This idea is coming from a video that BoardGameCo did not too long about talking about review drift. How people who review games experience games differently than everyone else. I tend to still play games like I normally do for reviews, but I also have no set schedule to do it, but let me share the video and then I want to talk about some of the video and if board game ratings and reviews really matter.

Review Drift – The Basics

The idea for this is that reviewers don’t generally play games like the general public. They either play a game a ton of times in a short period, which isn’t like most gamers, or they play a game only a few times before they form their opinion on it. I tend to fall more into that latter camp. However, even with that, I also don’t try to force timely reviews.

And that is really why there is this thing where reviewers and how they play games that tends to be so divergent from what most gamers do. If you want to experience a full game, like Tainted Grail and put out a relevant review you are going to need to play 50 hours in two weeks of just one game. Or on the flip side, you might have played four games of it, which is 10-15 hours or so, but you haven’t experienced the full story so there could be something you strongly dislike later.

So Do Reviews and Ratings Matter?

I would say that they still do matter, but I think it puts some of the onus on the consumer to understand how reviews and ratings are done. Let me talk about my process. If I want to put out something immediately after getting a game I’ll do a few things. First, I might do an unboxing, it tells you nothing about the game except what the components are like. Next when I’ve played it once or twice I might do a Beyond the Box Cover article. This is basically some first thoughts but not a full review. Then I’ll do my TableTopTakes when I’ve had more time to play with it and more time to sit with it.

From what I’m doing I’m hoping to create a more natural experience for getting a game reviewed. Even with what I do, though, I will push to review a hot game faster. Generally those games are easier to get to the table multiple times. And with stuff like Tainted Grail, I’ve reviewed that and then come back to it again, because I’m further into the game. I don’t believe you need to have experienced the whole game to have a strong understanding of what you like or dislike about it.

But yes, reviews and ratings still do matter, that’s what I’m trying to get at.

Why?

Because without them everyone would need to get a ton of games and play them all to be able to form an opinion on them. Now, I love to get games and play them. So I’m always going to do that. But because of reviewers and previewers like The Dice Tower, BoardGameCo, Quackalope, and GloryHoundd, I’ve found a ton of games. I’ve also gotten information on games that I wouldn’t have known about otherwise. This is through reviews, previews, and playthroughs, like I’ve said.

It actually makes it easier for me to determine what game I would want to get. I can pick reviewers to watch who match my taste in games. Let’s look at GloryHoundd and DrGloryHogg, both on the GloryHoundd channel, when they do a playthrough of a roll and write, I pay more attention to how GloryHoundd is enjoying it. I know she tends to like roll and writes and I tend to like them as well. So if she’s enjoying it, I know it’s one to look at.

On the flip side, if it’s a bigger story driven, dice chucking game, I know GloryHoundd doesn’t like dice rolling. So she’s probably not going to enjoy it as much. I also know that DrGloryHogg is much more interested in that style of game, so I’ll pay attention to his reactions to the game.

But for me, as a consumer (and kind of reviewer) it helps me know what to pick up. And I don’t need to look at every game. I instead find the right reviewers and content creators whose tastes align with my own. When they like a game, that is a signal for me to checkout that game, to checkout their review, other reviews, read up on Board Game Geek and more.

How Do You Find Reviewers?

Honestly, it comes down to reading and watching their content. To do that, find a game you already like and watch reviews. Do the reviewers line up with your tastes? Are they talking about the same things you like in a game or not?

Now dissenting opinions are fine, but know the reviewer. I’m going to go back to Tainted Grail. No Pun Included gave it a scathing review. That got them a ton of views, but I didn’t need to watch it. Why, because I’ve watched enough of their reviews to know I don’t always agree with them. And to know that Tainted Grail, by it’s nature, is not their type of game. They are the ones who powered through the whole game as well in two weeks or so to make their review. That is unnatural for a game like Tainted Grail and is going to taint the review for that reason.

So, negative isn’t bad, just know how they got to that opinion. Know the reviewers tastes before you go into a game. The same with a positive review. If someone is a heavy euro gamer and does a glowing review of Castles of Burgundy, that doesn’t mean the game is for me. And I know Castles of Burgundy isn’t a heavy euro game, but from someone who loves euro games. I don’t love euro games that well, that means that it’s probably not a game for me just by that nature. Even though that reviewer loved it, a review from a reviewers who tastes match more with mine would matter more to me.

And Are Ratings Good?

This is where it’s more of a question? Ratings aren’t a bad thing, but let’s talk about what a rating means? Is a 10 a perfect game with no flaws. Or is it a game that I’d never say no to and I want to get other people to play and love as much as I do? Is a 1 a game that is completely broken or a game that doesn’t work for me. Would I keep a game that is a 5 in my collection, is a 5 just an average game?

Ratings are actually harder to say they are good than reviews. Simply because people use them differently. Board Game Geek has their 1 to 10 rating scale, that’s great. But is a 7 a game that I like and will pull of the shelf and play, maybe? Or is it a game that someone else can pull off the shelf and I will gladly play it, but I might not pull it off my shelf? Or is a 3 a game that I’d never play again?

You can see how ratings are more confusing. There is nuance to how people do them. And BoardGameCo talked about that. he also talked about setting up a situation where its almost a Rotten Tomato style pass or fail setting. It’s either fresh or rotten. Now, is that completely useful, maybe not, but it’s a good/interesting metric to have for a game. I might spend some time trying to create something like that, it’s to be determined, but “ll keep people informed.

Who are your go to reviewers?

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