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Hollow Knight

analyzed 2026-08-17 · sample of 506 English reviews across the whole review history

Players most often talk about difficulty, and the tone is largely positive: 58 of the 88 reviews mentioning it are positive, with players describing it as rewarding once a tough boss falls. Combat and gameplay draw similar praise, with 49 positive mentions each, often citing the nail recoil, the soul healing mechanic, and learning enemy patterns. Music is a unanimous highlight—all 54 reviews that mention it are positive—and art style, world, story, and atmosphere are likewise almost universally praised. Exploration is also a strong point, with 35 positive mentions out of 38. The clearest split is level design: 15 positive reviews against 12 negative ones, with players calling the levels "engaging" and maze-like while others criticize the map. Learning curve is a recurring complaint, with 6 negative mentions out of 7, and players note the game is "not too newcomer friendly." Bugs appear in 8 reviews, all negative, with one player describing screen-shake lag. Pacing and balance also lean negative, while price value, graphics, and replayability are praised without dissent. Several players mention the game's length and content, with one noting "37 hours cant even 100% complete the game yet."

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 20% · ± is the sampling uncertainty around each share

  • positive
  • mixed / neutral
  • negative
  • difficulty

    58 positive · 24 negative · 5 mixed · 1 neutral

    • Challenging, compelling and invites you to discover a whole world.
      positive · Sep 30, 2021 · review 100264764
    • It's difficult but once you beat a tough boss or get through a challenging area, it feels so rewarding.
      positive · Dec 31, 2021 · review 107017408
    • Pretty difficult.
      positive · Jan 31, 2022 · review 109213248
  • combat

    49 positive · 6 negative · 2 mixed · 0 neutral

    • This is one of those games where you learn the enemies moves so you know how to counter them.
      positive · Dec 31, 2021 · review 107017408
    • Personally I've found the nail recoil to be quite satisfying, showing how small the player is and how large of an obstacle they must overcome.
      positive · Feb 28, 2022 · review 111267091
    • The enemies (bosses included) are original, fair in difficulty, and overall a blast to face (except those cursed Primal Aspids, ♥♥♥♥ those things).
      positive · Apr 30, 2022 · review 114745880
  • gameplay

    49 positive · 3 negative · 2 mixed · 0 neutral

    • Hollow Knight could have easily been just another rip-off of Slay the Spire, but the game tells its own dark and cryptic story with some very unique mechanics.
      positive · Jan 31, 2022 · review 109212568
    • From the music, to the gameplay, to the design or lore, this game is perfected and gorgeous, sad and dismal but SO special.
      positive · Feb 28, 2022 · review 111269433
    • game good
      positive · Mar 31, 2022 · review 113140446
  • music

    54 positive · 0 negative · 0 mixed · 0 neutral

    • The music is good the graphics are good and so is the story.
      positive · Dec 31, 2021 · review 107015804
    • the music, the graphics, everything!
      positive · Jan 31, 2022 · review 109213978
    • From the music, to the gameplay, to the design or lore, this game is perfected and gorgeous, sad and dismal but SO special.
      positive · Feb 28, 2022 · review 111269433
  • art style

    38 positive · 1 negative · 0 mixed · 0 neutral

    • Art style is unique and menacingly beautiful.
      positive · Jan 31, 2022 · review 109212568
    • The art style is both simple and unique, and pleasing to look at.
      positive · Jul 31, 2023 · review 143171932
    • Overall, it's a very good game with a satisfying artstyle, gameplay, and of course, the lore and music.
      positive · Jul 31, 2023 · review 143172602
  • exploration

    35 positive · 3 negative · 0 mixed · 0 neutral

    • the music, the lore, the characters, the world, and the comat/exploiring systems are breathtaking.
      positive · Jul 31, 2022 · review 119852449
    • This game has a lot of exploration and it may start out a little slow, but it quickly picks up the pace.
      positive · Aug 31, 2022 · review 121546332
    • i love the story and hidden secrets in the game
      positive · Nov 30, 2022 · review 127659198
  • story

    32 positive · 1 negative · 0 mixed · 0 neutral

    • The music is good the graphics are good and so is the story.
      positive · Dec 31, 2021 · review 107015804
    • Story is just cryptic enough to make you want to dive back in and see more endings.
      positive · Jan 31, 2022 · review 109212568
    • The story telling can be subtle at times, but there's plenty of areas where its direct in giving you the pieces to solve the mysteries of Hallownest.
      positive · Feb 28, 2022 · review 111267091
  • world

