Europa Universalis IV
analyzed 2026-08-09 · sample of 555 English reviews across the whole review history
Players consistently praise the core gameplay, with 102 of the 117 reviews mentioning it taking a positive view. They describe a game that "requires you to use your strategic thinking" and is "more nuanced than Civilization in diplomacy options and in events and parameters." The addictiveness and replayability are mentioned without a single negative review in either category, with players noting it "devours all the free time I have" and that "2 games of Europa Universalis IV can never be the same even if you play the same country dozens of times." The dominant criticism concerns the DLC model, which appears in 94 reviews and is negative in 69 of them. Players call it "paradox's dlc policy. Game is literally unplayable without dlcs" and say "it really isn't worth buying hundreds of pounds of DLC." The learning curve is another sore point, with 38 of 60 mentions negative, including "Extremely complex and takes an extremely long time to master" and "Still have no idea how the game works." Smaller but consistent complaints target the UI ("tiny text on modern monitors"), stability ("sync Error every two ingame months"), and developer conduct, with 12 of 13 mentions negative. Opinion splits appear around difficulty, where 12 of 20 mentions are positive, and multiplayer, which is praised for "well working multiplayer abilities" but also described as "Best played in multiplayer" by some. Players also bring up the modding scene, the historical depth, and the sheer content amount as recurring positives, while balance and AI behavior draw recurring criticism.
numbers checked against this report's stored data · quotes copied verbatim from reviews · plain text is the language model's own wording
Aspects
share of sample, axis to 30% · ± is the sampling uncertainty around each share
- positive
- mixed / neutral
- negative
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gameplay
102 positive · 10 negative · 4 mixed · 1 neutral
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Extremely complex and takes an extremely long time to master (which I still haven't done), but it's a great and engaging game for history and alternative history fans.
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Great game , got this game from friend and this game really kills boredom it`s great game which requires you to use your strategic thinking and also i learned alot of history from this game taught me alot of things
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Interesting strategy, more nuanced than Civilization in diplomacy options and in events and parameters.
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dlc
14 positive · 69 negative · 7 mixed · 4 neutral
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I still don't like the EA approach to new content, but the older stuff is still very good and still very worth it.
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First things first, we gotta get this out of the way; [b]this game is simply DLC hell[/b], no way around it.
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Great game, terrible DLC policy.
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learning curve
15 positive · 38 negative · 4 mixed · 3 neutral
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Extremely complex and takes an extremely long time to master (which I still haven't done), but it's a great and engaging game for history and alternative history fans.
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practically unplayable - fonts so small - almost impossible to read - tutorial next to useless - game story line a mysterie - altogether an unmitigated desaster - a waste of money !
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A game with a steep learning curve but promises endless hours of strategizing fun.
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price value
10 positive · 15 negative · 6 mixed · 7 neutral
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I get that the game does go on sale quite regularly ($12 for the base game), and in the past there have been the rare bundle deal for most of the content for around $20, but the prices are still flat out inexcusable and still not worth it.
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If you don't mind though, definitely use the subscription, because it really isn't worth buying hundreds of pounds of DLC.
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Way too dependent on DLCs, love the game seriously, but ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ does paradox love to strap you down and milk you for money, Paradox couldn't give a ♥♥♥♥ about their audience, great game, ♥♥♥♥ paradox, DLCs are way too expensive.
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addictiveness
32 positive · 0 negative · 0 mixed · 0 neutral
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+ addictive
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addictive as ♥♥♥♥
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obtain the game with all it's extras, it'll have you hooked.
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replayability
22 positive · 0 negative · 0 mixed · 0 neutral
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Nearly unlimited replay value.
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2 games of Europa Universalis IV can never be the same even if you play the same country dozens of times, the Clausewitz engine finds new problems to throw at you through every playthrough, Paradox …
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Every play through is different and exciting and just when you think you get the hang of the game a new DLC drops which changes the game entirely.
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difficulty
12 positive · 6 negative · 2 mixed · 0 neutral
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All these things are why this game is so much fun.
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its really good, but hard
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Offers challenge to strong gamers, and France to those who aren't experts.
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content amount
12 positive · 5 negative · 0 mixed · 0 neutral
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I still don't like the EA approach to new content, but the older stuff is still very good and still very worth it.
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5/5 because I enjoy the way you can alter history and the amount of content allows the user to try new challenges everytime they play.
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There's so many different ways to play and different nations to play as you'll never run out of things to do.
