How we actually decide a score

People sometimes ask what a 4.5 means versus a 4.2 on Pocket Verdict. Honestly, the number always comes after the writing, not before.

We play the game, argue about it, then write down what we thought. Only then do we settle on a rating, and it's really a shorthand for how strongly we'd recommend it. A high score means we'd tell a friend to install it right now.

We try to judge each game against what it's trying to be. A tiny casual app and a sprawling RPG can both score well if they nail their own goals. It'd be unfair to punish a five-minute time-filler for not being an epic.

So take the numbers as a starting point, then read the actual words. That's where the real verdict lives.