steam-lens

← all reports

Sid Meier's Civilization® V

analyzed 2026-08-17 · sample of 700 English reviews across the whole review history

Players consistently describe Civilization V as a game that is hard to put down, with the "one more turn" pull appearing across reviews. The core gameplay is praised for its interesting strategies and win conditions, and the game is frequently called a relaxing escape that offers "umpteen days of replay value". Many reviewers note the wealth of content, pointing to the many ways to play and win, and the modding scene is a recurring positive, with the Steam Workshop adding "alot of cool stuff to the game". The DLC is also widely recommended, with players advised to "buy both Gods&Kings and Brave New World". Criticism is more scattered but sharp where it appears. The most consistent complaints involve technical and platform issues: players report crashes, glitches, and a "privacy-breaking launcher", with some saying the game is broken after the launcher's removal. AI behavior is a notable sore spot, with one player warning that "assuming that AI civs are trustworthy is a BIG mistake". Performance problems on larger maps and long turn times in the later game are also mentioned, alongside a learning curve that, while easy to start, can be punishing at higher difficulties. Opinion splits around the game's length and pacing, with some celebrating the long sessions and others noting that "turns can take a long time" in the later stages. The game's realism is debated, and while the interface draws some complaints, the graphics are generally praised for their detail. Overall, the positive sentiment is heavily weighted toward the game's addictive, replayable core, while the negatives cluster around stability, platform access, and AI.

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
  • gameplay

    116 positive · 6 negative · 8 mixed · 0 neutral

    • As a newcomer to the Civ games, the strategies and win conditions are interesting.
      positive · Sep 30, 2021 · review 100262175
    • Very, very fun.
      positive · Sep 30, 2021 · review 100263235
    • apparently I also really enjoy RTS games
      positive · Nov 30, 2021 · review 104900086
  • addictiveness

    78 positive · 2 negative · 1 mixed · 0 neutral

    • SO ADDICTIVE
      positive · Jun 30, 2014 · review 10986482
    • Fun-to-play TBS, easy to learn, hard to master, and very addictive.
      positive · Jun 30, 2014 · review 10986807
    • Played this game so much it destroyed my friendships.
      positive · Jun 30, 2014 · review 10987487
  • replayability

    33 positive · 0 negative · 0 mixed · 0 neutral

    • It's immersive, it's undauntingly replayable, you learn a little actual history from it.
      positive · Jun 30, 2014 · review 10987540
    • This game was made for hours of fun and never get bored at all!
      positive · Jun 30, 2014 · review 10987857
    • As a single player game, Civ V has everything a strategy game needs for several hours of fun and umpteen days of replay value, the graphics are pretty even in strategic view and with the many ways you can play the game it's hard to get bored even before you start venturing into the mods and DLC.
      positive · Aug 31, 2014 · review 11941048
  • learning curve

    20 positive · 7 negative · 2 mixed · 3 neutral

    • It's pretty easy to learn the basics.
      positive · Jun 30, 2014 · review 10985088
    • It can alos teach you alot in the games "Civilopedia".
      positive · Jun 30, 2014 · review 10985171
    • Fun-to-play TBS, easy to learn, hard to master, and very addictive.
      positive · Jun 30, 2014 · review 10986807
  • price value

    20 positive · 4 negative · 4 mixed · 4 neutral

    • worth it.
      positive · May 31, 2014 · review 10305283
    • Totally worth a buy.
      positive · Jul 31, 2014 · review 11497193
    • If you see this during the sales BUY IT.
      positive · Nov 30, 2014 · review 13171614
  • dlc

    23 positive · 6 negative · 1 mixed · 0 neutral

    • Love this game, reccomend you to buy both Gods&Kings and Brave New World.
      positive · May 31, 2014 · review 10304870
    • This game is a masterpiece, one of the best strategy games I've ever played and probably my favorite, every game you do is different with a different start and with the DLC you can chose what ideology you want, and when the multiplayer isn't being buggy and mess it's a beautiful thing.
      positive · Nov 30, 2021 · review 104907923
    • The DLC packs add a new level to this with religion and tourism, but the multiplayer aspect does need some work.
      positive · Jun 30, 2014 · review 10985104
  • multiplayer

    21 positive · 7 negative · 1 mixed · 0 neutral

    • Great Game, Best played Multiplayer, though that was probably intended!
      positive · Jun 30, 2014 · review 10988338
    • It's fun to play with friends and even strangers.
      positive · Sep 30, 2014 · review 12306485
    • its fun if you have friends to play with
      positive · Jun 30, 2015 · review 16817361
  • graphics