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mods
14 positive · 1 negative · 0 mixed · 0 neutral
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Although there are mods that fix the tiny text on modern monitors, I still wish there's an official patch that address this fundamental issue.
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Mods are also a thing, but other than that it's a great game.
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I think it’s honestly commendable that the community and developers have stuck around for this long trying to make the best of what’s here, especially mods like Abennar, Ante Bellum and MEIOU and Taxes which show the true potential of this game.
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multiplayer
9 positive · 5 negative · 1 mixed · 0 neutral
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The improved trade system and well working multiplayer abilities makes this one the best EU game so far, and maybe the best "manage your country"- strategy game out there right now.
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Multiplayer recommended.
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Best played in multiplayer, but fun in singleplayer nonetheless.
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see more
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updates
9 positive · 4 negative · 1 mixed · 0 neutral
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pretty fun game, very fleshed out after years of support
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… same country dozens of times, the Clausewitz engine finds new problems to throw at you through every playthrough, Paradox outdid themselves constantly updating and implroving this game as more and more players give ideas for new mechanics and playstyles.
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So far this game has received quite a few updates, tweaking balance, adding/changing features.
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developer conduct
1 positive · 12 negative · 0 mixed · 0 neutral
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I will ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ point to this review as to how bad The marketting is.
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Paradox doesn't care about their customers.
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The devs have abandoned the European aspect of the game in favor of obscure and irrelevant African and SE Asian nations that only a niche group care about.
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balance
3 positive · 9 negative · 0 mixed · 0 neutral
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Ulm is OP
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The game’s system of alliances and coalitions only adds to our woes, as the infidel Christians band together at the slightest provocation, turning our just war into a struggle for survival.
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found this game to be awful,you can only build small armies and when it comes to an attack the ai has all of a sudden 4 times the amount of troops you could muster,so basically you are pounded into the ground without building much,bit crap
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ai behavior
2 positive · 8 negative · 1 mixed · 0 neutral
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I've spent over $300 on this, I think I deserve AI allies who don't sit in their territory while I'm in need of their help.
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However, the allied AI is one of the worst i've ever seen.
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The learning curve is steep, the AI is far superior at micro managing several countries and units, and the liklihood of being destroyed by a much powerful nation is always on the horizon.
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community
7 positive · 3 negative · 0 mixed · 0 neutral
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Lots of good youtube content which helps you learn as you play.
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I think it’s honestly commendable that the community and developers have stuck around for this long trying to make the best of what’s here, especially mods like Abennar, Ante Bellum and MEIOU and Taxes which show the true potential of this game.
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Youtube and google is your friend for questions and some tutorials.
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realism
7 positive · 3 negative · 0 mixed · 0 neutral
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With EU IV, they found the balance between an in-depth historical simulation and an easy-to-get-into strategy game.
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it's realistic.
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its a very challenging game for new players, but its worth it if ur into history, warfare, ect.
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stability
0 positive · 9 negative · 0 mixed · 0 neutral
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It crashes every two months.
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game sucks doesnt work keeps glithing out and i cant pay
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Oh and maybe playtest your games.
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ui
0 positive · 9 negative · 0 mixed · 0 neutral
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practically unplayable - fonts so small - almost impossible to read - tutorial next to useless - game story line a mysterie - altogether an unmitigated desaster - a waste of money !
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Although there are mods that fix the tiny text on modern monitors, I still wish there's an official patch that address this fundamental issue.
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Disclaimer: It wont be fun until you learn the HUD and the mechanics of the game.
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game length
6 positive · 2 negative · 0 mixed · 0 neutral
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You will sink in for hours, only to realise your campain has barely started.
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2000 hours.
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I spent an enormous amount of time in EU4, don't regret a second of it.
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player choice
6 positive · 2 negative · 0 mixed · 0 neutral
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even though I never bought dlc for this game it's fun for a few hours a day play as you like no one cares if cheat
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I am a casual player but this is my single player game when I'm not in the discord with friends but this game is for someone that would like a choice game.
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This game gives you the ability to "shape the world" as you want which in itself is awesome.
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combat
2 positive · 4 negative · 0 mixed · 0 neutral
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-Battles can be improved on.
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nothings perfect, so the constant pop ups drive me a bit mad, theres probably a way to stop that, the military is a hard nut to crack, but i love it.
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it has a dice system for battles, which is pretty eh, but otherwise an incredibly fun game.
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build variety
5 positive · 0 negative · 0 mixed · 0 neutral
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All sorts of alternatives and ways to play.
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So much choice and yet every option seems just as valid and detailed as every other.
