# Metacritic API

> Metacritic critic and user scores, reviews, and title rankings are available as a workflow and API.

Metacritic returns critic and user scores, reviews, and title details; Get scores needs a title and can use type, year, and platform. Metacritic lists highest-Metascore games, movies, or TV shows; List best reviewed can filter by year, genre, and platform.

- Page: https://fous.com/tools/metacritic
- Handle: `@metacritic`
- Category: [Entertainment](https://fous.com/tools/category/entertainment)
- Source website: https://metacritic.com
- Last verified: Sep 29, 2026

## Methods

### Get scores

Operation `get_scores`, version 1. 1 credit per completed call. Failed calls without a completed billing receipt are free; completed work can remain charged if delivery is interrupted.

Get Metacritic critic and user scores, reviews and title details by name. Some album titles without a release year may resolve to another album with the same name.

**Input**

| Field | Type | Required | Example | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| `type` | string | no | `"game"` | Kind of title, for example game; omit to search all kinds. |
| `year` | integer | no | `2022` | Release year to distinguish similarly named titles, for example 2022. |
| `title` | string | yes | `"Elden Ring"` | Title to find, for example Elden Ring. |
| `platform` | string | no | `"PC"` | Game platform, for example PlayStation 5; by default uses the platform with the most critic reviews. |

**Input schema**

```json
{
  "type": "object",
  "required": [
    "title"
  ],
  "properties": {
    "type": {
      "enum": [
        "game",
        "movie",
        "tv",
        "music"
      ],
      "type": "string",
      "description": "Kind of title, for example game; omit to search all kinds.",
      "examples": [
        "game",
        "tv",
        "movie"
      ]
    },
    "year": {
      "type": "integer",
      "description": "Release year to distinguish similarly named titles, for example 2022.",
      "examples": [
        2022,
        2023
      ]
    },
    "title": {
      "type": "string",
      "description": "Title to find, for example Elden Ring.",
      "examples": [
        "Elden Ring",
        "The Bear",
        "Oppenheimer"
      ]
    },
    "platform": {
      "type": "string",
      "description": "Game platform, for example PlayStation 5; by default uses the platform with the most critic reviews.",
      "examples": [
        "PC"
      ]
    }
  },
  "additionalProperties": false,
  "examples": [
    {
      "type": "game",
      "year": 2022,
      "title": "Elden Ring",
      "platform": "PC"
    },
    {
      "title": "Elden Ring"
    },
    {
      "type": "tv",
      "title": "The Bear"
    }
  ]
}
```

**Output**

| Field | Type | Example | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| `type` | string | `"game"` | Kind of title. |
| `title` | string or null | `"Elden Ring"` | Name of the matched title. |
| `artist` | string or null | `"Taylor Swift"` | Album artist. |
| `genres` | array |  | Genre labels. |
| `summary` | string or null | `"Chef Carmen \"Carmy\" Berzatto (Jeremy Allen White) returns home to run his family's sandwich shop in Chicago where he ` | Title summary. |
| `platform` | string or null | `"PC"` | Game platform used for the critic score. |
| `developer` | string or null | `"From Software"` | Game developer. |
| `metascore` | integer or null | `94` | Critic Metascore from 0 to 100; null when unavailable. |
| `publisher` | string or null | `"Bandai Namco Games"` | Game publisher. |
| `user_score` | number or null | `8.4` | User score from 0 to 10; null when unavailable. |
| `release_date` | string or null | `"2022-02-25"` | Release date as YYYY-MM-DD, if available. |
| `user_ratings` | integer or null | `24693` | Number of user ratings; null when unavailable. |
| `critic_reviews` | integer or null | `63` | Number of critic reviews; null when unavailable. |
| `metacritic_url` | string | `"https://www.metacritic.com/game/elden-ring/"` | Title page on Metacritic. |
| `cover_image_url` | string or null | `"https://www.metacritic.com/a/img/resize/86c7a59722e76cf9cb2c83bfac863f18f815bc2a/catalog/provider/6/12/6-1-824956-52.jp` | Cover or poster image link. |
| `must_play_or_see` | boolean | `true` | Whether the title has a Must-Play or Must-See distinction. |
| `metascore_verdict` | string or null | `"Universal Acclaim"` | Metascore rating label; null when unavailable. |
| `studio_or_network` | string or null | `"HULU"` | Movie studio or television network. |