    32 positive · 0 negative · 0 mixed · 0 neutral

    • Challenging, compelling and invites you to discover a whole world.
      positive · Sep 30, 2021 · review 100264764
    • amazing game, if you hate loneliness in games this may seem like a game you wouldn't enjoy but, the world is so good and you never feel lonely.
      positive · Nov 30, 2021 · review 104909504
    • the music, the lore, the characters, the world, and the comat/exploiring systems are breathtaking.
      positive · Jul 31, 2022 · review 119852449
  • level design

    15 positive · 12 negative · 3 mixed · 0 neutral

    • intense combat, extremely engaging levels designed like mazes of death, difficult bosses, banger music.
      positive · Jun 30, 2022 · review 117960618
    • After 40 hours I knew the map better then my city
      positive · Jul 31, 2022 · review 119851265
    • Great story, design, and great game play mechanics, over all just a great game to sink some time into.
      positive · Mar 31, 2023 · review 135834493
  • price value

    28 positive · 0 negative · 0 mixed · 0 neutral

    • All-in-all, it is totally worth your time and money.
      positive · Jan 31, 2022 · review 109212568
    • Well worth the money.
      positive · Jan 31, 2022 · review 109213248
    • great game and worth the price but i suck at it lmao my entire 30 hours has been trying to 100% a single save file
      positive · May 31, 2022 · review 116310229
see more
  • graphics

    25 positive · 0 negative · 0 mixed · 0 neutral

    • The music is good the graphics are good and so is the story.
      positive · Dec 31, 2021 · review 107015804
    • the music, the graphics, everything!
      positive · Jan 31, 2022 · review 109213978
    • This game is absolutely beautiful and has atmosphere for days.
      positive · May 31, 2022 · review 116309451
  • atmosphere

    19 positive · 0 negative · 0 mixed · 0 neutral

    • This game is absolutely beautiful and has atmosphere for days.
      positive · May 31, 2022 · review 116309451
    • While the combat is great, the real triumph is the atmosphere and vibes (made even better by the egregiously-free Lifeblood update from years ago).
      positive · Aug 31, 2024 · review 173936281
    • The graphics and the music are awesome, and the vibe is overall really cool.
      positive · Oct 31, 2024 · review 178130582
  • content amount

    17 positive · 2 negative · 0 mixed · 0 neutral

    • Damn 37 hours cant even 100% complete the game yet.
      positive · Nov 30, 2021 · review 104908538
    • difficulty is fair and for hardcore players there is content theyre seeking.
      positive · Aug 31, 2022 · review 121543744
    • the game is huge and so much fun.
      positive · Aug 31, 2023 · review 145405289
  • controls

    15 positive · 4 negative · 0 mixed · 0 neutral

    • Controls are smooth (keyboard in my case), platforming is challenging but fun.
      positive · Apr 30, 2022 · review 114745880
    • This game is remarkable in every regard, from the rich, lore filled world of Hallownest, to the incredibly fluid and responsive controls.
      positive · Jun 30, 2022 · review 117959410
    • One of the smoothest platformers I've ever played.
      positive · Nov 30, 2022 · review 127656664
  • lore

    19 positive · 0 negative · 0 mixed · 0 neutral

    • From the music, to the gameplay, to the design or lore, this game is perfected and gorgeous, sad and dismal but SO special.
      positive · Feb 28, 2022 · review 111269433
    • This game is remarkable in every regard, from the rich, lore filled world of Hallownest, to the incredibly fluid and responsive controls.
      positive · Jun 30, 2022 · review 117959410
    • the music, the lore, the characters, the world, and the comat/exploiring systems are breathtaking.
      positive · Jul 31, 2022 · review 119852449
  • characters

    15 positive · 0 negative · 0 mixed · 0 neutral

    • the music, the lore, the characters, the world, and the comat/exploiring systems are breathtaking.
      positive · Jul 31, 2022 · review 119852449
    • all of the monsters are either cool dumb or funny.
      positive · Aug 31, 2023 · review 145405289
    • The world building, the character designs, the soundtrack/ambiance, the mixture of platforming/puzzle solving/quests and amazing bossbattles make this my favourite game of all time.
      positive · Mar 31, 2024 · review 161914858
  • progression

