How we actually score a game

People ask why one game gets a 4.7 and another a 4.1, so here's the honest answer. Our scores are subjective, but they're not random.

We weigh a few things: how the game plays on a real phone, whether the controls fit a touchscreen, how well progression or story holds up over time, and whether it respects the player's time and attention.

We don't average a checklist. A game with a rough first hour can still score high if it opens up into something special, and a slick game can lose points for wearing thin fast.

Above all, the number is a shortcut for the review. Read the words, because that's where the real opinion lives.