In pandering to all-comers, videogames have found a new audience. Perhaps the industry really has gone mainstream – but to hell with that debate. Only the Games is a deliberately narrowing name; one that should tell you exactly the kind of content you’ll find here. Other websites do a valiant job of reviewing more casual games for their audience, a task which is of no interest here. This is, primarily, a review site for the knowing nerd, whose interest is a game’s construction and design, and who’d rather mash buttons than flail plastic.

Some things to know:

Reviews

Reviews follow neither numerical scales nor value scales — just the text. Titles are played thoroughly and the review itself can go anywhere from there. Games go beyond their bullet point features, and we’re sure to converse and reflect that.

All reviews are substantiated on retail copies, and as a result they’ll occasionally be late compared to other publications. It’s an acceptable trade off that allows for a keen and fair look at the true and final quality of a product. And, an additional upside, the rush to produce content is avoided.

Exceptions barred, you’ll never see an explicit recommendation to buy a game because, frankly, discussing the experience of playing a game is far more valuable to readers than attempting to weigh wallets. Cluing readers to whether or not a particular game is an experience that speaks to them should result in helping out in the penny counting by default.

Previews

Coverage before a final review is an inherently tricky business. As a result, we try to keep away from the previewing process unless it seems like a game can be weighed fairly. You’ll sometimes see that kind of coverage here, but it will never be as frequent as our more regular editorial/review content.