    24 positive · 4 negative · 0 mixed · 0 neutral

    • Graphics are amazing
      positive · Jul 31, 2014 · review 11498780
    • Game has great renderings and good choises.
      positive · May 31, 2022 · review 116305424
    • As a single player game, Civ V has everything a strategy game needs for several hours of fun and umpteen days of replay value, the graphics are pretty even in strategic view and with the many ways you can play the game it's hard to get bored even before you start venturing into the mods and DLC.
      positive · Aug 31, 2014 · review 11941048
  • difficulty

    20 positive · 5 negative · 1 mixed · 0 neutral

    • Deity Difficulty: Get your ass kicked throughout history.
      positive · May 31, 2014 · review 10305416
    • The AI is somewhat weak, but the difficulty levels can account for this weakness by giving them huge head starts and making them somewhat "Nintendo hard".
      positive · Oct 31, 2014 · review 12715531
    • Still, the satisfaction of winning, especially on higher difficulties, is immense.
      positive · Jan 31, 2025 · review 186856868
  • game length

    13 positive · 6 negative · 0 mixed · 4 neutral

    • Great Game, long play time, not a killer on the DLC.
      positive · Jun 30, 2014 · review 10987823
    • You don't play 14 hours straight in a bad game.
      positive · Aug 31, 2014 · review 11940753
    • If you have a decade to kill, go for it.
      positive · Nov 30, 2014 · review 13172892
see more
  • mods

    17 positive · 4 negative · 1 mixed · 1 neutral

    • I use alot of mods which makes the game perfect.
      positive · Dec 31, 2021 · review 107017645
    • Steam workshop adds alot of cool stuff to the game and if you have the expansions such as Brave New World or Gods and Kings then the games depth and amazingness increases triple fold.
      positive · Jun 30, 2014 · review 10985171
    • You can play MANY ways, evermore with the mods that steam users create, I hope I find time for them.
      positive · Jun 30, 2014 · review 10987540
  • ai behavior

    4 positive · 12 negative · 0 mixed · 0 neutral

    • I would like a barbarian mod where the barbarians are smarter and heal up like we do, along with taking cities it would be awesome.
      negative · Dec 31, 2021 · review 107017645
    • That said, training too few soldiers or assuming that AI civs are trustworthy is a BIG mistake.
      negative · Jun 30, 2014 · review 10987540
    • The AI is somewhat weak, but the difficulty levels can account for this weakness by giving them huge head starts and making them somewhat "Nintendo hard".
      negative · Oct 31, 2014 · review 12715531
  • content amount

    13 positive · 2 negative · 0 mixed · 0 neutral

    • Just keep in mind that you need to complete version, and you'll have a very good game (if you like the gender).
      positive · Jun 30, 2014 · review 10988106
    • A ton to do
      positive · Jul 31, 2014 · review 11498780
    • There is so much you can do with Civilization V! I've been playing for a while now and still haven't unlocked half of what they have to offer!
      positive · Jan 31, 2015 · review 14269210
  • stability

    0 positive · 13 negative · 0 mixed · 0 neutral

    • this buggy piece of ♥♥♥♥ needs to be patched, it crashed 5 times in 1 hour fml.
      negative · Jun 30, 2015 · review 16815495
    • First of all it's a buggy game: it crashes, usually on the same spot, so campaigns are practically unfishibale.
      negative · Jul 31, 2015 · review 17323750
    • I love Civ 5, but I left a temporarily negative review due to the game being unplayable after the update that removed the 2k launcher.
      negative · Nov 30, 2024 · review 181186271
  • platform access

    1 positive · 10 negative · 0 mixed · 0 neutral

    • Second it's steam integration sucks.
      negative · Jul 31, 2015 · review 17323750
    • First it introduced a privacy-breaking launcher, that no one asked for.
      negative · Dec 31, 2024 · review 184364968
    • I love this game, but in a recent update the 2K launcher was removed and it has broken the game for me.
      negative · Mar 31, 2025 · review 191667766
  • realism

    5 positive · 5 negative · 0 mixed · 0 neutral

    • Very fun, very historical, and very moddable.
      positive · Jul 31, 2014 · review 11496822
    • The graphics, gameplay, and realism are all amazing.
      positive · Jul 31, 2014 · review 11498780
    • Not a complaint, in fact, the opposite: a game as complex and realistic as this will tend to be more challenging for the uninitiated.
      positive · Mar 31, 2016 · review 22169404
  • balance

    5 positive · 4 negative · 0 mixed · 0 neutral

    • You can't stack units like in Civ 4, but don't worry, the game balances that out very well.
      positive · Jun 30, 2014 · review 10987540
    • It's had a few expansions so it's polished, and generally balanced.
      positive · Jan 31, 2016 · review 20883487
    • I think the game is wonderfully balanced and the difficulty options are nice to have.
      positive · Dec 31, 2019 · review 61015949
  • bugs