    11 positive · 3 negative · 0 mixed · 0 neutral

    • This game follows the standard Metroidvania system, while adding unique combat, areas, abilities, the incredibly in depth charm system.
      positive · Jun 30, 2022 · review 117959410
    • Hallownest is also very well built,as most areas are well interlinked and the movement upgrades are extremely well implemented in the world enviroment.
      positive · Apr 30, 2024 · review 163948143
    • The interconnected world design feels natural, not forced, and each ability you unlock genuinely transforms how you explore and fight.
      positive · Sep 30, 2025 · review 205579744
  • game length

    7 positive · 3 negative · 0 mixed · 0 neutral

    • Is it a long game? Yes. Can you get a little annoyed at it sometimes?
      positive · Jun 30, 2026 · review 229285969
    • I was surprised that i was +30h in and still haven't completed the game, Hollow Knight truly is great bang for the buck.
      positive · Feb 28, 2017 · review 30250691
    • First run in roughly 30h, 80 %.
      positive · Aug 31, 2017 · review 34645687
  • bugs

    0 positive · 8 negative · 0 mixed · 0 neutral

    • bug game
      negative · Feb 28, 2022 · review 111268089
    • dark souls but with bug (not bugs) ((i mean video game bugs)) (((bug)))
      negative · Nov 30, 2022 · review 127656348
    • good game but the developers forget to patch a lot of bugs
      negative · Jan 31, 2025 · review 186858395
  • pacing

    3 positive · 4 negative · 1 mixed · 0 neutral

    • The ending bosses are very good but they're kind of too little too late and I don't appreciate the runs back or the short scenes you're forced to watch 1,000 times while grinding them out.
      negative · Dec 31, 2024 · review 184377663
    • Game at first slow, and dull.
      negative · Jun 30, 2025 · review 198596350
    • - Let's start with the biggest problem: the tons of running. You will spend half of your time backtracking to the boss or your lost points.
      negative · Mar 31, 2017 · review 30864041
  • replayability

    8 positive · 0 negative · 0 mixed · 0 neutral

    • Now after 40+ Full Playthroughs between here and switch it's still as magical as the first time I picked it up.
      positive · Aug 31, 2022 · review 121542944
    • I'm on my third playthrough atm at almost 90 hours of playtime and I am still finding new lore and learning new skills.
      positive · Mar 31, 2024 · review 161914858
    • The first game in a long time I've felt the desire to 100%its actually (112%).
      positive · Nov 30, 2018 · review 47219335
  • dlc

    5 positive · 1 negative · 1 mixed · 0 neutral

    • The DLCs are also absolutely amazing, most specifically The Grimm Troupe (which adds one of the best bosses in the game, that being [spoiler] Nightmare King Grimm …
      positive · Jul 31, 2024 · review 171190841
    • The DLCs have only made this outstanding game even better.
      positive · May 31, 2017 · review 32096231
    • Also the free DLC is a great addition.
      positive · Aug 31, 2017 · review 34646586
  • learning curve

    1 positive · 6 negative · 0 mixed · 0 neutral

    • This game is absolutely worth checking out, however note that it is not too newcomer friendly, and can be frustrating at times, however, the satisfaction from this game is indescribable, and warrants this game getting an easy 10/10.
      negative · Jun 30, 2022 · review 117959410
    • good game, very hard at first but is one of the most addictive and satisfying games ever once you get used to it and get better
      negative · Jun 30, 2022 · review 117959958
    • I enjoy everything in this game except the confusion i faced at the start, but if you are fine with that then this is the game for you!
      negative · Dec 31, 2024 · review 184376694
  • addictiveness

    6 positive · 0 negative · 0 mixed · 0 neutral

    • good game, very hard at first but is one of the most addictive and satisfying games ever once you get used to it and get better
      positive · Jun 30, 2022 · review 117959958
    • I put in around forty hours in three days, completing most of the game in that time.
      positive · Nov 30, 2022 · review 127657041
    • But as you progress you get more hooked.
      positive · Jun 30, 2025 · review 198596350
  • balance

    2 positive · 4 negative · 0 mixed · 0 neutral

    • Late game challenges end up funneling the player towards some specific powerful combos, so I would really like to see more content added in future updates.
      negative · Jan 31, 2022 · review 109212568
    • - Some enemies are way too strong.
      negative · Mar 31, 2019 · review 49883955
    • Some of the new bosses are fun, some of the new content is really bad grinding, and some of the new charms and such make the game too easy (ie unbreakable strength).
      negative · Sep 30, 2019 · review 55370749
  • emotional impact

