Advice About Game Reviewing

Morrus · May 9, 2018

I'm not sure an individual review would have much effect on anything anyway - most people who read reviews read *lots* of reviews (though it depends on the product -- for an electronic product such as a TV or a laptop, people research them in great detail; for a book, not so much). Only an avalanche of bad reviews would really have a notable effect. Each review contributes to the overall buzz, but very few people rely on a single review for a product.

jasper · May 9, 2018

You need to let your reader know if you were provide a Free Copy of the game.

pogre · May 10, 2018

The most helpful reviews for me are when the reviewer reveals a bit of their view point. Example: I am a big fan of X, and that's part of the reason I like Y; or the game requires minis, which is a big turn off for me.

There are times when a negative review given by someone with tastes different than mine have actually led me to be intrigued about a product.

MNblockhead · May 10, 2018

Morrus said:
I'm not sure an individual review would have much effect on anything anyway - most people who read reviews read *lots* of reviews (though it depends on the product -- for an electronic product such as a TV or a laptop, people research them in great detail; for a book, not so much). Only an avalanche of bad reviews would really have a notable effect. Each review contributes to the overall buzz, but very few people rely on a single review for a product.

Agreed with one Caveat. There are some reviewers I respect enough that they influence me for or against something despite a large number of reviews that recommend the opposite.

Also, there have been well-written reviews that have changed my mind on something that I had written off. This usually only goes one way. I think that I'm not going to like something, my intuition enforced by many bad reviews, and a thoughtfully written review convinces me to give it a chance. But the opposite is rarely the case. If there is something I'm convinced I will like, and if there a reviews that back me up on this, even a well-written bad review is unlikely to change my mind.

CapnZapp · May 10, 2018

lewpuls said:
You have to play a game before you can review it.

Thank you for your post, but is is obviously untrue.

Loads of RPG supplements are reviewed based on a read-through. And that's perfectly fine.

RPG.NET even formally distinguish between playtest reviews and... whatever they call not playtest reviews (don't remember)

What you should always do, however, is disclose that your not playtest review is not a playtest review.

Cheers!

lewpuls · May 10, 2018

A lot of "reviewing" suffers from the same problem that informs much of Internet comment, people know so little about what they're talking about but think they're experts. (Dunning Kruger Syndrome)

Browsing/skimming instead of actually reading is another big problem. I suppose it derives from the DKS as well, people thinking they know a lot more than they do. And being lazy, in this case.

Perhaps reviews-as-advertisements are influenced by games themselves. How many board game boxes have you looked at that tell you little about the game, but a lot about the story, even though the story may not have anything to do with how the game is actually played (typical in Eurostyle)? I haven't looked at the backs of enough RPGs lately to know if it's the same there, but I know some RPGs are sold on the basis of the story rather than the game.

As for being impressed, student-age people seem to work hard to not be impressed (or at least, pretend not to be impressed) by ANYthing. Part of the Zeitgeist, I get. OTOH you get those to whom most anything is "amazing".

In video games, the usual view is that reviews hardly make a difference to sales. It's watching others play (online, usually) that really makes a difference. I think it's notable that (as reported on ENWorld) such a large proportion of new D&Ders first experienced the game by watching others play online.

Yes, you need to say whether you were provided a review copy. And probably, who you played it with (not their names, but what kind of players, whether they were the creators, that kind of thing).

I don't think you can call a game "review" a review if you haven't played. You can know a game pretty well without playing it, if you read the rules, if you have lots of experience, and if you talk with others who have played. That's how I learn about board games in detail. But I don't review on that basis. Readers expect a review to be based on immediate experience.

Formal reviews have a higher "bar" than user reviews in comments. We expect more from a formal review, we don't expect much from comments!

CapnZapp · May 10, 2018

To clarify: I'm speaking chiefly about RPG reviews.

Board game reviews I agree: it's hard to say anything from a mere read thru.

Guest 6801328 · May 10, 2018

lewpuls said:
Perhaps reviews-as-advertisements are influenced by games themselves. How many board game boxes have you looked at that tell you little about the game, but a lot about the story, even though the story may not have anything to do with how the game is actually played (typical in Eurostyle)? I haven't looked at the backs of enough RPGs lately to know if it's the same there, but I know some RPGs are sold on the basis of the story rather than the game.

I suspect part of this is due to the fact that too few people expect rules to reflect the story, or that such a thing is impossible. The common attitude seems to be that the quality of the rules systems is independent from the quality of the story. I.e., find a system of rules you like and then re-skin it for each story/genre.

E.g. GURPS.

So if you have no expectation that the rules themselves...not the labels attached to the rules, but the actual mechanics...can evoke the story, then the rules become kind of like the operating systems for the game. And just like you wouldn't expect an XBox game to gush about how great the XBox operating system is, you wouldn't (with this mindset) to expect the box/cover of an RPG to talk about the mechanics.

For the record, I believe the exact opposite: the mechanics very much set the tone, and without mechanics that evoke the story the fluff is just...well, fluff.

dragoner · May 12, 2018

When I read reviews, I want to know what the mechanics are, when I asked about Genesys another place, it exploded into a flame war over narrative dice. Knowing the mechanics, and the learning curve involved is a big deal with buying. What is the style of the game, such as if it's sci-fi, is it horror, hard, or space opera? Gritty or heroic? What are the game's adventures like, are they mystery solving, tactical minis battles? That kind of info will inform my purchase or not.

MichaelSomething · May 12, 2018

lewpuls said:
Perhaps reviews-as-advertisements are influenced by games themselves. How many board game boxes have you looked at that tell you little about the game, but a lot about the story, even though the story may not have anything to do with how the game is actually played (typical in Eurostyle)? I haven't looked at the backs of enough RPGs lately to know if it's the same there, but I know some RPGs are sold on the basis of the story rather than the game.

Indeed. After hanging around here, I get the impression lots of people just ignore the rules and do improv theater.