At Snackbar, we think that nuance is best left to the text of the review, so our scoring system is designed to be as practical as possible. We were tired of scales in which half of the options were indistinguishable degrees of how much you shouldn’t play something (or just not used at all) and in which the top score was some unattainable perfection. Also, half-points and decimal scores? Forget it. So here’s what we use, along with broken-industry-standard conversions and the descriptors we used for years on the site (which, while still valid, were designed for a retail-only market and don’t fit in with all of today’s games).

1/5

(5/10, “Save Your Cash”)

This is our score that indicates you shouldn’t buy the game. It may not be worthless, but there’s just no compelling reason for people to spend time playing it. (Yes, if it is worthless or broken, it also gets this score. The text of the review should indicate the difference.)

2/5

(6/10, “Strictly Rental”)

This means that, while we’re still not recommending the game as a whole experience, there are elements here that are interesting, admirable or worth checking out. It could be marred by technical issues or questionable game design decisions, or it could just not come together in a way that’s fun to play.

3/5

(7/10, “Bargain Bin”)

These games are solid experiences that just don’t quite live up to their promise. As the old descriptor indicates, with the lowered expectations of buying during a sale or borrowing from a friend, these could provide a worthwhile experience for the player.

4/5

(8/10, “Niche”)

A 4 rating from Snackbar indicates an endorsement from our review staff. The game’s fun to play, so we think people should play it. There may be elements that are a bit rough, and it may not have the cross-genre appeal that would, say, get an RPG fan interested in sports or a shooter fanatic into a strategy title, but for people who were already interested in the game’s premise, a 4 means you should go for it.

5/5

(9/10, “Purchase”)

This score doesn’t mean a game is perfect, because no game is and ever will be. What it does mean is that this game’s really impressive, and we recommend everyone play it whether it’s normally their kind of thing or not.

If you have any questions about our policies, ask us at [email protected].