**Example input**

```json
{
  "type": "game",
  "year": 2022,
  "title": "Elden Ring",
  "platform": "PC"
}
```

**Example output**

```json
{
  "type": "game",
  "title": "Elden Ring",
  "artist": null,
  "genres": [
    "Action RPG"
  ],
  "summary": "A New World Created By Hidetaka Miyazaki And George R. R. Martin\n\nELDEN RING, developed by FromSoftware, Inc. and BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment Inc., is a fantasy action-RPG adventure set within a world …",
  "platform": "PC",
  "developer": "From Software",
  "metascore": 94,
  "publisher": "Bandai Namco Games",
  "user_score": 8.4,
  "release_date": "2022-02-25",
  "user_ratings": 24693,
  "critic_reviews": 63,
  "metacritic_url": "https://www.metacritic.com/game/elden-ring/",
  "cover_image_url": "https://www.metacritic.com/a/img/resize/86c7a59722e76cf9cb2c83bfac863f18f815bc2a/catalog/provider/6/12/6-1-824956-52.jpg?auto=webp&fit=crop&height=675&width=1200",
  "must_play_or_see": true,
  "metascore_verdict": "Universal Acclaim",
  "studio_or_network": null
}
```

### List best reviewed

Operation `list_best_reviewed`, version 1. 1 credit per completed call. Failed calls without a completed billing receipt are free; completed work can remain charged if delivery is interrupted.

List the highest-Metascore games, movies, or TV shows for a release year or all time, with optional genre and game platform filters. Some titles lack user scores or release dates.

**Input**

| Field | Type | Required | Example | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| `type` | string | no | `"game"` | What kind of title to list, for example game. |
| `year` | string | no | `"2025"` | Release year, all_time, or current_year; for example 2025. |
| `genre` | string | no | `"Action RPG"` | Genre, for example Action RPG; use all for every genre. |
| `platform` | string | no | `"Nintendo Switch"` | Game platform, for example Nintendo Switch; use all for every platform. |
| `max_results` | integer | no | `25` | Maximum number of titles to return, for example 25 (up to 100). |

**Input schema**

```json
{
  "type": "object",
  "properties": {
    "type": {
      "enum": [
        "game",
        "movie",
        "tv"
      ],
      "type": "string",
      "default": "game",
      "description": "What kind of title to list, for example game.",
      "examples": [
        "game",
        "movie",
        "tv"
      ]
    },
    "year": {
      "type": "string",
      "default": "current_year",
      "description": "Release year, all_time, or current_year; for example 2025.",
      "examples": [
        "2025",
        "all_time",
        "1890"
      ]
    },
    "genre": {
      "type": "string",
      "default": "all",
      "description": "Genre, for example Action RPG; use all for every genre.",
      "examples": [
        "Action RPG",
        "Drama"
      ]
    },
    "platform": {
      "type": "string",
      "default": "all",
      "description": "Game platform, for example Nintendo Switch; use all for every platform.",
      "examples": [
        "Nintendo Switch"
      ]
    },
    "max_results": {
      "type": "integer",
      "default": 25,
      "maximum": 100,
      "minimum": 1,
      "description": "Maximum number of titles to return, for example 25 (up to 100).",
      "x-fous-developer": true,
      "examples": [
        25,
        55,
        4
      ]
    }
  },
  "additionalProperties": false,
  "examples": [
    {
      "type": "game",
      "year": "2025",
      "genre": "Action RPG",
      "platform": "Nintendo Switch",
      "max_results": 25
    },
    {
      "type": "movie",
      "year": "2025",
      "genre": "Drama",
      "max_results": 55
    },
    {
      "type": "tv",
      "year": "all_time",
      "max_results": 4
    }
  ]
}
```

**Output**

| Field | Type | Example | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| `titles` | array |  |  |
| `titles[].link` | string | `"https://www.metacritic.com/game/xenoblade-chronicles-x-definitive-edition/"` |  |
| `titles[].rank` | integer | `1` | Position in the Metascore ranking. |
| `titles[].title` | string | `"Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition"` |  |
| `titles[].platform` | string or null | `"Nintendo Switch"` | Game platform; null for movies and TV. |
| `titles[].metascore` | integer or null | `87` |  |
| `titles[].user_score` | number or null | `8.5` |  |
| `titles[].release_date` | string or null | `"2025-03-20"` |  |