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I can play many different styles, because of the difference between nations, whether it be large or small, landlocked or coastal.
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lore
5 positive · 0 negative · 0 mixed · 0 neutral
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+ you can actually learn quite a bit of history from this game
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Great game , got this game from friend and this game really kills boredom it`s great game which requires you to use your strategic thinking and also i learned alot of history from this game taught me alot of things
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The creators have added history to great detail, depth of gameplay and mechanics, and you can tell they take pride in their work and the continue to add more content and update the game regularly.
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performance
0 positive · 5 negative · 0 mixed · 0 neutral
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was to big if you have a labtop dont buy
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Engine is an old POS that is heavy single thread dependent, used to be only an issue with heavy mods but base game just get worse and worse as well.
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the load times for getting the game to the main menu are INSANE.
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Review timeline
monthly peak 3,591 reviews · all languages
- Steam-marked period
monthly share rated positive · 50% reference · months with <5 reviews faded
the timeline as a table
| month | reviews | up | down | positive | note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 2013 | 125 | 122 | 3 | 98% | |
| Sep 2013 | 68 | 65 | 3 | 96% | |
| Oct 2013 | 52 | 50 | 2 | 96% | |
| Nov 2013 | 190 | 178 | 12 | 94% | |
| Dec 2013 | 458 | 429 | 29 | 94% | |
| Jan 2014 | 295 | 268 | 27 | 91% | |
| Feb 2014 | 212 | 201 | 11 | 95% | |
| Mar 2014 | 187 | 174 | 13 | 93% | |
| Apr 2014 | 153 | 139 | 14 | 91% | |
| May 2014 | 181 | 166 | 15 | 92% | |
| Jun 2014 | 742 | 700 | 42 | 94% | |
| Jul 2014 | 287 | 268 | 19 | 93% | |
| Aug 2014 | 183 | 173 | 10 | 95% | |
| Sep 2014 | 176 | 164 | 12 | 93% | |
| Oct 2014 | 382 | 346 | 36 | 91% | |
| Nov 2014 | 375 | 349 | 26 | 93% | |
| Dec 2014 | 510 | 475 | 35 | 93% | |
| Jan 2015 | 307 | 288 | 19 | 94% | |
| Feb 2015 | 406 | 376 | 30 | 93% | |
| Mar 2015 | 425 | 385 | 40 | 91% | |
| Apr 2015 | 232 | 215 | 17 | 93% | |
| May 2015 | 234 | 211 | 23 | 90% | |
| Jun 2015 | 667 | 581 | 86 | 87% | |
| Jul 2015 | 283 | 239 | 44 | 84% | |
| Aug 2015 | 222 | 197 | 25 | 89% | |
| Sep 2015 | 181 | 155 | 26 | 86% | |
| Oct 2015 | 346 | 302 | 44 | 87% | |
| Nov 2015 | 376 | 342 | 34 | 91% | |
| Dec 2015 | 509 | 449 | 60 | 88% | |
| Jan 2016 | 429 | 385 | 44 | 90% | |
| Feb 2016 | 373 | 327 | 46 | 88% | |
| Mar 2016 | 290 | 258 | 32 | 89% | |
| Apr 2016 | 485 | 414 | 71 | 85% | |
| May 2016 | 311 | 260 | 51 | 84% | |
| Jun 2016 | 382 | 319 | 63 | 84% | |
| Jul 2016 | 280 | 231 | 49 | 82% | |
| Aug 2016 | 221 | 192 | 29 | 87% | |
| Sep 2016 | 354 | 295 | 59 | 83% | |
| Oct 2016 | 400 | 337 | 63 | 84% | |
