and puzzles.”

-5.3
Critics
67
Steam
76
Metacritic
69

May 14, 2026 | Score 70

“Despite a couple of minor issues, Origament manages to be a perfect stress reliever. Its slow pace combined with very smooth controls and relaxing surroundings create a dreamlike experience. However, just as with dreams, the logic does not always make sense, which sadly translates into some very weird invisible walls and difficulty separating what is meant to be explored from what is not. All in all, it is a great game to play through in an otherwise stressful evening, or to just let one's child play as one of their first video game experiences.”

-24.5
Critics
73
Steam
97
Metacritic
—
Release Date: Apr 7, 2026

Latest review: Uagna Staff at Uagna

Apr 15, 2026 | Score 90

“Starfield’s arrival on PS5 brings one of this generation’s most significant RPGs to Sony users, despite its flaws. Its release, coinciding with the Free Lanes update and the Terran Armada DLC, offers an extremely content-rich package overall. Although Terran Armada adds a lot to the mix, of the two updates it is Free Lanes that most significantly enhances the experience: the new free interplanetary travel system adds a much-needed element and breathes new life into Bethesda’s space opera. Finally, the excellent implementation of the DualSense is worth noting, with its features utilised to the full to make the controls more comfortable and intuitive.”

+52.6
Critics
90
Steam
37
Metacritic
—

Apr 18, 2026 | Score 75

“ChainStaff is an imperfect yet incredibly inspired game. An action platformer that takes the best of a bygone era and reimagines it with a visual imagination that is all too rare in today’s landscape. It has obvious flaws, including an uneven pace, a few too many frustrating moments, and gameplay that isn’t always flawless. But it also has something that many more polished games lack: a strong, distinctive and constantly surprising vision. It is a title that dares, overdoes it, makes mistakes, but never ceases to be interesting. And in a market full of well-made but soulless games, that is no small feat.”

-13.2
Critics
81
Steam
94
Metacritic
—
Critics
60
Steam
66
Metacritic
—
Machine Child

Machine Child

Release Date: Apr 7, 2026

Latest review: John Rafael at NookGaming

Apr 7, 2026 | Score 60

“Machine Child is a raising sim visual novel that features a cast of cute daughters that readers are given the opportunity to dote on as they accompany them through a critical year of personal growth. The game, through its simplistic gameplay and easy-to-understand mechanics, offers a relaxing time should you give it a try. Although I find the narrative too segmented to properly appreciate its implied continuity, the mini-episodes that lead to any of the heroine’s seven possible endings were concise and weirdly emotional despite the very limited format in which the text is implemented. But for most of the game, the text feels too shallow in its progression that it’s a little bit hard to enjoy, despite the relatively interesting social dynamics it tries to discuss. ​When it comes to visual presentation, however, the game is well supplied with beautiful art from Ooyari Ashito housed within an adorable UI layout that just oozes cute. There’s also a healthy mix of fashionable and skimpy outfits for each heroine that are exciting yet equally frustrating to try to collect until completion. This pretty image does come at a cost, however, as many of the cute screen transitions related to the gameplay loop do artificially increase the length of every playthrough. It makes it a little bit unappealing to continuously replay, especially considering that missing items might be gated behind unpredictable RNG mechanics. ​If you like grindy raising sims that mainly revolve around cute girls doing cute things regardless of whether or not there’s an overarching storyline, then Machine Child might be a game for you. The in-game achievement list and available outfits make for a good challenge, whether it be to figure out the most efficient way to unlock everything or simply help you to stay sane as a minor mistake costs you your entire run. Just be careful about its lack of a save system; it’s pretty easy to lose hours of progress by misclicking important buttons. Not all button prompts are created equal, after all!”

-6.2
Critics
60
Steam
66
Metacritic
—

Apr 17, 2026 | Score 65

“Our score for Sigma Star Saga DX is heavily influenced by the use of the mGBA emulator without even giving it credit from the start, because this kind of practice cannot be normalized and then pretended to be undone by a subsequent update or agreement. Reputable companies like WayForward and Limited Run Games not only can, but MUST do better, especially when they have a game with a unique blend of elements that they wanted to legally revive. Ironic, given all the controversy.”

N/A
Critics
72
Steam
88
Metacritic
—

“KuloNiku: Bowl Up! wins you over, not through spectacle, but through sincerity. Its cooking is satisfying, its town is full of warmth, and its cultural identity gives the whole experience a flavour that sticks. A little repetition does creep in, but the heart of this one is easy to love.”

-15.8
Critics
81
Steam
97
Metacritic
—
+0.4
Critics
79
Steam
91
Metacritic
66

“Fortune Seller offers a new take on the ideas that made the likes of Balatro a huge success, but its mechanical innovation is limited. The idea of playing a sort of Tetris while finding the right Tarot and spell combinations to rack up huge scores sounds more engaging than it actually is. Fans of the genre will appreciate the variety and the relatively quick runs.”

-16.0
Critics
75
Steam
91
Metacritic
—

Latest review: Mike Bridge at MKAU Gaming

Apr 25, 2026 | Score 70

“Overall, Hacked: The Streamer is a well-put-together title; the story is engaging and keeps you guessing as you go along. Its storyline taps into people’s real emotions around online bullying and the danger of putting yourself in the public eye, a sick mother who needs to be looked after, and the realisation that you cannot always control the outcome of a situation. If you enjoy FMV games, you will enjoy this one, though there aren’t many hours of content. What’s there though, can be rewarding if you manage to sort out who the hacker is.”

-14.6
Critics
60
Steam
75
Metacritic
—