How we decide on a score

People ask what separates a 4.2 from a 4.6, so here's the honest version. Our scores aren't a checklist tallied up to a number. They start with a gut feeling after playing and get refined as we argue about it.

The biggest factor is whether the game respects your time. Does it let you play the way it advertises, or does it constantly interrupt? A brilliant core loop buried under friction loses points fast.

Second is how it holds up on a return visit. Lots of games are fun for an hour. Fewer are fun a week later. We come back before finalizing anything, and some scores drop when the shine wears off.

We also weigh how well the game fits a phone specifically. Great ideas ported clumsily to touch controls don't get a pass just because they'd be excellent elsewhere.

A score is a snapshot of our opinion, nothing more. Read the review for the reasoning, because that's where the actual usefulness lives. Two games with the same number can be recommended for completely different people.