How we actually test a game before writing about it

People ask how long we play before reviewing. The honest answer is: until we have something real to say. That's usually a few evenings, sometimes more if the game keeps surprising us.

First we play with the connection off, on purpose. If a supposedly offline game stumbles without Wi-Fi, that goes straight into the review. Then we note the controls, because a phone game lives or dies by how it feels in your thumbs.

We also try to play the way you would: on the bus, half-distracted, in short chunks. A game that only shines in a quiet room with headphones isn't much use to most of us.

Only after all that does someone sit down to write. The score comes last, and it's a summary of the notes, never the starting point.