    0 positive · 9 negative · 0 mixed · 0 neutral

    • There are some glitches, mostly with pop-up status and advisory panels interrupting each other.
      negative · Dec 31, 2024 · review 184371686
    • After setting up a game, the world will not load in.
      negative · Mar 31, 2025 · review 191667766
    • Feels like a pretty solid game overall with minor bugs.
      negative · Oct 31, 2016 · review 26341318
  • performance

    1 positive · 6 negative · 1 mixed · 0 neutral

    • - Game engine is overworked and becomes painfully slow for larger maps and larger number of player owned cities. Fans will tell you not play on huge maps or acquire a large number of cities, but that's silly.
      negative · Sep 30, 2024 · review 176117915
    • Also the game is VERY slow.
      negative · May 31, 2016 · review 23317540
    • Suddenly there is an intermittent bug where textures don't load, and unexplained wait times between turns sometimes.
      negative · May 31, 2017 · review 32095453
  • relaxation

    6 positive · 1 negative · 0 mixed · 0 neutral

    • A great game to escape to for a time.
      positive · Jan 31, 2022 · review 109210985
    • it's fun and relaxing.
      positive · Dec 31, 2014 · review 13746534
    • A more relaxing strategy game.
      positive · Jan 31, 2024 · review 157284802
  • ui

    2 positive · 5 negative · 0 mixed · 0 neutral

    • I didn't like the interface at all tutorial is annoying and game graphics look like a cartoon.
      negative · Aug 31, 2016 · review 25272321
    • Yeah, they're putting ads for a DIFFERENT GAME in the launcher of an eight-year-old paid game, which slows down the UI and is honestly really insulting to people still playing Civ V.
      negative · Jul 31, 2017 · review 33935467
    • I like the new look of the terrain, but i find that the skip turn could be more convienient, by restoring the spacebar as a shortcut
      negative · Jul 31, 2019 · review 54384557
  • build variety

    6 positive · 0 negative · 0 mixed · 0 neutral

    • As a single player game, Civ V has everything a strategy game needs for several hours of fun and umpteen days of replay value, the graphics are pretty even in strategic view and with the many ways you can play the game it's hard to get bored even before you start venturing into the mods and DLC.
      positive · Aug 31, 2014 · review 11941048
    • So many ways to win and explore the game.
      positive · Feb 28, 2017 · review 30249847
    • Playing as different countries with their own unique abilties, units and perks is absolutely breathtaking.
      positive · Sep 30, 2017 · review 35356695
  • developer conduct

    0 positive · 6 negative · 0 mixed · 0 neutral

    • This is a review of software present in a game and therefore a valid review of a game: Root-level Access to my PC is a criminal level violation of data collection and privacy rights (laws) here in my country.
      negative · May 31, 2025 · review 196107677
    • Loved the game but cant support the New spyware model forced on players .
      negative · Jun 30, 2025 · review 198595867
    • Even after after 6 years, they cannot be bothered to fix their ♥♥♥♥ game.
      negative · Mar 31, 2016 · review 22166235
  • pacing

    2 positive · 3 negative · 0 mixed · 1 neutral

    • A fine sequel, really lives up to the civ saga, although turns can take awhile.
      negative · May 31, 2014 · review 10304759
    • A most excellent game, though you will find the path of evaluation slow.
      negative · Dec 31, 2014 · review 13747004
    • Unfortunately, in the later stages, turns can take a long time, and AI opponents don’t always make logical decisions.
      negative · Jan 31, 2025 · review 186856868
  • progression

    3 positive · 2 negative · 0 mixed · 1 neutral

    • Nice tech tree
      positive · Sep 30, 2021 · review 100265598
    • As the game progresses, good decisions and bonuses stack up, especially with Brave New World DLC.
      positive · Jun 30, 2014 · review 10987540
    • You can tweak your government and strategy in so many ways.
      positive · Mar 31, 2020 · review 66289626
  • combat

    3 positive · 1 negative · 0 mixed · 1 neutral

    • Combat works real well in this game - I still loathe the "Dice roll" in Civ 4; you engage with 98% chance of victory, and end up losing!
      positive · Jun 30, 2014 · review 10987540
    • Battles are animated, but you can turn that off - so it never really gets boring. There is downloadable content available (at a price), which expands the fun-factor.
      positive · Mar 31, 2017 · review 30863584
    • Armies matter more because they are relatively rare compared to past Civ games--they're resources you need to steward carefully, as they are expensive to build and you can't stack them.
      positive · Apr 30, 2014 · review 9983977
  • world

