How we actually decide on a score

People ask what a 4.4 means versus a 4.6, so here's the honest answer: it's a judgment call, backed by a lot of play time, not a formula.

We weigh how a game controls, how it treats your phone, how long it stays fun, and whether it respects your time. A game can be gorgeous and still score lower if the controls fight you or the battery melts.

We also judge games against their own ambitions. A tiny casual game and a sprawling RPG aren't competing for the same number — we ask whether each one does what it set out to do. That's why a simple game like Legends of Slots can score well without being deep.

The number is a shortcut. The paragraphs are the real review. If you only read the score, you're missing the part where we tell you whether the game is for you specifically.