The SPE Review System
Two Scores. Two Questions. One Experience.
At The Single Player Experience, we believe a game review should tell you more than whether a game is simply good or bad. Our review system is designed to separate two things that are often treated as if they are the same: the quality of a game and the personal connection we have with it. Together, the two scores give you a clearer picture of both the game itself and the experience of playing it.
Review Score
1 -10
How good is the game?
The Review Score is our overall assessment of the game’s quality, design, execution, and effectiveness as a complete experience. We consider the game’s strengths and weaknesses while asking how successfully it accomplishes what it is trying to be.
Passion Score
1 -100
How much do we personally love it?
The Passion Score measures our personal connection to the game. It considers how much we enjoyed the experience, how strongly it connected with us, and how much we continue to think about, remember, and want to talk about the game after playing it.
Every game is different. Some games are technically impressive, beautifully designed, and critically successful but simply do not connect with us on a personal level. Others may have obvious flaws, rough mechanics, technical problems, or creative decisions that keep them from earning a high Review Score while still becoming experiences that we genuinely love.
A great game is not automatically your favorite game, and a flawed game is not automatically an experience without value. By giving you both scores, SPE can be honest about the quality of a game while also being transparent about the personal connection behind the review.
A great game isn’t always your favorite game. A flawed game can still become one of your favorite experiences.
The Review Score
How good is the game?
The SPE Review Score is our critical evaluation of the complete game. Rather than allowing personal preference alone to determine the final number, we take a step back and examine how successfully the game accomplishes what it is trying to accomplish.
We consider the game’s design, execution, strengths, weaknesses, technical performance, presentation, and the way its individual parts come together over the course of the experience.
The Review Score ranges from 1 to 10, with 10 representing the highest level of achievement in the SPE system. Every Review Score is also assigned an SPE Tier, providing additional context and allowing readers to explore our reviews according to broader levels of quality.
Our goal is not to determine whether every player will love a game. Instead, we are asking a more fundamental question:
How successful is this game at being the game it is trying to be?
What Goes Into an SPE Review? The Five Elements
Every game presents its own challenges and priorities, so we do not expect every title to succeed in exactly the same way. A narrative-driven adventure, a roguelike, a strategy game, and a puzzle game should not be judged by identical standards. Instead, we examine the elements that matter most to the experience each game is trying to create. These areas help shape the review, while the final Review Score reflects how effectively the complete experience comes together.
1. Impression
What was the Experience Like?
Every review begins with the experience itself. We consider what the game is, what drew us to it, what we expected going in, and how our perception changed as we spent more time with it. Some games make an immediate impression and struggle to maintain it. Others take time to establish their identity before revealing what makes them special. We are interested in that entire journey and how the experience develops from its opening moments through its conclusion.
2. GAMEPLAY
How does it actually play?
Gameplay is at the heart of most games, so we examine how the mechanics work individually and how they function together as a larger system. Depending on the game, this can include combat, exploration, movement, controls, progression, difficulty, level design, world design, pacing, variety, and the systems that define the experience. We do not expect every game to have the same mechanics or structure. Instead, we ask whether the mechanics work effectively for the experience the developers are trying to create and whether they remain engaging throughout the game.
3. NARRATIVE
Does the story contribute to the experience?
For games where narrative plays a significant role, we examine the story, characters, writing, dialogue, world-building, themes, pacing, and presentation. We do not believe every game needs an enormous story or a cast of deeply developed characters. A game can communicate something meaningful through atmosphere, environmental storytelling, mechanics, or very little dialogue at all. The question is not whether a game tells the kind of story we personally prefer. The question is whether the narrative approach the game chooses effectively serves the experience it is trying to create.
4. PROS & CONS
What does the game get right, and where does it fall short?
No game is perfect, and every experience has strengths and weaknesses. Our Pros and Cons sections identify the elements that stood out most during our time with the game. The Pros highlight the mechanics, ideas, moments, characters, design decisions, technical achievements, or other qualities that elevate the experience. The Cons identify the frustrations, weaknesses, missed opportunities, or decisions that hold it back. These sections are not intended to be an arbitrary checklist of positives and negatives. Their purpose is to explain the reasoning behind our overall assessment and show you what ultimately shaped the review.