    5 positive · 0 negative · 0 mixed · 0 neutral

    • In a vast, rich game world, you have many valuable strategies to choose; decide the best for your nation, not just now but later.
      positive · Jun 30, 2014 · review 10987540
    • This game has showed to me the many things that the world has for us like the Great Mosque of Djenne of Warsaw, the Stonehenge of Paris, the birth of Islam in Beijing, and the birth of Judaism in Berlin.
      positive · Dec 31, 2015 · review 20163707
    • This game is unique from other games out there on the market, it showcases the ups and downs of human history.
      positive · Nov 30, 2016 · review 28090940

Review timeline

monthly peak 7,889 reviews · all languages

review volume 2,000 4,000 6,000 0 positive review share 100% 50% 0% 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 Oct 2010 · 8 reviews (8 up · 0 down) · 100% positive Nov 2010 · 48 reviews (48 up · 0 down) · 100% positive Dec 2010 · 132 reviews (131 up · 1 down) · 99% positive Jan 2011 · 24 reviews (22 up · 2 down) · 92% positive Feb 2011 · 43 reviews (42 up · 1 down) · 98% positive Mar 2011 · 30 reviews (29 up · 1 down) · 97% positive Apr 2011 · 29 reviews (28 up · 1 down) · 97% positive May 2011 · 19 reviews (19 up · 0 down) · 100% positive Jun 2011 · 18 reviews (18 up · 0 down) · 100% positive Jul 2011 · 155 reviews (154 up · 1 down) · 99% positive Aug 2011 · 63 reviews (60 up · 3 down) · 95% positive Sep 2011 · 94 reviews (93 up · 1 down) · 99% positive Oct 2011 · 35 reviews (34 up · 1 down) · 97% positive Nov 2011 · 34 reviews (34 up · 0 down) · 100% positive Dec 2011 · 170 reviews (169 up · 1 down) · 99% positive Jan 2012 · 58 reviews (58 up · 0 down) · 100% positive Feb 2012 · 32 reviews (32 up · 0 down) · 100% positive Mar 2012 · 68 reviews (66 up · 2 down) · 97% positive Apr 2012 · 41 reviews (38 up · 3 down) · 93% positive May 2012 · 61 reviews (60 up · 1 down) · 98% positive Jun 2012 · 75 reviews (73 up · 2 down) · 97% positive Jul 2012 · 643 reviews (637 up · 6 down) · 99% positive Aug 2012 · 145 reviews (144 up · 1 down) · 99% positive Sep 2012 · 86 reviews (85 up · 1 down) · 99% positive Oct 2012 · 79 reviews (78 up · 1 down) · 99% positive Nov 2012 · 92 reviews (89 up · 3 down) · 97% positive Dec 2012 · 191 reviews (191 up · 0 down) · 100% positive Jan 2013 · 223 reviews (223 up · 0 down) · 100% positive Feb 2013 · 74 reviews (74 up · 0 down) · 100% positive Mar 2013 · 172 reviews (172 up · 0 down) · 100% positive Apr 2013 · 99 reviews (95 up · 4 down) · 96% positive May 2013 · 140 reviews (139 up · 1 down) · 99% positive Jun 2013 · 268 reviews (265 up · 3 down) · 99% positive Jul 2013 · 649 reviews (641 up · 8 down) · 99% positive Aug 2013 · 302 reviews (300 up · 2 down) · 99% positive Sep 2013 · 144 reviews (144 up · 0 down) · 100% positive Oct 2013 · 278 reviews (276 up · 2 down) · 99% positive Nov 2013 · 706 reviews (695 up · 11 down) · 98% positive Dec 2013 · 3,302 reviews (3,253 up · 49 down) · 99% positive Jan 2014 · 2,211 reviews (2,174 up · 37 down) · 98% positive Feb 2014 · 1,348 reviews (1,317 up · 31 down) · 98% positive Mar 2014 · 916 reviews (899 up · 17 down) · 98% positive Apr 2014 · 777 reviews (763 up · 14 down) · 98% positive May 2014 · 727 reviews (714 up · 13 down) · 98% positive Jun 2014 · 3,952 reviews (3,878 up · 74 down) · 98% positive Jul 2014 · 1,496 reviews (1,462 up · 34 down) · 98% positive Aug 2014 · 1,294 