How we actually score a game

People ask about our ratings a lot, so here's the honest version: they're informed opinions, not lab results. A 4.6 means someone on the team loved it and could back that up; it doesn't mean we measured anything.

We weigh three things loosely — how it feels in the hand, how it holds up over time, and whether it respects the player. A game can nail two and miss the third and still land a solid score if the good parts shine.

We don't average spreadsheet columns. If a game is technically fine but joyless, it gets a lower number than its features suggest, and we say why in the text. The words matter more than the digit.

So read the review, not just the number. Our 4.1 might be your 5 if you love the genre, and our 4.6 might bore you to tears. The score is a starting point for a conversation, not the end of one.