5. THE SINGLE PLAYER EXPERIENCE
When everything comes together, is it worth your time?
This is where we step back from the individual pieces and consider the experience as a whole. A game can have excellent gameplay and an interesting story but still fail to create a memorable experience. Another game can have rough edges, technical shortcomings, or obvious limitations while delivering something that remains with us long after the credits roll. The final Review Score considers the game as a complete experience and asks the question at the center of everything we do:
When everything is taken together, how good of a single-player experience is this?
The SPE Review Scale
Every score has a meaning. Every tier provides context.
The SPE Review Scale runs from 1 to 10, with every score assigned to an SPE Tier. The tiers provide additional context around the number and allow readers to browse and compare games according to their overall level of quality.
A 10 is not simply a game we enjoyed. It represents the highest standard in our system and is reserved for experiences that we believe belong among the very best.
At the other end of the scale, a 1 represents the lowest possible assessment. Scores at the bottom of the scale are reserved for games whose fundamental problems overwhelm whatever potential or positive qualities they may contain. Neither extreme is intended to be common. The numbers should mean something.
The SPE Review Scale
HALL OF FAME
The Best of the Best
A Hall of Fame score is reserved for games that transcend expectations and leave a lasting mark on gaming. These are experiences where the major pieces come together at an exceptional level, creating something that feels essential, memorable, and genuinely special.
A Hall of Fame game does not have to be completely flawless, but its strengths must be powerful enough to elevate it beyond ordinary excellence. The gameplay should be exceptionally refined, the narrative and characters should leave a lasting impression when storytelling is central to the experience, and the presentation, design, performance, and overall execution should demonstrate an extraordinary level of care.
Like an actual Hall of Fame, this distinction is not handed out simply because a game is very good. A 10 represents the highest honor in the SPE Review System and is reserved for the rare experiences we believe belong among the very best games we have played. These are the games that can define conversations, raise expectations, influence the games that follow them, and remain memorable long after the credits have rolled.
10
The SPE Review Scale
10/10: HALL OF FAME
The Best of the Best
A Hall of Fame score is reserved for games that transcend expectations and leave a lasting mark on gaming. These are experiences where the major pieces come together at an exceptional level, creating something that feels essential, memorable, and genuinely special.
A Hall of Fame game does not have to be completely flawless, but its strengths must be powerful enough to elevate it beyond ordinary excellence. The gameplay should be exceptionally refined, the narrative and characters should leave a lasting impression when storytelling is central to the experience, and the presentation, design, performance, and overall execution should demonstrate an extraordinary level of care.
Like an actual Hall of Fame, this distinction is not handed out simply because a game is very good. A 10 represents the highest honor in the SPE Review System and is reserved for the rare experiences we believe belong among the very best games we have played. These are the games that can define conversations, raise expectations, influence the games that follow them, and remain memorable long after the credits have rolled.
10
9/10: A-TIER
Outstanding
An A-Tier game is an outstanding experience that comes remarkably close to Hall of Fame status. These games excel across nearly every important area and often represent some of the strongest releases in their genre or year.
The difference between a 9 and a 10 may come from several smaller issues rather than one catastrophic flaw. Pacing problems, repetition, technical issues, design limitations, narrative shortcomings, or missed opportunities can keep an otherwise exceptional game from reaching the highest level of the scale.
Even with those shortcomings, A-Tier games are games we can confidently recommend to most players who have an interest in what they offer. They are impressive, memorable, and among the strongest experiences in the SPE archive.
9
8/10: B-TIER
Great
B-Tier games are solid, enjoyable experiences that deliver a good time without reaching the exceptional standards of the tiers above them. They may contain noticeable creative or technical flaws, but those shortcomings do not prevent the game from being an enjoyable and worthwhile experience.
These games often succeed at what they set out to accomplish while leaving room for improvement. They may have a strong gameplay loop, an interesting world, an effective story, or a creative concept that is held back by repetition, technical problems, limited scope, or other weaknesses.
A B-Tier game may not be groundbreaking, but that does not make it unworthy of your time. For the right player, these can be very enjoyable experiences.
