What is the general approach?
When I write a review, I will attempt to write like the developers and game designers are sitting right beside me. I won’t hold back from criticism, but I’ll try and say it with empathy and understanding. Many of these indie games on itch are made by one or two devs as side-gig projects, and I keep that in mind.
Overall, I’ll hit on the high and low points, summarize, and try and be concise, logical, understandable, and interesting. I will also include a couple of screenshots to give a sense of the game.
What does the rating system mean?
My rating system is entirely subjective and based entirely upon my personal experience. I am a mid-30s male who works in the tech industry, plays various tabletop role-playing games, and plays video games for fun a few hours a week. I play games for enjoyment, not for a career.
Each game is its own universe, and I’ll try and rate the games based on what was being attempted by the designers, not necessarily some arbitrary comparison to other things.
So that’s the perspective I am coming from when I rate the games.
| Rating | Totally subjective personal rating scale |
| A+ | An unforgettable experience that probably made me tear up at some point |
| A | Incredible game, nothing bad I can say |
| A- | Awesome game, and just like one or two little things I noticed |
| B+ | Decent Game, and just a couple cons |
| B | Decent Game, but a few cons |
| B- | Decent Game, but some major cons |
| C+ | Passable Game, but there was something that missed |
| C | Passable Game, but something was definitely off |
| C- | Passable game, but there were some major issues |
| D+ | Game was playable, and there were a couple redeeming qualities |
| D | Game was playable at least, and there was only one slight redeeming thing I saw |
| D- | Game was playable at least, but it really wasn’t for me it for some reason |
| F | A train wreck I couldn’t look away from |
| N/A | Install errors, couldn’t actually play the game |
Does each game get played to the finish?
I have finished most of the games I have reviewed. While I will keep going in a game as long as the game is fun, I will hang it up if a game stops being fun. There is no point in hitting my head against a wall for this hobby site. I am committed to giving each game a fair chance, though.
Also, I should note that there are times in action games that my reflexes aren’t up to the challenge of beating a game. In that case, I will get as far as I can and then watch a walkthrough (if one exists) to see the end of the game.
I disagree with the review, can I ask for an edit?
I would love to hear from you whether you disagree or agree with the reviews on this site. You can always contact me at dave@knavegaming.com with any comments or feedback. I am always happy to adjust reviews with additional information if I missed something in my initial take.
Where do I get started?
Easiest way to scan the games is to visit my itch.io racial justice public collection that has the reviews ranked and organized.