    4 positive · 2 negative · 0 mixed · 0 neutral

    • Now after 40+ Full Playthroughs between here and switch it's still as magical as the first time I picked it up.
      positive · Aug 31, 2022 · review 121542944
    • Hurt my feelings, but was an amazing ride the whole way through.
      positive · Jul 31, 2017 · review 33937295
    • This game can and will make you cry.
      positive · Jul 31, 2020 · review 73580103
  • updates

    4 positive · 1 negative · 0 mixed · 0 neutral

    • Late game challenges end up funneling the player towards some specific powerful combos, so I would really like to see more content added in future updates.
      positive · Jan 31, 2022 · review 109212568
    • While the combat is great, the real triumph is the atmosphere and vibes (made even better by the egregiously-free Lifeblood update from years ago).
      positive · Aug 31, 2024 · review 173936281
    • [u] EDIT [/u] They actually added one new stag station in the acient basin. A step in the right direction. The new teleport ability helps a bit too but is given way to late into the game.
      positive · Mar 31, 2017 · review 30864041

Review timeline

monthly peak 31,722 reviews · all languages

review volume 10,000 20,000 30,000 0 positive review share 100% 50% 0% 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 Feb 2017 · 413 reviews (392 up · 21 down) · 95% positive Mar 2017 · 1,144 reviews (1,092 up · 52 down) · 95% positive Apr 2017 · 557 reviews (529 up · 28 down) · 95% positive May 2017 · 637 reviews (604 up · 33 down) · 95% positive Jun 2017 · 1,374 reviews (1,291 up · 83 down) · 94% positive Jul 2017 · 1,794 reviews (1,694 up · 100 down) · 94% positive Aug 2017 · 1,661 reviews (1,554 up · 107 down) · 94% positive Sep 2017 · 640 reviews (613 up · 27 down) · 96% positive Oct 2017 · 967 reviews (934 up · 33 down) · 97% positive Nov 2017 · 3,996 reviews (3,947 up · 49 down) · 99% positive Dec 2017 · 1,282 reviews (1,198 up · 84 down) · 93% positive Jan 2018 · 1,347 reviews (1,271 up · 76 down) · 94% positive Feb 2018 · 838 reviews (797 up · 41 down) · 95% positive Mar 2018 · 803 reviews (764 up · 39 down) · 95% positive Apr 2018 · 1,141 reviews (1,090 up · 51 down) · 96% positive May 2018 · 750 reviews (732 up · 18 down) · 98% positive Jun 2018 · 1,049 reviews (1,003 up · 46 down) · 96% positive Jul 2018 · 1,247 reviews (1,188 up · 59 down) · 95% positive Aug 2018 · 1,644 reviews (1,569 up · 75 down) · 95% positive Sep 2018 · 980 reviews (913 up · 67 down) · 93% positive Oct 2018 · 627 reviews (600 up · 27 down) · 96% positive Nov 2018 · 4,889 reviews (4,846 up · 43 down) · 99% positive Dec 2018 · 971 reviews (912 up · 59 down) · 94% positive Jan 2019 · 1,163 reviews (1,091 up · 72 down) · 94% positive Feb 2019 · 1,437 reviews (1,381 