8
7/10: C-TIER
Good
A C-Tier game is a functional and occasionally enjoyable experience that ultimately struggles to distinguish itself. These games may contain good ideas or enjoyable moments, but something prevents them from becoming consistently memorable.
The problem may be a weak narrative, repetitive gameplay, limited depth, technical limitations, an underdeveloped concept, or simply a lack of the ambition or execution necessary to stand above the competition.
A C-Tier game is not necessarily a bad game. It may be exactly what a particular player is looking for, especially if that player already enjoys the genre or style. However, it is generally not an experience we would recommend broadly or consider essential.
7
6/10 : Mid-TIER
Mixed
Mid-Tier games occupy the middle of the SPE scale because they often demonstrate potential without consistently delivering on it. These experiences may contain enjoyable mechanics, interesting ideas, strong individual moments, or glimpses of something much better, but those qualities are undermined by enough weaknesses to make the overall experience difficult to recommend.
Inconsistent gameplay, poor pacing, limited polish, weak presentation, technical problems, or missed opportunities may prevent the stronger elements from having the impact they could have had. Players may still find something worthwhile here, particularly if the game’s strengths align closely with their interests. However, these are generally experiences that leave us wishing the execution had matched the potential.
6
5/10 : Mid-TIER
Mixed
Mid-Tier games occupy the middle of the SPE scale because they often demonstrate potential without consistently delivering on it. These experiences may contain enjoyable mechanics, interesting ideas, strong individual moments, or glimpses of something much better, but those qualities are undermined by enough weaknesses to make the overall experience difficult to recommend.
Inconsistent gameplay, poor pacing, limited polish, weak presentation, technical problems, or missed opportunities may prevent the stronger elements from having the impact they could have had. Players may still find something worthwhile here, particularly if the game’s strengths align closely with their interests. However, these are generally experiences that leave us wishing the execution had matched the potential.
5
1 THRU 4 : F-TIER
Failing Experience
F-Tier is reserved for games that fail across multiple fundamental areas of the experience. These titles may suffer from broken or poorly designed gameplay, severe technical problems, poor execution, weak presentation, or creative decisions that prevent the experience from functioning as intended.
A game does not receive an F-Tier score simply because it is not our personal preference. The score reflects substantial problems with the overall experience that make the game difficult to recommend on its own merits.
At the most severe end of the scale, an F-Tier game may be buggy, unfinished, broken, frustrating, or so fundamentally flawed that there is little reason to continue playing. These are games we do not recommend. In the most extreme cases, we would not recommend playing them even if they were free.
1-4
The SPE Passion Scale
How much do we personally love the game?
The Review Score tells you how we evaluate the quality of a game. The Passion Score tells you something different: how strongly that game connected with us personally. This is where things get personal. The Passion Score measures enjoyment, excitement, emotional connection, attachment, enthusiasm, and how much an experience stays with us after we have finished playing it. It recognizes that a game can be imperfect and still become deeply meaningful to a player.
The Passion Score is not asking: “Is this a good game?”
We have already answered that with the Review Score. Instead, we are asking: “How much do we personally love this game?”
What is the Range for the Passion Scale?
The Passion Score uses a 0–100 scale because personal feelings are more nuanced than a traditional 1–10 rating allows.
A Passion Score measures the strength of our personal connection to the experience. It is possible for two games with similar Review Scores to leave completely different impressions on us, and the Passion Score gives us a way to communicate that difference. The scale ranges from No Connection to Love, with several levels in between that help communicate how strongly the game resonated with us.
The PASSION LEVELS
90–100: Love
These are the games we genuinely adore. They are the experiences that stick with us, make us want to keep talking about them, and create the strongest personal connection. We may overlook some flaws because of how much the experience means to us, and these are often the games we find ourselves enthusiastically recommending long after we finish playing them.
90-100
80–89: HIGH PASSION
These are the games we genuinely adore. They are the experiences that stick with us, make us want to keep talking about them, and create the strongest personal connection. We may overlook some flaws because of how much the experience means to us, and these are often the games we find ourselves enthusiastically recommending long after we finish playing them.
80-89
70-79: LIKE A LOT
These are games we really enjoyed and would happily recommend. The experience connected with us in a meaningful way, even if it did not reach the level of personal attachment associated with the highest Passion scores.
