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How we score

Five marks, fixed weights, one score

Every number on this site can be traced back to a published method. Here it is in full.

  • 15%First hour

    How quickly the game becomes fun and how well it explains itself to a newcomer.

  • 30%Core loop

    The thing you do most. Is the moment-to-moment play satisfying on the hundredth go?

  • 20%Long game

    Depth, variety and update history. Will there still be something to do in six months?

  • 20%Fair shop

    What is sold, how clearly it is priced, and whether spending changes the playing field.

  • 15%Tech & access

    Performance, platform range, cross-play, cross-save and account requirements.

The five criteria

We mark each game out of ten on five separate questions. The marks are then combined using the weights shown above. Core loop carries the most weight because it is what you will actually be doing for most of your time. Long game and Fair shop come next, because they decide whether a game is still enjoyable, and still affordable, in six months. First hour and Tech & access matter a great deal on day one and less afterwards.

A worked example

Deep Rock Galactic receives 9.0 × 0.15 + 9.4 × 0.3 + 9.0 × 0.2 + 9.6 × 0.2 + 8.8 × 0.15, which comes to 9.2 after rounding to one decimal place. You can see each mark, with a sentence of reasoning, in the score breakdown on every review.

What the numbers mean

  • 9.0 and above: outstanding. Recommended to almost anyone curious about the genre.
  • 8.0 to 8.9: very good, with caveats that the review spells out.
  • 7.0 to 7.9: good for the right player. Read the “weigh up” list carefully.
  • Below 7.0: we would generally point you elsewhere, and will say where.

Our catalogue leans high because we choose what to cover. A game that does not hold our interest for long enough to review properly is simply not listed.

How we play

  • On retail accounts we create ourselves, without publisher assistance.
  • Long enough to see the early game, the mid-game and the shop under normal conditions.
  • Solo and in groups wherever the game supports both.
  • On ordinary hardware: a mid-range PC, a current console or a recent phone.

What scores are not

They are not player averages, sales figures or technical benchmarks. They are the considered opinion of our reviewers at the date shown. Online games change, so every review carries a “last checked” date, and we revise marks when a game meaningfully improves or declines.

Independence

No publisher can pay for a listing, a score or a position in our rankings. See the editorial policy for how we handle links and corrections.