up · 56 down) · 96% positive Mar 2019 · 889 reviews (850 up · 39 down) · 96% positive Apr 2019 · 629 reviews (608 up · 21 down) · 97% positive May 2019 · 605 reviews (582 up · 23 down) · 96% positive Jun 2019 · 3,380 reviews (3,315 up · 65 down) · 98% positive Jul 2019 · 4,008 reviews (3,894 up · 114 down) · 97% positive Aug 2019 · 811 reviews (772 up · 39 down) · 95% positive Sep 2019 · 602 reviews (570 up · 32 down) · 95% positive Oct 2019 · 1,097 reviews (1,056 up · 41 down) · 96% positive Nov 2019 · 5,846 reviews (5,770 up · 76 down) · 99% positive Dec 2019 · 4,437 reviews (4,345 up · 92 down) · 98% positive Jan 2020 · 4,767 reviews (4,643 up · 124 down) · 97% positive Feb 2020 · 4,373 reviews (4,259 up · 114 down) · 97% positive Mar 2020 · 4,500 reviews (4,399 up · 101 down) · 98% positive Apr 2020 · 4,040 reviews (3,960 up · 80 down) · 98% positive May 2020 · 5,185 reviews (5,015 up · 170 down) · 97% positive Jun 2020 · 4,043 reviews (3,955 up · 88 down) · 98% positive Jul 2020 · 6,015 reviews (5,812 up · 203 down) · 97% positive Aug 2020 · 5,029 reviews (4,844 up · 185 down) · 96% positive Sep 2020 · 3,405 reviews (3,334 up · 71 down) · 98% positive Oct 2020 · 3,166 reviews (3,075 up · 91 down) · 97% positive Nov 2020 · 5,864 reviews (5,735 up · 129 down) · 98% positive Dec 2020 · 5,974 reviews (5,823 up · 151 down) · 97% positive Jan 2021 · 6,442 reviews (6,267 up · 175 down) · 97% positive Feb 2021 · 4,254 reviews (4,150 up · 104 down) · 98% positive Mar 2021 · 3,533 reviews (3,443 up · 90 down) · 97% positive Apr 2021 · 3,302 reviews (3,204 up · 98 down) · 97% positive May 2021 · 3,134 reviews (3,057 up · 77 down) · 98% positive Jun 2021 · 4,867 reviews (4,734 up · 133 down) · 97% positive Jul 2021 · 7,315 reviews (7,060 up · 255 down) · 97% positive Aug 2021 · 7,354 reviews (7,120 up · 234 down) · 97% positive Sep 2021 · 4,389 reviews (4,254 up · 135 down) · 97% positive Oct 2021 · 4,006 reviews (3,871 up · 135 down) · 97% positive Nov 2021 · 7,066 reviews (6,880 up · 186 down) · 97% positive Dec 2021 · 6,856 reviews (6,602 up · 254 down) · 96% positive Jan 2022 · 7,098 reviews (6,876 up · 222 down) · 97% positive Feb 2022 · 5,980 reviews (5,753 up · 227 down) · 96% positive Mar 2022 · 5,423 reviews (5,248 up · 175 down) · 97% positive Apr 2022 · 4,124 reviews (3,972 up · 152 down) · 96% positive May 2022 · 7,613 reviews (7,263 up · 350 down) · 95% positive Jun 2022 · 5,834 reviews (5,620 up · 214 down) · 96% positive Jul 2022 · 6,582 reviews (6,344 up · 238 down) · 96% positive Aug 2022 · 4,461 reviews (4,313 up · 148 down) · 97% positive Sep 2022 · 3,301 reviews (3,215 up · 86 down) · 97% positive Oct 2022 · 3,589 reviews (3,450 up · 139 down) · 96% positive Nov 2022 · 7,038 reviews (6,837 up · 201 down) · 97% positive Dec 2022 · 6,282 reviews (6,049 up · 233 down) · 96% positive Jan 2023 · 6,989 reviews (6,757 up · 232 down) · 97% positive Feb 2023 · 4,390 reviews (4,245 up · 145 down) · 97% positive Mar 2023 · 4,727 reviews (4,548 up · 179 down) · 96% positive Apr 2023 · 4,006 reviews (3,863 up · 143 down) · 96% positive May 2023 · 3,253 reviews (3,123 up · 130 down) · 96% positive Jun 2023 · 3,537 reviews (3,402 up · 135 down) · 96% positive Jul 2023 · 7,187 reviews (6,940 up · 247 down) · 97% positive Aug 2023 · 4,543 reviews (4,396 up · 147 down) · 97% positive Sep 2023 · 3,781 reviews (3,630 up · 151 down) · 96% positive Oct 2023 · 3,766 reviews (3,625 up · 141 down) · 96% positive Nov 2023 · 7,084 reviews (6,852 up · 232 down) · 97% positive Dec 2023 · 5,419 reviews (5,183 up · 236 down) · 96% positive Jan 2024 · 5,916 reviews (5,680 up · 236 down) · 96% positive Feb 2024 · 4,002 reviews (3,830 up · 172 down) · 96% positive Mar 2024 · 5,288 reviews (5,041 up · 247 down) · 95% positive Apr 2024 · 4,580 reviews (4,349 up · 231 down) · 95% positive May 2024 · 4,050 reviews (3,869 up · 181 down) · 96% positive Jun 2024 · 4,561 reviews (4,371 up · 190 down) · 96% positive Jul 2024 · 7,224 reviews (6,863 up · 361 down) · 95% positive Aug 2024 · 4,600 reviews (4,424 up · 176 down) · 96% positive Sep 2024 · 3,796 reviews (3,621 up · 175 down) · 95% positive Oct 2024 · 3,676 reviews (3,522 up · 154 down) · 96% positive Nov 2024 · 5,468 reviews (5,231 up · 237 down) · 96% positive Dec 2024 · 6,496 reviews (6,190 up · 306 down) · 95% positive Jan 2025 · 7,735 reviews (7,332 up · 403 down) · 95% positive Feb 2025 · 4,583 reviews (4,384 up · 199 down) · 96% positive Mar 2025 · 5,399 reviews (5,147 up · 252 down) · 95% positive Apr 2025 · 5,778 reviews (5,512 up · 266 down) · 95% positive May 2025 · 4,960 reviews (4,744 up · 216 down) · 96% positive Jun 2025 · 4,893 reviews (4,675 up · 218 down) · 96% positive Jul 2025 · 6,758 reviews (6,426 up · 332 down) · 95% positive Aug 2025 · 11,426 reviews (10,854 up · 572 down) · 95% positive Sep 2025 · 31,722 reviews (29,850 up · 1,872 down) · 94% positive Oct 2025 · 15,842 reviews (15,223 up · 619 down) · 96% positive Nov 2025 · 12,654 reviews (12,156 up · 498 down) · 96% positive Dec 2025 · 9,647 reviews (9,226 up · 421 down) · 96% positive Jan 2026 · 9,582 reviews (9,120 up · 462 down) · 95% positive Feb 2026 · 6,437 reviews (6,171 up · 266 down) · 96% positive Mar 2026 · 5,648 reviews (5,393 up · 255 down) · 95% positive Apr 2026 · 4,699 reviews (4,504 up · 195 down) · 96% positive May 2026 · 4,477 reviews (4,276 up · 201 down) · 96% positive Jun 2026 · 4,791 reviews (4,577 up · 214 down) · 96% positive Jul 2026 · 6,704 reviews (6,382 up · 322 down) · 95% positive Aug 2026 · 2,740 reviews (2,623 up · 117 down) · 96% positive

