How this trust score was computed
Trust blends alignment (40%): does the outlet rank games the way players do; decoded accuracy (30%): after translating the outlet's own scale habits (a '7/10 means mediocre' scale is decoded, not punished), how well its reviews predict player sentiment; and player-side (30%): on games where press consensus and players sharply disagreed, whose side it took. Recent reviews weigh more (2-year half-life), and the blend is shrunk toward a neutral prior (60) so small samples can't peg the scale. Player quality is launch-window Steam sentiment, so outlets aren't punished for reviewing a launch build that later got patched.
Controversy record: on 33 games where press consensus and players sharply disagreed, this reviewer sided with players 13 times.
Computed 26m ago · full methodology →
Outlet vs. players
Each dot is a game both this outlet and players scored. The dashed line is perfect agreement: dots above it mean the outlet was more generous than players, below it more harsh.
Biggest disagreements with players
The receipts: games where this outlet's verdict landed furthest from player sentiment.
- +38No Man's Skyoutlet 80 · players 42 · Aug 2016
- +29FOR HONOR™outlet 75 · players 46 · Mar 2017
- -28Dying Lightoutlet 60 · players 88 · Feb 2015
- -44Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Numberoutlet 40 · players 84 · Mar 2015
- -48Yakuza: Like a Dragonoutlet 45 · players 93 · Nov 2020
- +18Fallout 4outlet 90 · players 72 · Nov 2015
- -32Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon® Wildlandsoutlet 40 · players 72 · Mar 2017
- +40WILD HEARTS™outlet 90 · players 50 · Feb 2023
- +21Mortal Kombat Xoutlet 82 · players 61 · Apr 2015
- +22Street Fighter Voutlet 80 · players 58 · Feb 2016
Recent reviews (376 tracked)
- 93DEATH STRANDING 2: ON THE BEACHJun 23, 2025 · Elijah Gonzalez
“But between its engrossing central loop and genuinely brilliant conclusion, it delivers an affecting mixture of grandiose and heartfelt. Together, it allows you to say something rarely true about big budget games these days, or honestly, most blockbuster media: there’s very little else like it.”
read full review ↗ - 75TRON: CatalystJun 17, 2025 · Dia Lacina
“For all the incredibly talented work on display, Catalyst ends up a game that can’t quite figure out how to fill its own space, and still chafes against the lack of room to full render. But goddamn does racing a lightcycle on the streets in defiance of Core feel good.”
read full review ↗ - 80ELDEN RING NIGHTREIGNMay 28, 2025 · Garrett Martin
“The Gang’s All Here with Elden Ring Nightreign—And, Surprisingly, It Works”
read full review ↗ - 88Monster Train 2May 21, 2025 · Elijah Gonzalez
“It may not reinvent the wheel, but Monster Train 2’s clever modifications ensure this train keeps chugging along smoothly.”
read full review ↗ - 85The Midnight WalkMay 8, 2025 · Elijah Gonzalez
“Although The Midnight Walk’s interactive elements can’t match the artistry of its hand-molded clay figures, that doesn’t dampen how impressive this audiovisual journey is at its best.”
read full review ↗ - 94Clair Obscur: Expedition 33Apr 23, 2025 · Elijah Gonzalez
“The climax comes in a little hot, but even here, the game feels true to itself: it may literally be about following in the footsteps of those who came before, but Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 ultimately charts its own path.”
read full review ↗ - –Lost Records: Bloom & RageApr 23, 2025
“Really, pretty much all of Lost Records: Bloom and Rage works so well for me. It’s the kind of story I would’ve wanted as a little girl who grew up playing videogames, and the kind of story I want to write someday as a woman who writes videogames.”
read full review ↗ - –FATAL FURY: City of the WolvesApr 21, 2025 · Elijah Gonzalez
“I’m sure many Fatal Fury fans were thrilled when this game was announced, but unfortunately, the monkey’s paw curled.”
read full review ↗ - 80Blue PrinceApr 9, 2025 · Garrett Martin
“You can lose yourself very easily inside of Blue Prince. If you aren’t immediately turned off by it, you’re pretty much guaranteed to obsess over it.”
read full review ↗ - 81WanderstopMar 10, 2025 · Elijah Gonzalez
“Wanderstop is a fascinating exploration of letting go: if many games are exercises in overstimulation that play like Red Bull being poured down your gullet, then this one is more akin to having a calming sip of tea.”
read full review ↗ - 85The Legend of Heroes: Trails through Daybreak IIFeb 20, 2025 · Marc Normandin
“Maybe Daybreak II will be seen in a similar light a decade from now. But whether that’s true or not, what’s here—what we do know about—is damn good, and more than enough to merit playing. Even if you do have to start all the way back at the beginning to understand some of it.”
read full review ↗ - –AvowedFeb 13, 2025 · Garrett Martin
“If I have any advice to give about Avowed, it would be to have patience. It does not start off great. I don’t know if I would have gotten that deep into it if this wasn’t my job. Eventually, though, Obsidian’s voice arrives with a shout, reminding us that this game comes from a studio with a track record of smart, funny, interesting games. Avowed gets there: it just takes longer than it should.”
read full review ↗ - –Sid Meier's Civilization VIIFeb 3, 2025 · Dia Lacina
“With Civilization VII, Firaxis’s developers have not only made a gorgeous, beautifully scored game about historical weirdos (seriously, just wait until you’re getting yelled at by Niccolo Machiavelli’s 3D model), they’ve made one that truly feels accessible and invigorating for the franchise and genre.”
read full review ↗ - 91ENDER MAGNOLIA: Bloom in the MistJan 21, 2025 · Elijah Gonzalez
“All in all, Ender Magnolia: Bloom in the Mist doesn’t just take inspiration from the best games in this style; it has its own essential lessons to impart.”
read full review ↗ - 71Alien: Rogue Incursion Evolved EditionDec 18, 2024 · Elijah Gonzalez
“Upfront, Alien: Rogue Incursion delivers exactly what you’d want from an Aliens-inspired VR game: the horror of being chased by these iconic movie monsters and the thrill of blasting them into green goo with your Pulse Rifle. But while this mission starts strong, it eventually spins its wheels, stretching out the experience for too long before ending on a disappointing cliffhanger—while it isn’t specified in the title, this is actually only Alien: Rogue Incursion Part One, with Part Two still on the way. Add in lots of technical issues and a huge accessibility shortcoming in not having teleportation movement options for people prone to motion sickness, and you have a much rockier ride than it initially appeared. With its high highs and low lows, Rogue Incursion is a little too accurate a microcosm of the Alien experience.”
read full review ↗