How I rate games - The rubric

Now that I have explained to you why I want to review flash games, I think that it's time that I tell you how I will be rating them. The most important thing to a reviewing site is consistency, so that the audience (you) can reliably understand what a particular score might mean in context to other scores and other reviews. Here I will be providing a rubric for my reviews -- one that I will keep in mind during the review process of every game. Obviously you needn't refer back to this rubric before reading each review, but I think that giving it a glance once-over will help you understand the method to my madness.

The rating process

Most ratings systems are tired and old. They don't really provide much relevance to the average gamer. Topics like sound don't need their own score, and so I am inventing my own broad categories to integrate each aspect of the game into relevant scores that you can use to objectively decide whether any particular game is for you.

Each game will be scored 1 to 5 in these categories:

1. System - Basically the skeleton of the game and how well it supports the other categories. This category will be influenced by aspects in the game such as the controls, the flow of the menus, and the layout of the user interface. A game that is intuitive to play and just makes sense is the goal in this category.
2. Atmosphere - How immersive the game is. This category will be primarily scored on the audio and visual effects and how well the game utilizes these to heighten your suspension of disbelief. It doesn't matter if the game is deep or a parody or what, as long it uses effects to convince you that it is the most of whatever its trying to be.
3. Storytelling - Almost every game has a story, even if it is a very shallow story or a very short game. There are two ways to score highly in this category; have a very provocative storyline, and tell your story in a unique or interesting way. Using storytelling to influence other aspects of the game (such as a tutorial) will be a major bonus here.
4. Replayability - The whole point of playing flash games is to waste time, right? Thus, I am giving how much time you will waste enjoyably with this game its own score. Replayability describes how long the mechanics of the game will hold up before they become stale. Sometimes its several run-throughs, sometimes (for longer games) you'll be bored before you even beat the game once. Games that have variety or very addictive mechanics will score highly here.
5. Fun Factor - Sometimes a game is complete crap in every objective way, but it still incredibly fun for some unknown reason. Maybe one small part of the game is so addictive that you end up playing it for a long time even though the graphics are terrible, or maybe it just makes you laugh for 10 minutes straight and that's all its supposed to do. This is kind of a catchall for all the parts of the game that aren't included in other categories.

 Finally, the game will be given a "final score" that is a weighted averaging of the five categories. The weight will change from game to game depending on how I think each of the categories "should" have scored compared to what rating that they actually received. A RPG with poor storytelling will suffer more than a tower defense game with poor storytelling, for example. A game's final score will be highly dependent on the how it compares to other games in its genre.

Why I like flash games

So I've decided to start a blog in order to provide a positive activity to my mild obsession, flash games! I like flash games. A lot. And I'll tell you why:

1. They are short.
2. They are addictive.
3. They are independently developed.
4. They are numerous.
5. They are free.

They are short

With a full time job as a molecular biologist and my other hobbies taking up a majority of my free time, I don't really have much time to sit down with a long game and play it through as much as I would like. Even when I do have a bunch of free time, I get distracted easily. That said, most flash games are short enough to hold my attention span.

Flash games are the science fiction short stories of the gaming world. They almost always have a single driving focus that they are completely based around (e.g. a game mechanic or storytelling style). By the time that I become bored with that focus, the game is over and I can move on with my life -- and on to the next game! That brings me to my next point.

They are addictive

Because of their short length, flash games often rely on replay value to keep players engaged. And it works. If you've ever played an upgrade-style flash game or a good strategy game, you'd know what I'm talking about. There is always something to keep you going back to that one simple focus, whether it be a high score, multiple endings, alternate play styles etc. Often I will find myself having played the same otherwise "boring" game for hours simply because of some simple aspect that varies the game over time.

They are independently developed

Flash games are almost always made by one person, or a very small group of people (read: less than 5). Designers don't generally develop flash games for profit or for a specific audience, so they really have no obligations when designing their games. This allows them complete creative control over their game. Like indie rock bands, flash developers are truly free to explore the medium and try things that would otherwise be... I don't know, unmarketable?

Case in point: The Majesty of Colors. During this entire game, you are a sea monster who peers up into the world from its watery abode. The only control you have in the game is one of the monster's long tentacles, which you use throughout the game to either help or hurt random humans who venture out above you. EA would never try to make this game. Sony would never try to make this game. It isn't going to make a million dollars, and yet it leaves you with a great empathy for the creature through the story's great narrative.

They are numerous

This isn't really an argument for any one flash game, but rather its the reason that flash games in general are my go-to for entertainment. If you find yourself bored with a flash game, stop and play another one. There are thousands, if not tens of thousands, of flash games that have been developed since Macromedia (now Adobe) originally developed flash actionscript. And there are dozens of websites whose sole purpose is to host these games (at some point I will list and rate these sites).

They are free

One might ask why I play flash games instead of smartphone apps, which are very similarly designed and executed. My answer to these people is that flash games are free, and designed to be such. It is true that I do play smartphone apps, but its obvious that those developers want you to pay for the paid version of their game even if they provide a free version. Conversely, flash games are designed to be free from the get go without limiting gameplay. Many popular apps were actually originally free flash games or based directly on free flash games (Plants vs. Zombies, Alien Hominid, and Castle Crashers are examples).


I will be posting reviews of my favorite (and not-so-favorite) flash games on a regular basis. I will also be posting articles about my views on the flash game market as a whole. I should post more regularly as I get into the swing of things and as I play games that I think are really exceptional or interesting.

If you have a flash game that you would like me to take a look at, shoot me an e-mail and I'll be glad to play it and review it.