Hello everyone! Mike Straw, one of Insider Gaming’s senior editors, here with an important update on the future of Insider Gaming. Specifically, an update to Insider Gaming’s reviews.
Since launching reviews in May 2024, Insider Gaming has proudly offered honest, thoughtful impressions of the games we play, using our simplified “Buy, Wait, Skip” scale. This scale was designed to provide readers with a direct, actionable takeaway about whether a game is worth your time and money. However, after a year of reviewing and internal discussion with our editorial team, we’ve decided to evolve the Insider Gaming review policy to better reflect the depth, nuance, and variety found in today’s gaming experiences.
With that said, we are moving to a 5-point review scale for all Insider Gaming reviews moving forward.
Starting June 1, all reviews will use the following breakdown:
- 5 – Masterpiece: A must-play game that stands out as one of the best in its genre or the medium as a whole. Rare and exceptional but doesn’t mean “perfect”.
- 4 – Great: A well-crafted, highly enjoyable experience with minor flaws. Strongly recommended.
- 3 – Good: Solid and entertaining, though it may lack innovation or polish in areas. A game worth a look depending on your preferences.
- 2 – Disappointing: Has potential or good ideas but suffers from notable issues that hinder the experience. Proceed with caution.
- 1 – Poor: Fundamentally broken or unenjoyable. Difficult to recommend in its current state.
There won’t be any half-ratings with this new system. It will be a firm 1-5 score to let you know where our reviewers stand with a certain game. In addition to the numerical values, we will award games with a “Must Play” distinction when we believe they rise above the rest, regardless of their score.
Why Change The System?
As mentioned, the review scoring system came after a year of reviewing and internal discussion among the Insider Gaming team. While the “Buy, Wait, Skip” system helped simplify the consumer decision-making process, we found over time that it didn’t offer enough flexibility to reflect the diverse range of quality and experiences we encounter in games. Many titles didn’t fit neatly into one of the three buckets, leaving reviewers and readers alike feeling constrained by the verdict.
A 5-point scale allows us to be more precise in our evaluations without falling into the pitfalls of inflated or confusing scoring systems that come with 10- or 100-point scales. Every score on our scale has a clear meaning and purpose.
Will Old Insider Gaming Reviews Be Updated?
All reviews published before June 2025 will remain as originally scored under the “Buy, Wait, Skip” system. We will not retroactively assign numerical scores to those reviews, as each verdict was made with the original scale’s intent in mind. Where appropriate, such as in retrospective features or updated reviews, we may revisit older games under the new 5-point scale, but only if new context or content—like major patches or re-releases—warrants a fresh look.
Our full review policy will always be available on Insider Gaming to view at any time if you need more clarification on how we cover the latest games. You can also talk more about what’s happening at Insider Gaming in the official forums.
Thank you for your continued support of Insider Gaming, and we can’t wait for what the future holds!
Mike has been covering the gaming industry since 2012, and has reported on some of the largest events in the industry while also working as an investigative reporter. Outside of…
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