How we actually score a game

People ask what a 4.4 means versus a 4.6, and the honest answer is: it's a feeling backed by a lot of play time. We don't have a spreadsheet weighting graphics at twenty percent. We have opinions we can defend.

A score reflects how a game holds up over a full playthrough, not a first impression. Plenty of games open strong and collapse in the back half, and plenty do the opposite. We wait until we've seen the whole thing.

We also grade on ambition. A tiny team that swings big and mostly lands earns more goodwill from us than a safe, polished clone. That bias is intentional and we're not hiding it.

If a number feels off to you, read the words around it. The paragraphs are where the real review lives. The score is just shorthand.