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How We Review

A transparent, decision-grade methodology — so you know exactly what a score means before you spend $70 on a game.

Every PlayScored review goes through the same disciplined process. No surprise scores, no industry-insider math, no hype-driven inflation. This page documents exactly how we evaluate games — read it once, and every score on the site becomes legible.

1. Time Played — Before We Score

We don't post day-one hot takes. Minimum playtime depends on game length:

  • Short games (under 10 hours): 100% completion of the main path, plus all major optional content
  • Medium games (10–30 hours): Main story finished, plus 5+ hours of side content
  • Long games (30+ hours): Main story finished or 30 hours minimum (whichever comes first), plus representative endgame
  • Live-service / multiplayer: Minimum 25 hours, including ranked or end-game systems where applicable
  • Roguelikes / sandbox: 15+ hours minimum, multiple full runs or a clear progression milestone

If we haven't met the threshold, we don't publish a review with a score. Hands-off previews exist as a separate format and are clearly labeled — they never carry a final rating.

2. The Six Sub-Ratings

Every review breaks the game down into six independent dimensions. Each is scored 1–10 on its own merit; the final score is an editorial verdict, not a weighted average.

Gameplay

Core moment-to-moment systems — controls, feel, mechanical depth, encounter variety, pacing, and how well the central loop holds up over the full run. A 10 here is best-in-genre. A 5 means it works but rarely surprises.

Graphics

Art direction, technical fidelity, animation quality, world detail, and visual identity. We weight art direction over raw fidelity — a stylized indie can score higher than a photoreal AAA if the vision lands harder.

Story

Narrative craft, writing quality, character work, pacing, and emotional payoff. For story-light games we evaluate worldbuilding and tone. A 10 is genre-defining writing. A 5 is competent but forgettable.

Audio

Music, sound design, voice acting, and audio mix. Includes how well audio reinforces gameplay feedback and atmosphere — not just whether the soundtrack is memorable on its own.

Performance

Frame rate stability, load times, technical bugs, and optimization across platforms tested. Unstable performance can drop a score by 1–2 points even when other axes are excellent. We disclose the platform we played on.

Value

Length-vs-price ratio, post-launch content roadmap, replayability, and whether the experience justifies its asking price. A $70 game with 12 hours of content scores differently from a $30 indie with 60 hours.

3. The Final Score Rubric

The overall score is set by the reviewer's editorial judgment after the six sub-ratings are locked. It is not a mathematical average. Here's what each tier means:

  • 10 — Genre-defining. A landmark release. We expect to remember this game years from now.
  • 9 — Excellent. Among the best of its year. Minor flaws that don't dent the experience.
  • 8 — Very good. A confident recommendation with clear caveats. Most players will have a great time.
  • 7 — Good. Worth playing if the genre or premise lands for you. Notable rough edges.
  • 6 — Mixed. Has real strengths, but enough problems that we can only recommend it on sale or to genre die-hards.
  • 5 — Average. Functional but unremarkable. Skip unless it's specifically for you.
  • 4 — Below average. Significant problems outweigh the highlights.
  • 3 — Poor. Fundamentally undercooked or compromised in ways that affect every session.
  • 1–2 — Broken. Reserved for games that don't function as advertised or are actively user-hostile.

4. Disclosure Policy

Every review's footer states three things, plainly:

  1. Platform played: e.g. "Reviewed on PS5 Pro" or "Reviewed on PC, Steam Deck spot-checked"
  2. Hours invested: a real number, not a range
  3. Source of access: review copy provided by publisher / purchased at retail / Game Pass / GOG library / etc.

Receiving a review code never guarantees a positive review. We have published critical reviews of games we received from publishers, and we will continue to. If a publisher rescinds future access in retaliation for a score, we say so on the next review of theirs.

5. Update Policy

Games change. When a major patch, expansion, or rework substantively alters the experience, we revisit the review and either:

  • Add a dated update block explaining what's changed and whether the score still holds
  • Publish a new "Re-Review" article with a fresh score and a link from the original

The review URL never changes — older readers and search engines can always trust the canonical link.

6. What We Don't Do

  • No paid scores. Ever. Not for ads, affiliate revenue, sponsorships, or favors.
  • No pre-release scores. Hands-off previews carry no rating. Period.
  • No score inflation. A 7 is a good game. We don't pretend everything is an 8 or 9 to please publishers.
  • No anonymous bylines. Every review is signed by the reviewer who played it.

Questions, Corrections, Concerns

If you spot a factual error or want to discuss a methodology decision, email hello@playscored.com. Corrections are noted at the top of the affected review with a date and short explanation of what changed.

See also: Editorial Policy · About PlayScored