Why we wait before we score a game

Launch-day reviews are a trap. A game can feel amazing for twenty minutes and fall apart by hour three. We've been burned enough times that we now sit with everything for at least a few days.

Mobile games especially change character over time. The early levels are designed to charm you. The real question is whether the thing still feels good once the shine wears off and the systems open up.

So our scores reflect the whole experience, not the first impression. Sometimes that means a game we loved on day one slides down by the time we publish. Sometimes a slow starter climbs because it got its hooks in late.

It's slower, and we miss the launch-day traffic rush. We've made peace with that. A review you can trust a month later is worth more than one that was first.