Game Sandwich reviews use a simple 1-10 scale as well as bulleted pros and cons. Pros and cons are a summary of your main positive and negative points, while the score encapsulates our full thoughts into a number.
Reviews are intended to critique and inform our readers (you) about the quality of a work of art, not necessarily its value as a consumer product. Unless it is a unique situation, the price of a title doesn’t factor into our assessment of a game’s quality.
Here’s how each number roughly translates on Game Sandwich reviews:
10 – A masterpiece, but not a perfect game Games will never be perfect for everyone, but this is a game you personally find no flaws in and could recommend to almost anyone. These are games that push the entire industry forward in some way. If it isn’t a game you’d consider being in your top 10 of all-time, it probably isn’t a 10.
9 – An exceptional game, but has one or two rough edges that can’t be ignored These can be technical, design, or narrative issues that are like one blemish on an otherwise pristine apple.
8 – Fantastic game All around well built and high-quality experience that takes some risks, but not all of them pay off. This game might have a series of small annoyances or one slightly larger flaw that is like a pebble in your shoe.
7 – A great game What it sets out to do, it does well, but not much more. You had a great experience playing it, but won’t be a game you feel compelled to return to or feel stands above its contemporaries.
6 – A good game. This is above average, but only just. It might have one or two things going for it that are cool but falters in standing out. This would be a game that you might recommend to people looking for a very specific experience, but not the general masses.
5 – Average It’s…fine. It isn’t broken, but it also doesn’t give you any strong feelings. These can be “podcast games” or titles that you could easily abandon part way through and not feel like you missed anything.
4 – Not so good The flaws are now outweighing the good in a distracting way. Glitches, difficulty curves, terrible story/dialogue, or whatever else are too prominent to make whatever good there is (and there should be some good still) shine. If you’re bored, but not actually miserable, this could be the score.
3 – Poor At this point, you’re struggling to see the positives. Even the ones that are there, are only serviceable rather than stand-out or impressive. The best parts of a 3 are average, bogged down by annoyances. You doubt there would be anyone who could find much enjoyment from what is on offer.
2 – Bad This is a bad game that you dread playing. It works, but only barely (literally or figuratively). This game should not only have worse qualities than a 3, but also things that actively ruin your time.
1 – Trash There are no redeeming qualities here. The game could still function, but even if it does it goes beyond wasting the player’s time. This is the kind of game that is harmful to communities or individuals. A 1 should be reserved for the rare instance where you feel a piece of art is so detrimental to any who experiences it that you feel it would be better off not existing. Nothing can be learned from a 1.