**Example input**

```json
{
  "type": "game",
  "year": "2025",
  "genre": "Action RPG",
  "platform": "Nintendo Switch",
  "max_results": 25
}
```

**Example output**

```json
{
  "titles": [
    {
      "link": "https://www.metacritic.com/game/xenoblade-chronicles-x-definitive-edition/",
      "rank": 1,
      "title": "Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition",
      "platform": "Nintendo Switch",
      "metascore": 87,
      "user_score": 8.5,
      "release_date": "2025-03-20"
    },
    {
      "link": "https://www.metacritic.com/game/rune-factory-guardians-of-azuma/",
      "rank": 2,
      "title": "Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma",
      "platform": "Nintendo Switch",
      "metascore": 81,
      "user_score": 8.2,
      "release_date": "2025-06-05"
    },
    {
      "link": "https://www.metacritic.com/game/ys-memoire-the-oath-in-felghana/",
      "rank": 3,
      "title": "Ys Memoire: The Oath in Felghana",
      "platform": "Nintendo Switch",
      "metascore": 79,
      "user_score": 7.6,
      "release_date": "2025-01-07"
    }
  ]
}
```

## Quick start

Replace `YOUR_API_KEY` with a Fous API key. To create one, open Developers at the bottom of Fous Studio, turn on Developer mode, then go to API keys (https://app.fous.com/keys). Change the values in `input` to run the same tool on new data.

```bash
curl 'https://api.fous.com/v1/query' \
  --fail-with-body --silent --show-error --max-time 180 \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY" \
  -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
  --data-raw '{
  "api": "@metacritic",
  "visibility": "public",
  "operation": "get_scores",
  "version": 1,
  "input": {
    "type": "game",
    "year": 2022,
    "title": "Elden Ring",
    "platform": "PC"
  },
  "response": {
    "format": "json"
  }
}'
```

```python
# Save as fous.py and run with python3 fous.py. No packages needed.
import json
import urllib.error
import urllib.request

api_key = "YOUR_API_KEY"

body = json.loads("{\n  \"api\": \"@metacritic\",\n  \"visibility\": \"public\",\n  \"operation\": \"get_scores\",\n  \"version\": 1,\n  \"input\": {\n    \"type\": \"game\",\n    \"year\": 2022,\n    \"title\": \"Elden Ring\",\n    \"platform\": \"PC\"\n  },\n  \"response\": {\n    \"format\": \"json\"\n  }\n}")
request = urllib.request.Request(
    "https://api.fous.com/v1/query",
    data=json.dumps(body).encode("utf-8"),
    headers={
        "Authorization": f"Bearer {api_key}",
        "Content-Type": "application/json",
    },
    method="POST",
)
try:
    with urllib.request.urlopen(request, timeout=180) as response:
        result = json.load(response)
except urllib.error.HTTPError as error:
    raise RuntimeError(f"HTTP {error.code}: {error.read().decode('utf-8', errors='replace')}") from error
if result.get("success") is False:
    raise RuntimeError(result.get("error", {}).get("message", "Request failed"))
print(json.dumps(result["data"]["output"], indent=2))
```

```typescript
// Save as fous.mts and run with npx tsx fous.mts.
const apiKey = "YOUR_API_KEY";

const response = await fetch("https://api.fous.com/v1/query", {
  method: "POST",
  headers: {
    "Authorization": `Bearer ${apiKey}`,
    "Content-Type": "application/json",
  },
  signal: AbortSignal.timeout(180_000),
  body: JSON.stringify({
  "api": "@metacritic",
  "visibility": "public",
  "operation": "get_scores",
  "version": 1,
  "input": {
    "type": "game",
    "year": 2022,
    "title": "Elden Ring",
    "platform": "PC"
  },
  "response": {
    "format": "json"
  }
}),
});
type ApiResult = { success: boolean; data?: { output: unknown }; error?: { message: string } };
const result: ApiResult = await response.json();
if (!response.ok || result.success === false) {
  throw new Error(result.error?.message ?? `HTTP ${response.status}`);
}
if (!result.data) throw new Error("Missing API response data");
console.log(result.data.output);
```

## Use from an AI assistant

Connect this tool to Claude Code, Claude Desktop, Cursor, VS Code, Codex and any MCP client as its own MCP server. Each method is a typed tool whose arguments are the method’s input.

