(DATE GOES HERE)

This is where you’ll write a small introduction to the game you are reviewing. Use one, maybe two sentences to grab your readers’ attention.

Then you will write a small summary of the game you are reviewing. Please include a short description of the game’s premise, the game genre (here is a list of genres you could use to choose from), and a background of the developer (we are focused on promoting indie developers so this part is especially important).

GRAPHICS & VISUALS 10/10 (200-300 Words)

Time to jump in to each category you’ll be rating. You will start with graphics. Please keep in mind that we are dealing with indie developers who may have limited resources when it comes to creating graphics. The best rule of thumb here is to compare the graphics against themselves. For example, if you are reviewing a game that has pixel graphics then you will rate the graphics of the game compared to other games with a similar style (here is a little more info on video game graphics and image types to help you here).

And yes, I’m using Wikipedia as a source for you because it isn’t actually as bad as it was back in the early 2000’s when we were all being told not to use it.

Oh, that reminds me: when you make a point that you want your readers to focus on please highlight it so I can format it in a way that makes it stand out.

MUSIC & SOUND QUALITY 10/10 (200-300 Words)

On to sound quality! Again, please keep in mind the group of creators we are dealing with here. Indie devs aren’t going to have the means to access the same sound content as the big names but this doesn’t mean it can’t be done well. Here you might talk about how the sounds in the game might make you feel — what you enjoyed and what might seem out of place. Feel free to mention and comment on the voice actors in the game as well if applicable.

And of course, if you are reviewing a table top game this part of the review won’t apply.

GAMEPLAY 10/10 (200-300 Words)

Gameplay is the tactical aspects of a video game, such as the way it is played, as distinct from the graphics and sound effects. If you want to nerd out about the different types of gameplay go for it. But basically this section covers the mechanics of the game and your experience playing the game as a player outside of the graphics and sound quality. Here you will rate the ease of which you are able to play the game and how you felt you connected with it.

Optional question to consider: How accessible is this game? What features does it have that accommodate for differently-abled and/or neurodivergent individuals? Were there any parts of the game that you felt could be improved to become more accessible to all players?

This is probably a good place to include a video of you playing the game if you are able. Consult Google on how to to do this. Let me know if you plan to include videos in your review and I’ll have you upload them to a Google Drive folder.

STORY & CHARACTERS 10/10 (200-300 Words)

This is one of my favorite parts of writing a review. Here you’ll review the overall story of the game. How does this differ from the gameplay you might ask? Most of us would consider “gameplay” to be the specific actions the player commits during the game while the story is what enhances the player’s experience by providing context.

The story is the “heart” of the game you are playing.

Tell us how the overall story made you feel and how it might have played with your emotions. Did the story capture and hold your attention? Did you feel a sense of transcendence into a different world? If so, you’re going to give the game a pretty darn good rating for this part of your review.

Next, you’ll talk about the characters involved in the game and communicate the depth of each of these characters and your connection with them. How memorable were the characters you encountered? Did they have complex backstories? How did these characters make you feel?

If you really want to get technical while staying within your 800-1000 word review feel free to use this incredibly detailed essay on how to analyze video game characters. You know, just for funzies.

OVERALL 10/10 (300-400 Words)

And finally, this is where you sum up your entire review. This should capture the entirety of your review and reflect an average of each of the categories you just got done rating. Tie your entire review together by summarizing each section (it’s ok to repeat yourself!) to support your answer to the most important question of all: would you recommend this game?

Optional question to consider: How much did you pay for this game and how do you feel the value matches up to the amount you paid?

Please copy, past, and fill in the following to the end of your review:

[GAME] was released/funded on Kickstarter on [DATE OF RELEASE or FUNDING]. [LATEST VERSION OF GAME] was launched on [DATE], and is available now on [LIST CONSOLS/PLATFORMS]. The version of [GAME] reviewed was [VERSION YOU PLAYED]. The reviewer purchased game at full retail price [OR] received this game for free.

Hooray! You’ve finished!