How we actually put a number on a game

People ask what our scores mean, so here's the honest version. A number is a shorthand for a feeling, and feelings are subjective. Two of us can play the same game and land half a point apart.

We don't use a rigid checklist. Instead we weigh how much we wanted to keep playing, how it treats your time, and whether it delivers on its own promise. A simple casual game and a deep RPG aren't judged by the same yardstick.

A 4.3 for a relaxed game like Big Bass 3in1 means it nails what it sets out to do, not that it competes with a sprawling adventure. Context matters, and we try to explain it in the review text.

So read the words, not just the digit. The number is a starting point for a conversation, never the final word on whether you'll love something.