- Server URL: `https://api.fous.com/mcp/tools/metacritic`
- Authorization: `Authorization: Bearer <Fous API key>`

**Tools**

- `get_scores`: Get scores. 1 credit per completed call. Failed calls without a completed billing receipt are free; completed work can remain charged if delivery is interrupted.
- `list_best_reviewed`: List best reviewed. 1 credit per completed call. Failed calls without a completed billing receipt are free; completed work can remain charged if delivery is interrupted.
- `fous_get_run`: the result of a run that was still going, by its `request_id`. Free.

Claude Code:

```bash
claude mcp add --scope user --transport http fous-metacritic https://api.fous.com/mcp/tools/metacritic --header "Authorization: Bearer ${FOUS_API_KEY:?Set FOUS_API_KEY to your Fous API key}"
```

To give the assistant every tool, connect `https://api.fous.com/mcp`: it finds one with `fous_search_tools` and runs it with `fous_run_tool`. Setup for other clients: https://fous.com/llms-full.txt.

## Use cases

- Compare critic and user scores for a title
- Find critic review and user rating counts
- Check release dates and title details
- Rank highly reviewed games, movies, or TV shows
- Filter best-reviewed titles by year, genre, or platform

## FAQ

### Can I run it with my own inputs?

Yes. Change the inputs in Studio and press Run, or send new inputs from your code, or ask a connected AI assistant.

### Can I call this Metacritic tool as an API?

Yes. Send a POST request to /v1/query with your Fous API key and the inputs, and get JSON back.

### How much does it cost?

Each completed run costs 1 credit. Failed runs without a completed receipt are free; completed work can remain charged if delivery is interrupted. With pay as you go, a credit costs 1¢. Monthly plans cost less per credit.

### Do I need a Metacritic account?

No. You only need a Fous account.

### How current is the data?

Fous gets the data from metacritic.com when you run it. Some results are reused for up to 24 hours, and results that use your account or key are never reused. It was last verified on Sep 29, 2026.

### What are a title’s critic and user scores?

Get scores returns the critic Metascore and user score when available.

### Which games, movies, or TV shows are best reviewed?

List best reviewed returns titles ranked by Metascore.

### How many critic reviews or user ratings does a title have?

Get scores returns critic review and user rating counts when available.

## Related

- [Rotten Tomatoes API](https://fous.com/tools/rotten-tomatoes.md): Rotten Tomatoes returns movie and TV details, scores, newest reviews, and listings for theaters, coming soon, or at home; series rating counts may be unavailable.
- [Pitchfork API](https://fous.com/tools/pitchfork.md): Pitchfork provides music reviews and coverage, including the newest matching album reviews with ratings and details and recent reviews filterable by genre or Best New Music; broad-title searches may miss results beyond the first 120.
- [Common Sense Media API](https://fous.com/tools/common-sense-media.md): Independent reviews and age guidance for family entertainment.
- [TMDB API](https://fous.com/tools/tmdb.md): TMDB returns movie and TV details, cast, trailers, releases, viewing services, scheduled upcoming movies, and up to 20 homepage trending titles; future episode details depend on published schedules.
- [IMDb API](https://fous.com/tools/imdb.md): IMDb returns movie, TV, person, episode, chart and Parents Guide details, including available weekly rank changes; missing details are null, and unaired or unrated episodes lack ratings.
- [MusicBrainz API](https://fous.com/tools/musicbrainz.md): MusicBrainz provides community-maintained recording and release information, matching songs to identifiers and release dates and providing artist details and links when available; some release information may be incomplete.
- [Steam API](https://fous.com/tools/steam.md): Steam returns game details, country-specific prices, reviews, and current and historical player counts, plus player rankings and sales lists; some details or prices may be unavailable, and review totals span languages and verdicts.
- [Letterboxd API](https://fous.com/tools/letterboxd.md): Letterboxd provides films with ratings, cast, location-dependent watch services and popular reviews, plus popularity-ranked lists by time period, genre and decade; some details may be unavailable.
- [All Entertainment tools](https://fous.com/tools/category/entertainment)