reviews (1,257 up · 37 down) · 97% positive Sep 2014 · 875 reviews (847 up · 28 down) · 97% positive Oct 2014 · 884 reviews (850 up · 34 down) · 96% positive Nov 2014 · 909 reviews (852 up · 57 down) · 94% positive Dec 2014 · 1,445 reviews (1,394 up · 51 down) · 96% positive Jan 2015 · 1,300 reviews (1,244 up · 56 down) · 96% positive Feb 2015 · 736 reviews (707 up · 29 down) · 96% positive Mar 2015 · 1,217 reviews (1,166 up · 51 down) · 96% positive Apr 2015 · 726 reviews (696 up · 30 down) · 96% positive May 2015 · 699 reviews (673 up · 26 down) · 96% positive Jun 2015 · 1,298 reviews (1,244 up · 54 down) · 96% positive Jul 2015 · 669 reviews (639 up · 30 down) · 96% positive Aug 2015 · 890 reviews (840 up · 50 down) · 94% positive Sep 2015 · 569 reviews (547 up · 22 down) · 96% positive Oct 2015 · 570 reviews (542 up · 28 down) · 95% positive Nov 2015 · 879 reviews (834 up · 45 down) · 95% positive Dec 2015 · 1,609 reviews (1,541 up · 68 down) · 96% positive Jan 2016 · 1,642 reviews (1,552 up · 90 down) · 95% positive Feb 2016 · 1,542 reviews (1,462 up · 80 down) · 95% positive Mar 2016 · 881 reviews (838 up · 43 down) · 95% positive Apr 2016 · 677 reviews (650 up · 27 down) · 96% positive May 2016 · 1,547 reviews (1,467 up · 80 down) · 95% positive Jun 2016 · 1,462 reviews (1,400 up · 62 down) · 96% positive Jul 2016 · 1,599 reviews (1,529 up · 70 down) · 96% positive Aug 2016 · 875 reviews (831 up · 44 down) · 95% positive Sep 2016 · 1,049 reviews (978 up · 71 down) · 93% positive Oct 2016 · 1,014 reviews (960 up · 54 down) · 95% positive Nov 2016 · 7,889 reviews (7,798 up · 91 down) · 99% positive Dec 2016 · 1,283 reviews (1,219 up · 64 down) · 95% positive Jan 2017 · 1,042 reviews (986 up · 56 down) · 95% positive Feb 2017 · 710 reviews (672 up · 38 down) · 95% positive Mar 2017 · 751 reviews (703 up · 48 down) · 94% positive Apr 2017 · 519 reviews (491 up · 28 down) · 95% positive May 2017 · 536 reviews (511 up · 25 down) · 95% positive Jun 2017 · 1,093 reviews (1,026 up · 67 down) · 94% positive Jul 2017 · 1,247 reviews (1,177 up · 70 down) · 94% positive Aug 2017 · 574 reviews (546 up · 28 down) · 95% positive Sep 2017 · 539 reviews (507 up · 32 down) · 94% positive Oct 2017 · 657 reviews (619 up · 38 down) · 94% positive Nov 2017 · 3,322 reviews (3,244 up · 78 down) · 98% positive Dec 2017 · 969 reviews (901 up · 68 down) · 93% positive Jan 2018 · 870 reviews (815 up · 55 down) · 94% positive Feb 2018 · 607 reviews (568 up · 39 down) · 94% positive Mar 2018 · 720 reviews (679 up · 41 down) · 94% positive Apr 2018 · 507 reviews (467 up · 40 down) · 92% positive May 2018 · 545 reviews (504 up · 41 down) · 92% positive Jun 2018 · 681 reviews (617 up · 64 down) · 91% positive Jul 2018 · 672 reviews (634 up · 38 down) · 94% positive Aug 2018 · 403 reviews (366 up · 37 down) · 91% positive Sep 2018 · 345 reviews (320 up · 25 down) · 93% positive Oct 2018 · 322 reviews (289 up · 33 down) · 90% positive Nov 2018 · 2,686 reviews (2,500 up · 186 down) · 93% positive Dec 2018 · 622 reviews (543 up · 79 down) · 87% positive Jan 2019 · 436 reviews (394 up · 42 down) · 90% positive Feb 2019 · 431 reviews (384 up · 47 down) · 89% positive Mar 2019 · 297 reviews (259 up · 38 down) · 87% positive Apr 2019 · 283 reviews (248 up · 35 down) · 88% positive May 2019 · 259 reviews (236 up · 23 down) · 91% positive Jun 2019 · 1,513 reviews (1,484 up · 29 down) · 98% positive Jul 