Which games do we consider?
Online and browser games that players in the UK can start today on at least one mainstream platform, from free browser classics to large shared worlds.
How do we play them?
Online, on more than one evening, in private lobbies with friends and in public ones with strangers. We test the chat, mute, block and report tools, set up the family controls and look through the shop before we write a word.
What does a rating weigh?
- The game: controls, depth, fairness and how it feels to improve.
- The lobby: matchmaking, moderation, chat and report tools, and how newcomers are treated.
- The deal: what is free, what is sold and whether the shop gets in the way.
- The welcome: tutorials, accessibility, cross-play and how easy it is to bring a friend.
How do ratings become signal bands?
One editorial rating out of five, in tenths, sets the signal band shown on each lobby:
- Full signal (from 4.7): Among the best online games we have played. Worth making room for.
- Strong (from 4.4): Excellent, with a small caveat or two.
- Steady (from 4.0): Very good for the right group; the report says who.
- Patchy (below 4.0): For fans of the genre, rough edges and all.
Where do the lobby facts come from?
Player numbers, match length, chat options, accounts and the shop are recorded from our own play and checked against each game’s official pages. Filters on the home page read those facts; they never change a rating.
Why does every report say where to log off?
Online games rarely end on their own. A natural exit, such as the end of a round, a match or a quest, is written into every report, together with what the game can cost once you are playing.
What do we never do?
No paid placements, no sponsored ratings, no invented player counts and no reviews written from trailers or press releases.
How do we keep reports current?
Links, platforms and shops are checked regularly. When a big update changes how a game plays or what it sells, we play it again before touching its rating.