Every Playquire review is played, scored on a 1 to 10 scale, and states the platform, the version, the hours and where the code came from. This page is the scale and the rules behind it.
The scale
Scores are whole numbers from 1 to 10. The band word shown beside the score is the only adjective the score gets.
| Score | Band | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| 9 to 10 | Essential | Play it, whatever you usually play. A 10 is rare and has no caveats worth the space. |
| 8 | Recommended | Very good, with flaws you will notice and forgive. |
| 6 to 7 | Worth a look | Good for the people it is for; the verdict says who that is. |
| 4 to 5 | Flawed | Real problems get in the way of what is good. Not broken, and not a warning. |
| 1 to 3 | Skip | We could not recommend it to anyone at this price, in this state. |
A 5 is a flawed game, not a failed one; a 7 is a good game we would not push on everyone. Scores are not averaged from a checklist. The verdict box carries the pros, the cons, a bottom line and the facts of the play session.
What every review must state
- The platform played on, and the version or build.
- The hours played, and whether the game was finished.
- Where the code came from: bought by Playquire, supplied by the publisher or developer, or played at an event.
- Anything that limited the session: a pre-release server population, a missing mode, a patch promised for launch.
Playtime minimums
A review does not publish until the writer has played enough to stand behind the score. The minimums by kind of game:
- Story-led games: to the credits.
- Open-world and role-playing games: to the credits, or at least 25 hours where the credits are more than 40 hours away, with the verdict saying how far we got.
- Shooters, action and platform games: the full campaign, plus the multiplayer where it exists.
- Strategy, simulation, roguelike and survival games: at least 20 hours across several sessions.
- Live-service and multiplayer games: at least 20 hours after launch on live servers, and a check after the first major patch.
- Sports, racing and fighting games: at least 12 hours across the main modes, online included.
- Short games: finished, and more than once where the design asks for it.
Where a game cannot be reviewed on those terms before launch, the review is held, or published as a review in progress without a score, until it can.
Review code and embargoes
We accept review code and hardware loans. We do not accept payment, and we do not agree to score guarantees, pre-publication reads or conditions on what the review may discuss. We honour embargo dates. If a publisher withholds code until launch, the review says so and follows once we have played the game anyone can buy.
Re-reviews and score changes
A score describes the game as it was when reviewed, on the platform stated. A major patch, a relaunch or a new platform release that changes the experience can earn a re-review, published as a new piece that links to the original. The original score is never edited; the original review carries a note pointing to the re-review.
Who scores
The score is the reviewer’s. An editor checks the facts and the reasoning, not the number. Nobody at Playquire reviews a game they worked on, or one made by people they are close to.