How we test a game before we write a word

People sometimes ask how long we play before writing. The short answer: longer than we'd like on the bad ones. The real test starts after the honeymoon phase, once the novelty wears off and you see what a game truly is.

We play on at least two phones, one recent and one a few years old, because performance is half the story on mobile. A game that stutters or drains your battery isn't fun no matter how clever it is. We watch load times, heat, and how it handles being backgrounded mid-session.

We also try to play the way a normal person would: in short bursts, on real connections, sometimes with distractions. A game that only shines in a quiet room with a full charge isn't the same one you'll actually live with.

Only after all that do we sit down to write. The rating comes last, and it reflects the whole experience, not just the flashy opening. That's the whole point of doing it ourselves.