What Our Ratings Actually Mean

People sometimes ask why we don't give games perfect scores, or why a game we clearly loved only got a 4.6. So here's how we think about ratings, in plain terms.

Our scale runs from roughly 3.8 to 4.9, and that's deliberate. Anything below that range we usually just don't cover — if a game isn't worth recommending, we'd rather spend the space on one that is. So everything on the site is a game we think is worth your time.

Within that band, the number reflects how confidently we'd press it into your hands. A 4.7 like Hollow Tide means we'd recommend it to almost anyone. A 4.1 means we liked it but there's a specific audience or a specific flaw to keep in mind.

A score is never the whole story, though. The number is a shortcut; the review is the real answer. If a game's rating surprises you, the paragraphs will tell you why. We'd always rather you read the words than squint at the decimal.