Review Policy

Last updated: 19 August 2026

Anyone can post a score. This page explains what a GAMELAD score actually means, how we arrive at it, and what we will and will not do for money. If you only read one page on this site besides a review, make it this one.

The short version

• Every game is played before it is reviewed. No exceptions.
• We have never accepted payment for a review or a score.
• We cover overlooked and underrated PC games, not blockbusters.
• Scores are ours. They will sometimes disagree with the mainstream press.

How we choose what to cover

GAMELAD exists for games that did not get their fair share of attention — indie releases, older titles, budget games, and licensed games that were written off too quickly. We deliberately skip the AAA blockbusters, because a thousand other outlets already cover those on release day.

Games are picked because one of us found something interesting in them, not because a publisher asked.

How we actually review

Every review follows the same process:

1. We play the game. Not a trailer, not a press kit, not someone else's footage. Wherever practical we finish the main content; where a game is open-ended, we play enough to form a genuine opinion and we say roughly how long that was.
2. We note the bad with the good. Every review carries a "What we didn't" list. If a game is short, repetitive, buggy, or badly optimised, that goes in the review, even when we like the game overall.
3. We check the facts. Developer, publisher, release date, and system requirements are verified against primary sources such as the official store page or PCGamingWiki, not copied from other blogs.
4. We score last. The number comes after writing, not before.

What our scores mean

Scores run from 0 to 10, in tenths. We use the whole scale — a 5 means average, not "bad". Broadly:

• 9.0 – 10 — Essential. Drop what you are playing.
• 8.0 – 8.9 — Must play. Excellent, with only minor faults.
• 7.0 – 7.9 — Recommended. Clearly good, with real caveats.
• 6.0 – 6.9 — Worth a look. Enjoyable if the premise appeals to you.
• 4.0 – 5.9 — Mixed. Notable problems; only for the curious or patient.
• Below 4.0 — Not recommended.

A score reflects the game as it exists now, on PC, at its current price. A cheap game that delivers exactly what it promises can score well against a more expensive one that does not.

When we disagree with other reviewers

Sometimes our score will be well above or below the critical consensus. That is deliberate, not an oversight.

We review for players hunting for something overlooked. A licensed action game with a short campaign might be dismissed by a major outlet judging it against full-price blockbusters, while still being an excellent five hours for the money. Where our view diverges sharply from the general consensus, we try to say so in the review and explain why.

You are free to disagree with us. We would rather publish an honest minority opinion than a safe one.

Money, and what it cannot buy

This is the part that matters most.

• We have never been paid for a review. Not for coverage, not for a score, not for a positive angle.
• No developer or publisher gets to see a review before it goes live, and no one outside GAMELAD gets approval over a score.
• We do not run sponsored posts disguised as reviews.
• We sell games through our own Gumroad store. This is our main way of supporting the site. Selling a game does not guarantee it a good score — our published scores range from 4.5 to 8.8, including games we sell.
• The site does not currently run advertising. If that changes, it will be disclosed on this page and in our Privacy Policy.

If a developer ever gives us a free copy of a game to review, we will say so clearly in that review. A free copy never buys a better score.

Corrections

We get things wrong sometimes. If you spot a factual error — a wrong release date, an incorrect system requirement, a mischaracterised mechanic — email us and we will check it. Where a correction is significant, we note it in the article rather than editing silently.

If a game is substantially patched after our review, we may revisit it and update the score, noting the date and reason.

Who writes these

GAMELAD is a small independent operation, not a media company with a staff of freelancers. Reviews are written by a real person who played the game. Read more on our About page.

Questions or challenges

If you think a score is wrong, or you want to know more about how a review was put together, email vick90981@gmail.com. We are happy to explain our reasoning.