How We Decide On A Score

People ask why we don't hand out fives more often. The short answer: a five would mean we can't think of anything to improve, and that's rare.

Our scores start from feel. Does the game do what it sets out to do, and does it feel good doing it? A simple game that nails its one idea can score higher than an ambitious one that stumbles.

We weigh controls heavily because on mobile they're everything. We also look at pacing, how respectful the game is of your time, and whether it stays fun past the first hour. Bugs and performance issues pull the number down fast.

We don't factor in price or marketing. A game we enjoyed is a game we enjoyed, regardless of who made it. And nobody pays us to bump a score, ever.

If a review seems harsh, it's because we played long enough to find the cracks. If it's glowing, we couldn't stop playing.