70–79
60–69: ENJOYED
We had a good time with these games and found enough to appreciate to come away with a positive personal impression. The connection simply was not especially strong or lasting.
60-69
50–59: Mixed
Some elements of the experience connected with us while others did not. These games can contain things we genuinely enjoyed alongside aspects that made it difficult to develop a stronger personal attachment.
50–59
40–49: ENJOYED
We recognize and respect what these games accomplish, and we may understand why other players connect strongly with them. Personally, however, the experience did not resonate with us to the same degree.
40–49
30–39: LOW PASSION
There may be elements we appreciate or recognize as successful, but the overall experience did not provide much personal enjoyment or create a strong desire to return to it.
30–39
0–29: NO CONNECTION
The experience simply did not resonate with us. Whatever qualities the game may possess, we found little personal enjoyment, excitement, or emotional connection during our time with it.
00–29
When the Scores Don’t Match
That’s intentional.
The Review Score and Passion Score are designed to exist independently. We do not expect them to match, and a significant difference between the two scores does not mean that something has gone wrong. In fact, the difference can tell you something important about the experience.
The Review Score represents our assessment of the game’s quality. The Passion Score represents our personal relationship with it. Sometimes those perspectives align closely. Sometimes they do not.
That’s intentional.
6 / 90 EXAMPLE
A Game We Love Despite Its Flaws
A 6/10 Review Score with a 90 Passion Score means we recognize that the game has significant weaknesses and does not meet the standard required for a higher critical score, but we personally love the experience.
Maybe the mechanics are rough. Maybe the story does not completely work. Maybe technical problems or design decisions prevent the game from reaching a higher level of quality. Even so, something about the experience connects with us in a powerful way.
In simple terms:
We don’t think this is a particularly great game, but we absolutely love playing it.
The Passion Score allows us to tell you that without pretending the game’s flaws do not exist.
90
6
7 / 86 EXAMPLE
A Good Game We Love Even More
A 7/10 Review Score with an 86 Passion Score means we believe the game is an above-average experience with identifiable strengths and weaknesses, while our personal connection to it is considerably stronger.
We may recognize that the game has limitations that keep it from reaching the upper levels of the Review Scale, but those limitations do not prevent us from having a strong personal attachment to the experience.
In other words, we think the game is roughly a 7/10 in overall quality, but we personally love it at an 86/100 level.
That difference is not a contradiction. It is the reason the Passion Score exists.
86
7
7 / 86 EXAMPLE
A Great Game That Wasn’t For Us
An 8/10 Review Score with a 40 Passion Score means we recognize that the game is genuinely good. We can see the quality in its design, execution, gameplay, narrative, presentation, or overall experience.
But personally, it did not connect with us.
We may admire what the developers accomplished and understand why other players love it while finding that the experience did not create the same excitement or emotional connection for us.
In simple terms:
We think this is a good game. We just don’t personally love it.
40
8
The Review Score and Passion Score are not competing opinions about the same question. They are two different measurements designed to provide different information.
The Review Score asks us to step back and evaluate the game as a piece of interactive entertainment. We consider its design, gameplay, narrative, execution, strengths, weaknesses, and overall ability to deliver the experience it is trying to create.
The Passion Score asks us to step back into the experience and acknowledge our personal reaction to it. We consider how much we enjoyed it, how strongly it connected with us, how much we wanted to return to it, and how much of it stayed with us afterward.
Sometimes those answers will be nearly identical. Sometimes they will be dramatically different.
Both are honest and both are useful.
How good is the game?
How much do we love the game?
SPE gives you both answers.
More Than a Number
A score is useful because it gives readers a quick point of reference, but the number is only one part of an SPE review. The purpose of our review system is to provide context around that number and explain why a game earned it. We encourage readers to consider the Review Score, Passion Score, Tier, and written review together. The combination provides a more complete picture of the experience and gives you the information you need to decide whether a game is worth your time.
Our goal is not to tell you what you are supposed to enjoy. Our goal is to be transparent about how we evaluate the games we play, honest about our personal reactions, and clear about the reasoning behind our conclusions. Because there is no universal formula for finding your next favorite game.
There is only the question of whether the experience is right for you. And that is ultimately what every SPE review is trying to help you answer.