How we actually put a number on a game

People ask why one game gets a 4.3 and another a 4.6 when they seem equally fun. The short answer: our rating is one editor's honest verdict after real playtime, not a spreadsheet formula.

We weigh things like how the game feels after the novelty wears off, whether the controls fight you, and if it respects your time. A great first hour doesn't save a game that turns into a grind.

We also try to judge games against their own ambitions. A tiny casual game and a sprawling RPG aren't held to the same yardstick. A relaxing tapper doesn't need deep systems to score well.

So don't read our numbers as absolute truth. Read the words around them. That's where the real opinion lives.