Cloudy reviews games on their own merit. Whether a game is on GeForce NOW, coming to it, or has opted in, that’s background information rather than the centre of the review. We only mention cloud behaviour when it genuinely affects the experience. Certain genres can have issues in the cloud, like racing games or anything with heavy fog effects, and if that matters we’ll point it out. For most games it won’t come up at all.
Reviews are personal. Everyone has different tastes, so our score isn’t a final verdict for every player. We aim to be fair and clear about our own experience, explain why something works or doesn’t, and give you the context you need to decide for yourself.
Performance is handled with common sense. If it noticeably helps or hurts the experience we’ll mention it, but it only affects the score when the problems are impossible to ignore across the board. If deeper testing is needed, that may live in a separate article or video.
Value for money is subjective, but we talk about it when it feels relevant. Sometimes a great game should still be picked up on sale. Sometimes a two star game is cheap and interesting enough that it’s worth a look anyway.
What we look for in games
When we review a game, we think about how it feels to play. The core loop matters more than anything else. If the game isn’t enjoyable or doesn’t hold up after a few hours, that shapes the entire experience. We also look at how the world is presented, whether the writing and style land, and whether the tone matches what the game is trying to be.
Design and polish play a big part too. A messy UI, unclear systems, or repetitive structure can drag an otherwise good idea down. At the same time, a simple game that knows exactly what it wants to be can shine because it respects the player’s time and delivers cleanly on its promise.
We also think about whether the game feels like something we’d come back to or recommend to someone else. A game doesn’t need to be huge or expensive to score well. It just needs to deliver a satisfying experience that feels worth your time.
Scoring system
We use a five star rating that reflects the overall experience at the time of review.
A five star game is something we would recommend easily. It doesn’t have to be flawless, but its strengths clearly outweigh any small issues.
Four stars means a very good experience that most players interested in the genre will enjoy.
Three stars is a solid but uneven game that has good ideas mixed with problems.
Two stars means the game struggles to come together, even if there are moments or ideas worth noting.
One star is a game we can’t recommend in its current state.
The score is a summary of how the game felt to play as a whole. If updates later transform the experience, we may revisit it when the changes are meaningful enough.