How We Actually Score a Game

People ask what our numbers mean, so here's the honest answer. A rating from us is one thing: how much we enjoyed playing it, judged against other games of its kind.

We don't grade a cozy builder on the same scale as a tactics game. That wouldn't be fair to either. Instead we ask whether a game does what it sets out to do, and whether it feels good in the hand.

You'll notice we rarely give out anything near a perfect score. That's deliberate. A 4.3 from us is a genuine recommendation — it means we had a good time and think you will too.

Numbers are shorthand, though. The real review is the words. If you only look at the rating you're missing the part where we tell you exactly who a game is for and who should skip it.