monthly share rated positive · 50% reference · months with <5 reviews faded

the timeline as a table
Reviews per month, all languages; months with no reviews are left out.
month reviews up down positive note
Feb 2017 413 392 21 95%
Mar 2017 1,144 1,092 52 95%
Apr 2017 557 529 28 95%
May 2017 637 604 33 95%
Jun 2017 1,374 1,291 83 94%
Jul 2017 1,794 1,694 100 94%
Aug 2017 1,661 1,554 107 94%
Sep 2017 640 613 27 96%
Oct 2017 967 934 33 97%
Nov 2017 3,996 3,947 49 99%
Dec 2017 1,282 1,198 84 93%
Jan 2018 1,347 1,271 76 94%
Feb 2018 838 797 41 95%
Mar 2018 803 764 39 95%
Apr 2018 1,141 1,090 51 96%
May 2018 750 732 18 98%
Jun 2018 1,049 1,003 46 96%
Jul 2018 1,247 1,188 59 95%
Aug 2018 1,644 1,569 75 95%
Sep 2018 980 913 67 93%
Oct 2018 627 600 27 96%
Nov 2018 4,889 4,846 43 99%
Dec 2018 971 912 59 94%
Jan 2019 1,163 1,091 72 94%
Feb 2019 1,437 1,381 56 96%
Mar 2019 889 850 39 96%
Apr 2019 629 608 21 97%
May 2019 605 582 23 96%
Jun 2019 3,380 3,315 65 98%
Jul 2019 4,008 3,894 114 97%
Aug 2019 811 772 39 95%
Sep 2019 602 570 32 95%
Oct 2019 1,097 1,056 41 96%
Nov 2019 5,846 5,770 76 99%
Dec 2019 4,437 4,345 92 98%
Jan 2020 4,767 4,643 124 97%
Feb 2020 4,373 4,259 114 97%
Mar 2020 4,500 4,399 101 98%
Apr 2020 4,040 3,960 80 98%
May 2020 5,185 5,015 170 97%
Jun 2020 4,043 3,955 88 98%
Jul 2020 6,015 5,812 203 97%
Aug 2020 5,029 4,844 185 96%
Sep 2020 3,405 3,334 71 98%
Oct 2020 3,166 3,075 91 97%
Nov 2020 5,864 5,735 129 98%
Dec 2020 5,974 5,823 151 97%
Jan 2021 6,442 6,267 175 97%
Feb 2021 4,254 4,150 104 98%
Mar 2021 3,533 3,443 90 97%
Apr 2021 3,302 3,204 98 97%
May 2021 3,134 3,057 77 98%
Jun 2021 4,867 4,734 133 97%
Jul 2021 7,315 7,060 255 97%
Aug 2021 7,354 7,120 234 97%
Sep 2021 4,389 4,254 135 97%
Oct 2021 4,006 3,871 135 97%
Nov 2021 7,066 6,880 186 97%
Dec 2021 6,856 6,602 254 96%
Jan 2022 7,098 6,876 222 97%
Feb 2022 5,980 5,753 227 96%
Mar 2022 5,423 5,248 175 97%
Apr 2022 4,124 3,972 152 96%
May 2022 7,613 7,263 350 95%
Jun 2022 5,834 5,620 214 96%
Jul 2022 6,582 6,344 238 96%
Aug 2022 4,461 4,313 148 97%
Sep 2022 3,301 3,215 86 97%
Oct 2022 3,589 3,450 139 96%
Nov 2022 7,038 6,837 201 97%
Dec 2022 6,282 6,049 233 96%
Jan 2023 6,989 6,757 232 97%
Feb 2023 4,390 4,245 145 97%
Mar 2023 4,727 4,548 179 96%
Apr 2023 4,006 3,863 143 96%
May 2023 3,253 3,123 130 96%
Jun 2023 3,537 3,402 135 96%
Jul 2023 7,187 6,940 247 97%
Aug 2023 4,543 4,396 147 97%
Sep 2023 3,781 3,630 151 96%
Oct 2023 3,766 3,625 141 96%
Nov 2023 7,084 6,852 232 97%
Dec 2023 5,419 5,183 236 96%
Jan 2024 5,916 5,680 236 96%
Feb 2024 4,002 3,830 172 96%
Mar 2024 5,288 5,041 247 95%
Apr 2024 4,580 4,349 231 95%
May 2024 4,050 3,869 181 96%
Jun 2024 4,561 4,371 190 96%
Jul 2024 7,224 6,863 361 95%
Aug 2024 4,600 4,424 176 96%
Sep 2024 3,796 3,621 175 95%
Oct 2024 3,676 3,522 154 96%
Nov 2024 5,468 5,231 237 96%
Dec 2024 6,496 6,190 306 95%
Jan 2025 7,735 7,332 403 95%
Feb 2025 4,583 4,384 199 96%
Mar 2025 5,399 5,147 252 95%
Apr 2025 5,778 5,512 266 95%
May 2025 4,960 4,744 216 96%
Jun 2025 4,893 4,675 218 96%
Jul 2025 6,758 6,426 332 95%
Aug 2025 11,426 10,854 572 95%
Sep 2025 31,722 29,850 1,872 94%
Oct 2025 15,842 15,223 619 96%
Nov 2025 12,654 12,156 498 96%
Dec 2025 9,647 9,226 421 96%
Jan 2026 9,582 9,120 462 95%
Feb 2026 6,437 6,171 266 96%
Mar 2026 5,648 5,393 255 95%
Apr 2026 4,699 4,504 195 96%
May 2026 4,477 4,276 201 96%
Jun 2026 4,791 4,577 214 96%
Jul 2026 6,704 6,382 322 95%
Aug 2026 2,740 2,623 117 96%

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
506 English reviews, time-proportional draw over 115 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 506
Aspect yield
210 of 506 analyzed reviews carry at least one aspect (41.5%); every share on this page divides by all 506
Interval regime
calm: standard margins of error for a share of a sample (Wilson interval), no widening needed
Fetch paths
115 time windows fetched directly (windowed)
Language mix
1,000 fetched: english 508 · spanish 161 · brazilian 155 · 17 more
Steam-marked windows
none flagged by Steam (Valve's off-topic flagging began March 2019)
Marked share
0.0% 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-20260817T025508Z-ef66e4c8 · code ba3bea7

full methodology in the milestone write-ups