What Our Ratings Actually Mean

A score is a blunt tool. A 4.2 tells you almost nothing on its own, which is why we treat the number as a starting point, not the whole review. Still, people want a quick read, so here's how we think about ours.

We don't grade on a curve or compare to some imaginary perfect game. We ask whether a game does what it sets out to do, whether it respects your time, and whether we'd keep playing after the review is filed.

A high score doesn't mean flawless — it means the good far outweighs the annoyances. A middling score often means a game does one thing brilliantly and stumbles everywhere else.

If you only read the number, you'll miss the point. The paragraphs are where the real opinion lives. The rating is just the shorthand.