2019 · 1,824 reviews (1,786 up · 38 down) · 98% positive Aug 2019 · 202 reviews (177 up · 25 down) · 88% positive Sep 2019 · 177 reviews (161 up · 16 down) · 91% positive Oct 2019 · 474 reviews (449 up · 25 down) · 95% positive Nov 2019 · 2,791 reviews (2,726 up · 65 down) · 98% positive Dec 2019 · 2,193 reviews (2,133 up · 60 down) · 97% positive Jan 2020 · 1,731 reviews (1,683 up · 48 down) · 97% positive Feb 2020 · 1,384 reviews (1,349 up · 35 down) · 97% positive Mar 2020 · 1,820 reviews (1,742 up · 78 down) · 96% positive Apr 2020 · 1,841 reviews (1,768 up · 73 down) · 96% positive May 2020 · 1,423 reviews (1,349 up · 74 down) · 95% positive Jun 2020 · 993 reviews (952 up · 41 down) · 96% positive Jul 2020 · 955 reviews (907 up · 48 down) · 95% positive Aug 2020 · 800 reviews (767 up · 33 down) · 96% positive Sep 2020 · 766 reviews (738 up · 28 down) · 96% positive Oct 2020 · 710 reviews (675 up · 35 down) · 95% positive Nov 2020 · 855 reviews (834 up · 21 down) · 98% positive Dec 2020 · 943 reviews (906 up · 37 down) · 96% positive Jan 2021 · 861 reviews (825 up · 36 down) · 96% positive Feb 2021 · 697 reviews (661 up · 36 down) · 95% positive Mar 2021 · 591 reviews (565 up · 26 down) · 96% positive Apr 2021 · 607 reviews (578 up · 29 down) · 95% positive May 2021 · 582 reviews (552 up · 30 down) · 95% positive Jun 2021 · 543 reviews (517 up · 26 down) · 95% positive Jul 2021 · 550 reviews (527 up · 23 down) · 96% positive Aug 2021 · 609 reviews (583 up · 26 down) · 96% positive Sep 2021 · 490 reviews (470 up · 20 down) · 96% positive Oct 2021 · 465 reviews (443 up · 22 down) · 95% positive Nov 2021 · 600 reviews (575 up · 25 down) · 96% positive Dec 2021 · 576 reviews (548 up · 28 down) · 95% positive Jan 2022 · 562 reviews (534 up · 28 down) · 95% positive Feb 2022 · 469 reviews (444 up · 25 down) · 95% positive Mar 2022 · 528 reviews (486 up · 42 down) · 92% positive Apr 2022 · 416 reviews (398 up · 18 down) · 96% positive May 2022 · 403 reviews (388 up · 15 down) · 96% positive Jun 2022 · 382 reviews (364 up · 18 down) · 95% positive Jul 2022 · 461 reviews (443 up · 18 down) · 96% positive Aug 2022 · 395 reviews (360 up · 35 down) · 91% positive Sep 2022 · 385 reviews (369 up · 16 down) · 96% positive Oct 2022 · 392 reviews (374 up · 18 down) · 95% positive Nov 2022 · 633 reviews (604 up · 29 down) · 95% positive Dec 2022 · 489 reviews (465 up · 24 down) · 95% positive Jan 2023 · 443 reviews (428 up · 15 down) · 97% positive Feb 2023 · 385 reviews (360 up · 25 down) · 94% positive Mar 2023 · 357 reviews (334 up · 23 down) · 94% positive Apr 2023 · 322 reviews (305 up · 17 down) · 95% positive May 2023 · 269 reviews (257 up · 12 down) · 96% positive Jun 2023 · 477 reviews (449 up · 28 down) · 94% positive Jul 2023 · 469 reviews (454 up · 15 down) · 97% positive Aug 2023 · 338 reviews (322 up · 16 down) · 95% positive Sep 2023 · 303 reviews (290 up · 13 down) · 96% positive Oct 2023 · 358 reviews (342 up · 16 down) · 96% positive Nov 2023 · 445 reviews (420 up · 25 down) · 94% positive Dec 2023 · 381 reviews (365 up · 16 down) · 96% positive Jan 2024 · 389 reviews (364 up · 25 down) · 94% positive Feb 2024 · 284 reviews (272 up · 12 down) · 96% positive Mar 2024 · 320 reviews (299 up · 21 down) · 93% positive Apr 2024 · 281 reviews (264 up · 17 down) · 94% positive May 2024 · 343 reviews (329 up · 14 down) · 96% positive Jun 2024 · 365 reviews (343 up · 22 