How to actually read a review score

Scores are shorthand, not truth. Ours are a quick signal, but the paragraphs are where the real information lives. A game can lose points for a slow mid-game and still be perfect for you if you play in short bursts.

We rate against a game's own goals. An arcade puzzler and a deep strategy title aren't graded on the same axis, so a high-scoring casual game isn't 'better' than a solid strategy one, just better at what it set out to do.

Read the highlights and the review body together. If a low score comes with complaints that don't apply to how you play, ignore the number and trust the details.

In the end, a score should send you to the review, not replace it.