How we test a game before we write about it

People sometimes ask how we can call something a review after playing for months. The honest answer is that a lot of mobile coverage is written after barely touching a game, and we didn't want to add to that pile.

Our process is simple but stubborn. Every game gets installed on at least two phones — one current, one a few years old — and played across several days. We note first impressions, but we also come back later, because a lot of games hide their flaws until hour three.

We track specific things: how the controls feel, whether it plays one-handed, how it treats your battery and how warm the phone gets, and whether it respects your time or tries to hook you with pressure. Those notes shape the rating.

The rating itself is a judgment call, not a formula. We're a small team with opinions, and we'd rather be honest and occasionally wrong than safe and useless. If we didn't enjoy something, you'll know.