How we actually score a game

People sometimes ask why we don't just give everything we like a five. The honest answer is that a scale where every game is 'amazing' tells you nothing. Our numbers run from 3.8 to 4.9, and we use the whole range on purpose.

A score here reflects the whole experience: how it controls, how it runs on older phones, whether it respects your time, and — because of this site — how well it holds up offline. A fun game with a battery-murdering engine loses a little. A simple game that nails exactly what it sets out to do can score high.

We don't adjust scores based on who made the game or how big they are. A tiny solo-developer puzzle and a studio RPG are judged against the same question: was this a good use of my afternoon?

If two reviewers disagree, we play it again and argue it out. The final number is a considered opinion, not a vote, and we're happy to explain our reasoning if you ask.