| Nov 2016 | 2,520 | 2,406 | 114 | 95% | |
| Dec 2016 | 529 | 466 | 63 | 88% | |
| Jan 2017 | 479 | 407 | 72 | 85% | |
| Feb 2017 | 399 | 353 | 46 | 88% | |
| Mar 2017 | 300 | 258 | 42 | 86% | |
| Apr 2017 | 593 | 464 | 129 | 78% | |
| May 2017 | 545 | 347 | 198 | 64% | |
| Jun 2017 | 2,090 | 984 | 1,106 | 47% | |
| Jul 2017 | 737 | 430 | 307 | 58% | |
| Aug 2017 | 373 | 263 | 110 | 71% | |
| Sep 2017 | 500 | 376 | 124 | 75% | |
| Oct 2017 | 432 | 329 | 103 | 76% | |
| Nov 2017 | 2,197 | 1,977 | 220 | 90% | |
| Dec 2017 | 558 | 472 | 86 | 85% | |
| Jan 2018 | 471 | 394 | 77 | 84% | |
| Feb 2018 | 400 | 333 | 67 | 83% | |
| Mar 2018 | 647 | 513 | 134 | 79% | |
| Apr 2018 | 388 | 307 | 81 | 79% | |
| May 2018 | 481 | 345 | 136 | 72% | |
| Jun 2018 | 458 | 374 | 84 | 82% | |
| Jul 2018 | 422 | 325 | 97 | 77% | |
| Aug 2018 | 314 | 254 | 60 | 81% | |
| Sep 2018 | 455 | 315 | 140 | 69% | |
| Oct 2018 | 372 | 268 | 104 | 72% | |
| Nov 2018 | 2,363 | 2,256 | 107 | 95% | |
| Dec 2018 | 561 | 452 | 109 | 81% | |
| Jan 2019 | 339 | 285 | 54 | 84% | |
| Feb 2019 | 339 | 268 | 71 | 79% | |
| Mar 2019 | 336 | 256 | 80 | 76% | |
| Apr 2019 | 271 | 214 | 57 | 79% | |
| May 2019 | 272 | 225 | 47 | 83% | |
| Jun 2019 | 1,534 | 1,431 | 103 | 93% | |
| Jul 2019 | 2,001 | 1,903 | 98 | 95% | |
| Aug 2019 | 214 | 184 | 30 | 86% | |
| Sep 2019 | 473 | 336 | 137 | 71% | |
| Oct 2019 | 874 | 712 | 162 | 81% | |
| Nov 2019 | 3,591 | 3,410 | 181 | 95% | |
| Dec 2019 | 2,293 | 2,109 | 184 | 92% | |
| Jan 2020 | 1,546 | 1,406 | 140 | 91% | |
| Feb 2020 | 1,168 | 1,072 | 96 | 92% | |
| Mar 2020 | 1,283 | 1,175 | 108 | 92% | |
| Apr 2020 | 1,215 | 1,121 | 94 | 92% | |
| May 2020 | 1,225 | 1,089 | 136 | 89% | |
| Jun 2020 | 1,740 | 1,504 | 236 | 86% | |
| Jul 2020 | 1,261 | 1,122 | 139 | 89% | |
| Aug 2020 | 830 | 747 | 83 | 90% | |
| Sep 2020 | 748 | 659 | 89 | 88% | |
| Oct 2020 | 900 | 813 | 87 | 90% | |
| Nov 2020 | 1,325 | 1,241 | 84 | 94% | |
| Dec 2020 | 1,066 | 969 | 97 | 91% | |
| Jan 2021 | 1,048 | 923 | 125 | 88% | |
| Feb 2021 | 987 | 868 | 119 | 88% | |
| Mar 2021 | 1,016 | 876 | 140 | 86% | |
| Apr 2021 | 952 | 705 | 247 | 74% | |
| May 2021 | 1,509 | 813 | 696 | 54% | |
| Jun 2021 | 807 | 649 | 158 | 80% | |
| Jul 2021 | 896 | 758 | 138 | 85% | |
| Aug 2021 | 992 | 823 | 169 | 83% | |
| Sep 2021 | 821 | 705 | 116 | 86% | |
| Oct 2021 | 810 | 670 | 140 | 83% | |
| Nov 2021 | 1,258 | 1,073 | 185 | 85% | |
| Dec 2021 | 856 | 745 | 111 | 87% | |
| Jan 2022 | 947 | 825 | 122 | 87% | |
| Feb 2022 | 652 | 567 | 85 | 87% | |
| Mar 2022 | 778 | 681 | 97 | 88% | |
| Apr 2022 | 640 | 560 | 80 | 88% | |
| May 2022 | 713 | 624 | 89 | 88% | |
| Jun 2022 | 616 | 532 | 84 | 86% | |
| Jul 2022 | 711 | 622 | 89 | 87% | |
| Aug 2022 | 569 | 505 | 64 | 89% | |
| Sep 2022 | 730 | 615 | 115 | 84% | |
| Oct 2022 | 653 | 577 | 76 | 88% | |
| Nov 2022 | 839 | 783 | 56 | 93% | |
| Dec 2022 | 658 | 586 | 72 | 89% | |
| Jan 2023 | 714 | 628 | 86 | 88% | |
| Feb 2023 | 592 | 472 | 120 | 80% | |
| Mar 2023 | 632 | 532 | 100 | 84% | |
| Apr 2023 | 646 | 531 | 115 | 82% | |
| May 2023 | 543 | 452 | 91 | 83% | |
| Jun 2023 | 532 | 437 | 95 | 82% | |
| Jul 2023 | 584 | 497 | 87 | 85% | |
| Aug 2023 | 512 | 439 | 73 | 86% | |
