How we actually score a game

People ask how we land on a number, so here's the honest version. We play the game for days, take messy notes, argue a bit, then settle on a score that reflects the whole experience rather than one shiny moment.

A rating on Pocket Verdict is relative to what a game is trying to do. Big Bass Slot earning a 4.3 as a casual time-killer isn't the same yardstick we use for a deep RPG. We judge each game against its own ambitions.

We deliberately don't hand out fives easily, and a 4.1 means we genuinely liked something. If a game frustrated us, we'll explain exactly where, because a vague low score helps nobody.

Scores are the least interesting part of a review anyway. The words around the number are where the real recommendation lives, so read those.