How we actually decide on a score

People ask how a rough-looking indie game can outscore a slick studio release on our site. The answer is that we don't grade on production budget. We grade on whether the game does what it set out to do, and whether it's fun.

Every score starts with hours of play — usually at least ten, sometimes far more for bigger games. We note where the fun peaks, where it sags, and how the game treats your time and attention.

Then two editors compare notes. If we disagree wildly, we play more. A number only goes up when we both feel it's honest. That's why our scores tend to cluster between 4.0 and 4.7 — we mostly write about games we already liked, but we're not shy about the flaws.

A high score here means we'd recommend it to a friend, not that it's flawless. Nothing is flawless.