How we actually decide on a score

People ask why one game gets a 4.5 and another a 4.2 when they both seem fine. Fair question. Our scores aren't a formula — they're the result of an argument, usually a friendly one.

Whoever plays a game the most drafts the review and a suggested score. Then the rest of us weigh in, especially if we've also played it. Disagreements get worked into the text, so if a game is divisive, you'll read about it.

We try to grade a game against what it's trying to be. A cozy puzzler and a sprawling RPG can both earn high marks; we're not comparing apples to a whole orchard. A short game done perfectly beats a big game that's a slog.

We revisit scores too. Games get updates, and if a patch fixes what dragged a rating down, we'll note it. The number is a snapshot, not a stone tablet.