Metascore
74

Mixed or average reviews - based on 23 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 14 out of 23
  2. Negative: 1 out of 23
  1. Jul 9, 2018
    30
    I didn’t care for Dead in Vinland. The setup’s decent, and early on I thought I’d enjoy my time spent starving, dehydrated and constantly getting attacked by murderous brigands on a desolate island. Alas, it takes an experience that could have been an acceptable eight-hour journey and stretches it out to over fifty (or more!) and becomes an absolute chore by the time players finally wrap it up.
This publication does not provide a score for their reviews.
This publication has not posted a final review score yet.
These unscored reviews do not factor into the Metascore calculation.
  1. At its best, Dead in Vinland is compulsive, and a great example of systemic roguelike storytelling. Just be prepared to scratch your beard constantly at some baffling writing decisions. Or, be prepared to buy a fake beard, I guess. All Viking games should now come with beards. New rule. You heard it here first. Also, mead. And an axe. You’d think we’d be able to download axes by now.
User Score
7.1

Mixed or average reviews- based on 38 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 22 out of 38
  2. Negative: 7 out of 38
  1. Apr 13, 2018
    9
    Really good survival management game !
    The setup is really simple, a family exiled on an island, trying to survive.
    But here is the thing:
    Really good survival management game !
    The setup is really simple, a family exiled on an island, trying to survive.
    But here is the thing: all the possibilities are huge! You can customize your camp, you can fight, you can recruit other lads for your camp (or not, in order to keep more food for the family). I didn't played a lot for now, but wow..!
    Full Review »
  2. Jul 8, 2022
    1
    Random-random-random-random This game is all about this. And this random works bad. Also battleas are just annoying - all time the sameRandom-random-random-random This game is all about this. And this random works bad. Also battleas are just annoying - all time the same without any strategy and without option to disable animation, Full Review »
  3. Feb 13, 2020
    6
    Ya know, it isnt that this is a bad game.
    Its just that it isnt a great game.
    For every thing that it gets really right, like the feeling of
    Ya know, it isnt that this is a bad game.
    Its just that it isnt a great game.
    For every thing that it gets really right, like the feeling of the sims management, and turning your vins (hah, The Vins 3: Vikings) into expert specialists over time, it hits a sour note with arbitrary debuffs and random problems.
    Keyword random. The random issues are the ones you should really avoid, but you cant. Because you have to explore. Because you have deadlines to meet. Because you have to keep bettering your group. Because you have wounds to heal, wood to gather, and...

    AND.. TINDER to barely find.
    Alright, why is tinder so dang hard to find? No I mean really, like single digits in a game where you could spend 50 hours just trying to keep your head above water.

    Which reminds me, if you are a normal human being who wants a challenge, you will STILL get it on the easy/casual difficulty. Random problems are fine, but its the 'story' events that it'll take you a few deaths to find a way around.

    Will you ragequit because of one or two wipes or starvings? No. That isnt to say there are definite reasons to ragequit, because being at the mercy of the randomness with no way to ensure success is really a problem. There are issues that require some odd skill expertise. There are not always indicators of what you are getting into. Will you get a few good items or a week of food BUT suffer a permanent scar or curse or... whatever the game throws at you? Yeah. You cant throw more people at the problem and solve it with common sense. You just have to 'roll the dice'.

    Which brings me to the 'minigames'. Watching meters, fighting bad guys, exploring the next square over, social settings, and trying out alternative methods of getting what you need.. (please, PLEASE dont go into the first few games expecting to live. Start a few projects and see how useful or useless each one is. Try the garden. ALWAYS keep someone scavenging. Dont be afraid to spam resources and WAIT to get that next character! Do you really want another mouth to feed?)

    It isnt bad, it isnt horribly challenging, but sometimes it is. And sometimes its bad.
    Better than 5 but not a 7. Sometimes a 4, sometimes an 8. This roller coaster has its low points, but dont let that keep you from dishing a few bucks for this.
    Full Review »