How we actually review a game

People sometimes ask how long we play before writing. The honest answer is: until we have a real opinion. That's usually a week or two, longer for deep strategy games.

We take notes as we go, not just at the end. First impressions matter, but so does how a game feels once the novelty wears off. A lot of games are fun for an hour and hollow after that.

Scores are the last thing we decide, never the first. We write the review, then argue about the number. If two of us disagree strongly, that disagreement usually ends up in the text.

We're not trying to be the final word. We're just telling you what it was like to actually play the thing.