down) · 94% positive Jul 2024 · 374 reviews (345 up · 29 down) · 92% positive Aug 2024 · 397 reviews (367 up · 30 down) · 92% positive Sep 2024 · 346 reviews (328 up · 18 down) · 95% positive Oct 2024 · 318 reviews (290 up · 28 down) · 91% positive Nov 2024 · 330 reviews (284 up · 46 down) · 86% positive Dec 2024 · 613 reviews (390 up · 223 down) · 64% positive Jan 2025 · 569 reviews (365 up · 204 down) · 64% positive Feb 2025 · 516 reviews (459 up · 57 down) · 89% positive Mar 2025 · 408 reviews (386 up · 22 down) · 95% positive Apr 2025 · 267 reviews (248 up · 19 down) · 93% positive May 2025 · 344 reviews (317 up · 27 down) · 92% positive Jun 2025 · 631 reviews (321 up · 310 down) · 51% positive Jul 2025 · 386 reviews (322 up · 64 down) · 83% positive Aug 2025 · 327 reviews (305 up · 22 down) · 93% positive Sep 2025 · 286 reviews (270 up · 16 down) · 94% positive Oct 2025 · 320 reviews (303 up · 17 down) · 95% positive Nov 2025 · 329 reviews (304 up · 25 down) · 92% positive Dec 2025 · 331 reviews (317 up · 14 down) · 96% positive Jan 2026 · 313 reviews (291 up · 22 down) · 93% positive Feb 2026 · 284 reviews (270 up · 14 down) · 95% positive Mar 2026 · 434 reviews (403 up · 31 down) · 93% positive Apr 2026 · 357 reviews (340 up · 17 down) · 95% positive May 2026 · 326 reviews (308 up · 18 down) · 94% positive Jun 2026 · 262 reviews (250 up · 12 down) · 95% positive Jul 2026 · 295 reviews (283 up · 12 down) · 96% positive Aug 2026 · 154 reviews (145 up · 9 down) · 94% 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
Oct 2010 8 8 0 100%
Nov 2010 48 48 0 100%
Dec 2010 132 131 1 99%
Jan 2011 24 22 2 92%
Feb 2011 43 42 1 98%
Mar 2011 30 29 1 97%
Apr 2011 29 28 1 97%
May 2011 19 19 0 100%
Jun 2011 18 18 0 100%
Jul 2011 155 154 1 99%
Aug 2011 63 60 3 95%
Sep 2011 94 93 1 99%
Oct 2011 35 34 1 97%
Nov 2011 34 34 0 100%
Dec 2011 170 169 1 99%
Jan 2012 58 58 0 100%
Feb 2012 32 32 0 100%
Mar 2012 68 66 2 97%
Apr 2012 41 38 3 93%
May 2012 61 60 1 98%
Jun 2012 75 73 2 97%
Jul 2012 643 637 6 99%
Aug 2012 145 144 1 99%
Sep 2012 86 85 1 99%
Oct 2012 79 78 1 99%
Nov 2012 92 89 3 97%
Dec 2012 191 191 0 100%
Jan 2013 223 223 0 100%
Feb 2013 74 74 0 100%
Mar 2013 172 172 0 100%
Apr 2013 99 95 4 96%
May 2013 140 139 1 99%
Jun 2013 268 265 3 99%
Jul 2013 649 641 8 99%
Aug 2013 302 300 2 99%
Sep 2013 144 144 0 100%
Oct 2013 278 276 2 99%
Nov 2013 706 695 11 98%
Dec 2013 3,302 3,253 49 99%
Jan 2014 2,211 2,174 37 98%
Feb 2014 1,348 1,317 31 98%
Mar 2014 916 899 17 98%
Apr 2014 777 763 14 98%
May 2014 727 714 13 98%
Jun 2014 3,952 3,878 74 98%
Jul 2014 1,496 1,462 34 98%
Aug 2014 1,294 1,257 37 97%
Sep 2014 875 847 28 97%
Oct 2014 884 850 34 96%
Nov 2014 909 852 57 94%
Dec 2014 1,445 1,394 51 96%
Jan 2015 1,300 1,244 56 96%
Feb 2015 736 707 29 96%
Mar 2015 1,217 1,166 51 96%
Apr 2015 726 696 30 96%
May 2015 699 673 26 96%
Jun 2015 1,298 1,244 54 96%
Jul 2015 669 639 30 96%
Aug 2015 890 840 50 94%
Sep 2015 569 547 22 96%
Oct 2015 570 542 28 95%
Nov 2015 879 834 45 95%
Dec 2015 1,609 1,541 68 96%
Jan 2016 1,642 1,552 90 95%
Feb 2016 1,542 1,462 80 95%
Mar 2016 881 838 43 95%
Apr 2016 677 650 27 96%
May 2016 1,547 1,467 80 95%
Jun 2016 1,462 1,400 62 96%
Jul 2016 1,599 1,529 70 96%
Aug 2016 875 831 44 95%
Sep 2016 1,049 978 71 93%
Oct 2016 1,014 960 54 95%
Nov 2016 7,889 7,798 91 99%
Dec 2016 1,283 1,219 64 95%
Jan 2017 1,042 986 56 95%
Feb 2017 710 672 38 95%
Mar 2017 751 703 48 94%
