(UPDATE January 1, 2026) 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.
The Insider Gaming Review Policy
Introducing the 10-Point Review Scale
Starting in January 6, Insider Gaming reviews will now use a 10-point scale, with the following breakdown:
- 10 – 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”.
- 9 – Excellent: An outstanding game that excels in nearly every area, with only minor flaws keeping it from perfection.
- 8 – Great: A well-crafted, highly enjoyable experience with minor flaws. Strongly recommended.
- 7 – Very Good: A strong and satisfying game that does a lot right, even if it doesn’t fully stand out from the pack.
- 6 – Good: Solid and entertaining, though it may lack innovation or polish in areas. A game worth a look depending on your preferences.
- 5 – Ok: Perfectly playable, but unremarkable. It’s fine in moments, forgettable in others.
- 4 – Disappointing: Has potential or good ideas but suffers from notable issues that hinder the experience. Proceed with caution.
- 3 – Poor: A frustrating experience plagued by design, performance, or execution issues.
- 2 – Awful: Fundamentally broken or deeply flawed, offering little reason to keep playing.
- 1 – Don’t Bother: Does it need an explanation?
We will also award certain games a “Must Play” distinction when we believe they rise above the rest, regardless of their score. These games will be typically reserved for those receiving a 5.
It’s also important to note that there are no “half ratings” with this system. It will be a firm 1-5 rating.
Why the Change?
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.
After months of internal discussions and feedback from both readers and staff, we concluded that a 5-point system strikes the right balance. It 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.
What Happens to Older Reviews?
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.
However, those legacy reviews will continue to be accessible on the site, and we’ll clearly label them with the scale used at the time of publication. 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 Continued Commitment
No matter the scoring system, our core values remain the same: transparency, integrity, and a deep love for games. Every review reflects the voice of the reviewer and is rooted in hands-on experience with the game. We’ll continue to strive to provide context and clarity in every review, helping you understand not just what a game is, but who it might be for.
We believe this new scale enhances the value of our reviews while still providing an accessible verdict for all readers. As always, we welcome your feedback.
What We Look For In Games
When reviewing a game, we look at various factors such as gameplay, features and modes, replay factor, presentation, and more. How they all stand out separately as well as mesh together goes into deciding if a game is worth playing or not.
Who Is Reviewing Games?
Insider Gaming is a team of industry veterans who have played and reviewed hundreds of games.
Obviously everyone has unique tastes and different games will give off different feelings to the reviewer. Thus, the staff at Insider Gaming may not always unanimously agree on a game’s score.
Each reviewer, however, has a distinct voice, and how they feel about a specific game will be respected.
Will We Ever Change A Score?
While the final decision on a review score is likely to be debated and changed prior to publishing, Insider Gaming won’t change a published review score aside from extreme circumstances that warrant an update. Should that ever happen, it will be made clear of the reasoning for the change.
Where Can Find Your Reviews?
In addition to right here on Insider Gaming, our reviews are also shared on Metacritic, OpenCritic, and CriticDB.
Any Questions?
If you have any questions or concerns about our review policy, please contact us at [email protected]
