How we actually score a game

People ask what a 4.4 means versus a 4.2, as if there's a spreadsheet. There sort of is, but it's less scientific than you'd hope — a score is a shorthand for 'how we felt after really playing this'.

We weigh a few things. Do the controls fit a phone? Does the game respect your time? Is it fair, or does it lean on frustration to pad its length? And, honestly, did we want to keep playing after the review was done?

A high score doesn't mean a game is for everyone. Neon Drift Rally and Emberfall Chronicles score similarly but could not be more different — one is a two-minute thrill, the other a long slow journey. Read the words, not just the number.

We also revisit scores if a game changes a lot after launch. A number from day one shouldn't haunt a game that's genuinely improved. Our goal is to be useful, not to be first.