| Sep 2023 | 424 | 371 | 53 | 88% | |
| Oct 2023 | 432 | 387 | 45 | 90% | |
| Nov 2023 | 1,121 | 1,029 | 92 | 92% | |
| Dec 2023 | 545 | 485 | 60 | 89% | |
| Jan 2024 | 579 | 491 | 88 | 85% | |
| Feb 2024 | 450 | 380 | 70 | 84% | |
| Mar 2024 | 525 | 456 | 69 | 87% | |
| Apr 2024 | 402 | 347 | 55 | 86% | |
| May 2024 | 608 | 505 | 103 | 83% | |
| Jun 2024 | 439 | 367 | 72 | 84% | |
| Jul 2024 | 479 | 400 | 79 | 84% | |
| Aug 2024 | 389 | 350 | 39 | 90% | |
| Sep 2024 | 455 | 386 | 69 | 85% | |
| Oct 2024 | 850 | 714 | 136 | 84% | |
| Nov 2024 | 778 | 713 | 65 | 92% | |
| Dec 2024 | 725 | 634 | 91 | 87% | |
| Jan 2025 | 663 | 575 | 88 | 87% | |
| Feb 2025 | 1,067 | 418 | 649 | 39% | Steam-marked period |
| Mar 2025 | 668 | 416 | 252 | 62% | Steam-marked period |
| Apr 2025 | 398 | 349 | 49 | 88% | |
| May 2025 | 570 | 481 | 89 | 84% | |
| Jun 2025 | 450 | 392 | 58 | 87% | |
| Jul 2025 | 522 | 468 | 54 | 90% | |
| Aug 2025 | 514 | 445 | 69 | 87% | |
| Sep 2025 | 329 | 278 | 51 | 84% | |
| Oct 2025 | 393 | 343 | 50 | 87% | |
| Nov 2025 | 458 | 404 | 54 | 88% | |
| Dec 2025 | 301 | 250 | 51 | 83% | |
| Jan 2026 | 294 | 263 | 31 | 89% | |
| Feb 2026 | 229 | 201 | 28 | 88% | |
| Mar 2026 | 258 | 235 | 23 | 91% | |
| Apr 2026 | 261 | 223 | 38 | 85% | |
| May 2026 | 340 | 304 | 36 | 89% | |
| Jun 2026 | 251 | 223 | 28 | 89% | |
| Jul 2026 | 306 | 274 | 32 | 90% | |
| Aug 2026 | 62 | 53 | 9 | 85% |
How this report was made
- Population
- all Steam reviews of the game (every language, purchase type, and verdict), walked newest-first per window; only English-language reviews are analyzed
- Sample
- 555 English reviews, time-proportional draw over 157 windows (newest-first within each), taken from an all-language walk and kept English-only — where English is a minority the sample runs smaller than the draw, and every margin of error is computed at 555
- Aspect yield
- 269 of 555 analyzed reviews carry at least one aspect (48.5%); every share on this page divides by all 555
- Interval regime
- calm: standard margins of error for a share of a sample (Wilson interval), no widening needed
- Fetch paths
- 157 time windows fetched directly (windowed)
- Language mix
- 1,000 fetched: english 558 · turkish 132 · russian 57 · 20 more
- Steam-marked windows
- Feb 14, 2025 – Mar 31, 2025: 2 sampled inside
- Marked share
- 0.4% of sample inside marked windows, under the 2% floor
- Narrative
- passed the grounding gate first try
- Evidence floor
- aspects and emergent themes appear only with 5+ supporting reviews; smaller counts sit at the classifier's false-positive floor
- Instrument readings
- measured once on the study corpus for this model and prompt: frozen calibration, not properties of this run
- · aspect tagging vs. human labels
- 0.766 [0.713–0.811] (F1 against a human-labeled test set; 1.0 is best)
- · quotes filed under the wrong aspect
- 11.6% [6.6–19.6] of quotes, measured by hand on a sample; lower is better
- · independent model vs. production labels
- 0.791 [0.772–0.810] (F1 of the production labeler against an independent judge model)
- Versions
- deepseek-v4-flash · prompt classify-v1 · ontology v2
- Run
- serve-20260809T003831Z-5cb3a6e8 · code ae36d38
full methodology in the milestone write-ups