How we rate

Every game gets one editor score out of 10. One number, argued over by the whole desk until it stops moving. We weigh four things, in this order:

Puzzle design. Is the core loop actually clever, or is it a slot machine wearing a monocle? Interlocking mechanics, fair clues, and "one more round" pull score high. Energy timers score low.

Daily habit factor. The best puzzle games earn a slot in your morning. Streaks that respect your time count for; streaks that punish a missed Tuesday count against.

Difficulty curve. A warm bath at the start, a worthy fight at the end, and no cliff in the middle. Obscure-trivia difficulty spikes get named and shamed in the review.

Ad & paywall tolerance. We play the free version, the way you will. Interstitials, token nags, and pay-to-think mechanics all cost points — a fair one-time purchase earns them back.

Scores are re-argued whenever a game changes meaningfully. The leaderboard is the current state of the argument, and the reviews are the receipts. Your stars are the rebuttal.