mixed reviews
/mɪkst rɪˈvjuːz/
Very CommonA review score where the player base is genuinely split between positive and negative opinions.
Steam's 'Mixed' label specifically means low enough positive percentage to miss 'Mostly Positive'. Outside of Steam the phrase describes genuine disagreement rather than manipulation. It is also used as a soft warning before recommending a game you personally enjoyed.
| # | Example | What it means | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | mixed reviews but honestly if you like this genre you will probably enjoy it | Recommending despite the split score because the game suits a specific audience. | reddit, 2024 |
| 02 | game launched at mixed reviews and the devs dropped a 20 page response. respect | Developers engaged seriously with the critical reception instead of ignoring it. | x, 2024 |
| 03 | people asking if they should buy it. mixed reviews means you need to watch a few hours of gameplay first | Advising that a mixed score requires more research before purchasing. | reddit, 2023 |
| 04 | went from mixed to mostly positive after the big patch. turned it around | A game recovered its score after developers addressed major issues post-launch. | reddit, 2024 |
Use it when
- A game has a review score reflecting genuine disagreement among players.
- Warning someone that a game is polarizing before recommending it.
- Describing any product, show, or release that received split opinions.
Do not use it when
- The score is mixed because of a review bomb, not genuine opinion.Use “review bomb” instead.
- You mean the game has some good and some bad parts, but is overall well-received.Use “mostly positive” instead.
Mixed reviews vs overwhelmingly positive
mixed reviews
Mixed reviews means genuine disagreement, with roughly 40 to 70 percent positive.
overwhelmingly-positive
Overwhelmingly positive means near-universal approval, 95 percent or higher.
Origin and context
Taken from Steam's review rating system and widely adopted across gaming culture. The phrase predates Steam but the specific connotation of a numeric review split became dominant through platform review aggregation.
- First seen
- 2000s
- Confidence
- medium
Cite this page
Use this stable URL to reference the entry.
https://slang.fyi/mixed-reviews