Apr 2017 519 491 28 95%
May 2017 536 511 25 95%
Jun 2017 1,093 1,026 67 94%
Jul 2017 1,247 1,177 70 94%
Aug 2017 574 546 28 95%
Sep 2017 539 507 32 94%
Oct 2017 657 619 38 94%
Nov 2017 3,322 3,244 78 98%
Dec 2017 969 901 68 93%
Jan 2018 870 815 55 94%
Feb 2018 607 568 39 94%
Mar 2018 720 679 41 94%
Apr 2018 507 467 40 92%
May 2018 545 504 41 92%
Jun 2018 681 617 64 91%
Jul 2018 672 634 38 94%
Aug 2018 403 366 37 91%
Sep 2018 345 320 25 93%
Oct 2018 322 289 33 90%
Nov 2018 2,686 2,500 186 93%
Dec 2018 622 543 79 87%
Jan 2019 436 394 42 90%
Feb 2019 431 384 47 89%
Mar 2019 297 259 38 87%
Apr 2019 283 248 35 88%
May 2019 259 236 23 91%
Jun 2019 1,513 1,484 29 98%
Jul 2019 1,824 1,786 38 98%
Aug 2019 202 177 25 88%
Sep 2019 177 161 16 91%
Oct 2019 474 449 25 95%
Nov 2019 2,791 2,726 65 98%
Dec 2019 2,193 2,133 60 97%
Jan 2020 1,731 1,683 48 97%
Feb 2020 1,384 1,349 35 97%
Mar 2020 1,820 1,742 78 96%
Apr 2020 1,841 1,768 73 96%
May 2020 1,423 1,349 74 95%
Jun 2020 993 952 41 96%
Jul 2020 955 907 48 95%
Aug 2020 800 767 33 96%
Sep 2020 766 738 28 96%
Oct 2020 710 675 35 95%
Nov 2020 855 834 21 98%
Dec 2020 943 906 37 96%
Jan 2021 861 825 36 96%
Feb 2021 697 661 36 95%
Mar 2021 591 565 26 96%
Apr 2021 607 578 29 95%
May 2021 582 552 30 95%
Jun 2021 543 517 26 95%
Jul 2021 550 527 23 96%
Aug 2021 609 583 26 96%
Sep 2021 490 470 20 96%
Oct 2021 465 443 22 95%
Nov 2021 600 575 25 96%
Dec 2021 576 548 28 95%
Jan 2022 562 534 28 95%
Feb 2022 469 444 25 95%
Mar 2022 528 486 42 92%
Apr 2022 416 398 18 96%
May 2022 403 388 15 96%
Jun 2022 382 364 18 95%
Jul 2022 461 443 18 96%
Aug 2022 395 360 35 91%
Sep 2022 385 369 16 96%
Oct 2022 392 374 18 95%
Nov 2022 633 604 29 95%
Dec 2022 489 465 24 95%
Jan 2023 443 428 15 97%
Feb 2023 385 360 25 94%
Mar 2023 357 334 23 94%
Apr 2023 322 305 17 95%
May 2023 269 257 12 96%
Jun 2023 477 449 28 94%
Jul 2023 469 454 15 97%
Aug 2023 338 322 16 95%
Sep 2023 303 290 13 96%
Oct 2023 358 342 16 96%
Nov 2023 445 420 25 94%
Dec 2023 381 365 16 96%
Jan 2024 389 364 25 94%
Feb 2024 284 272 12 96%
Mar 2024 320 299 21 93%
Apr 2024 281 264 17 94%
May 2024 343 329 14 96%
Jun 2024 365 343 22 94%
Jul 2024 374 345 29 92%
Aug 2024 397 367 30 92%
Sep 2024 346 328 18 95%
Oct 2024 318 290 28 91%
Nov 2024 330 284 46 86%
Dec 2024 613 390 223 64%
Jan 2025 569 365 204 64%
Feb 2025 516 459 57 89%
Mar 2025 408 386 22 95%
Apr 2025 267 248 19 93%
May 2025 344 317 27 92%
Jun 2025 631 321 310 51%
Jul 2025 386 322 64 83%
Aug 2025 327 305 22 93%
Sep 2025 286 270 16 94%
Oct 2025 320 303 17 95%
Nov 2025 329 304 25 92%
Dec 2025 331 317 14 96%
Jan 2026 313 291 22 93%
Feb 2026 284 270 14 95%
Mar 2026 434 403 31 93%
Apr 2026 357 340 17 95%
May 2026 326 308 18 94%
Jun 2026 262 250 12 95%
Jul 2026 295 283 12 96%
Aug 2026 154 145 9 94%

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
700 English reviews, time-proportional draw over 176 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 700
Aspect yield
337 of 700 analyzed reviews carry at least one aspect (48.1%); every share on this page divides by all 700
Interval regime
calm: standard margins of error for a share of a sample (Wilson interval), no widening needed
Fetch paths
176 time windows fetched directly (windowed)
Language mix
1,000 fetched: english 706 · russian 75 · schinese 40 · 21 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-20260817T204839Z-3b8def71 · code ca621b8

full methodology in the milestone write-ups