How we score
Four criteria, fixed weights, four weeks minimum.
Who plays
Two of us play each world on fresh accounts on normal live servers, with no press access and no free premium currency. A third reads both sets of notes and asks the awkward questions. Four weeks is the minimum; online role-playing games change shape after the first month, and we want to see that change.
The four criteria
| Criterion | Weight | The question |
|---|---|---|
| Time | 35% | Can you make real progress in an evening? Does a missed week cost you anything? |
| Fairness | 30% | How far does a free or base account get, and does money buy power or only convenience? |
| Depth | 20% | Is there still something to learn after a month? Do guilds and groups matter? |
| Polish | 15% | Does it run well on an ordinary laptop, read clearly and stay stable? |
Each criterion is scored out of ten, separately by each player. Where we differ by more than two points we play another week. The verdict is the weighted average, rounded to one decimal place. It is calculated, never typed in by hand.
The paid month
After the free period, one of us spends what a typical player would: an expansion, a month of subscription or premium, or a modest store purchase. We record what it bought and how far it moved the account. That month feeds the fairness score.
What gets in
- It can be started without paying, through a free tier or a free trial.
- It has a living English-speaking community on at least one server or region.
- It involves no gambling, wagering or cash prizes.
- It scores 7.0 or above. Games that fall below are left out rather than listed with a low score.
Re-tests
We re-test when a game changes its business model, releases a major expansion or when readers report something material. Every entry on the ledger has been checked within the current season.
Independence
Links to games carry the sponsored attribute and are added after verdicts are locked. Publishers do not see entries before they go up and cannot pay for a place. If you think a verdict is wrong, tell us.