The Site

How GAMENYX Reviews

Why this page exists

A review on GAMENYX makes a different promise from a guide or a setup article: “we played this, on this platform, at this version, and here is our judgment.” That promise is only worth anything if it is true every time. This page explains when we call something a review and how we keep that promise.

What counts as a review

We only publish something as a review when all of these are true:

1. We personally played or used the game or product being reviewed. Not a trailer, not someone else’s footage, not a press release, not a wiki.
2. The review states what was tested: the platform, the exact version or build, and the real hands-on time.
3. The review states its hands-on scope, what we covered and what we did not, and our testing is deep enough to support that scope and the verdict.
4. It gives a clear written verdict, at least one real strength and at least one real weakness.
5. It says how we got access to the game or product, and discloses anything else that could reasonably affect trust.
6. The review has been checked against our testing evidence before publication.

If any of these cannot be met, the piece is not a review. It may still be a guide, a setup article or clearly labeled limited coverage (see “How much testing a review needs”), and it will not use review language such as “in our review” or “our verdict”.

Reviews, guides and setup articles

Review

• Question it answers: “Is this worth my time or money, and for whom?”
• Basis: Our own hands-on use, disclosed
• Hands-on testing required: Yes, always
• Verdict, strengths, weaknesses: Yes
• Tied to a version: Yes, the version we tested

Guide

• Question it answers: “What should I do or prioritize?”
• Basis: Research and explanation
• Hands-on testing required: No, and it must not imply it
• Verdict, strengths, weaknesses: No
• Tied to a version: Updated as needed

Setup

• Question it answers: “How do I tune my hardware or settings?”
• Basis: Research, and testing only where stated
• Hands-on testing required: Only if it claims to have measured something
• Verdict, strengths, weaknesses: No
• Tied to a version: Updated with hardware and patches

Firsthand testing

• The reviewer plays or uses the subject personally.
• AI tools may help with outlining, drafting and editing, as described in our Editorial Policy. They never supply hands-on claims. Every statement about what happened during play comes from our own experience.
• We do not write reviews from trailers, demos or third-party footage. If a review covers an early access or otherwise unfinished release, the review says so.
• Factual details we did not observe ourselves, such as system requirements or official feature lists, are attributed to their source. We do not present marketing claims as our own observations.

How much testing a review needs

We do not use one fixed number of hours for every review. The right depth depends on what is being reviewed. As a guide:

What we review	Depth we aim for before giving a verdict
A campaign or story-driven game	Normally the main campaign completed, when the verdict judges the game as a whole
A live-service or free-to-play game	The early game, meaningful mid-game progression, how monetization affects play, and at least one long-term or repeatable mode
A competitive multiplayer game	Several sessions across the main modes, at different times of day
Hardware or accessories	Regular use across the situations the verdict covers

Every review states its scope, for example “single-player campaign only” or “did not test cross-play”. The verdict does not rely on anything we did not play or use.

Stating the scope does not make limited testing enough for a full review. A full review needs enough firsthand testing to support both its scope and its verdict. If our testing is not yet enough for a full verdict, we do not publish it as a review. If we publish limited coverage instead, such as early impressions, a review in progress or beta impressions, it is clearly labeled as such and does not present a full-review verdict.

What every review shows

• Reviewed: the game or product.
• Platform tested: the hardware or system we actually used.
• Version / build: the game version or patch, or the product firmware.
• Hands-on time: the hours we actually spent.
• Disclosure: how we got access, for example “Purchased by GAMENYX at full price”, plus any relationship that matters.
• Review date, and the last-updated date when there is one.

How we report hands-on time

• Hours come from a platform playtime record where one exists, or from our own session log.
• We round down to the nearest half hour.
• We count time actually spent playing or using the subject. Idle, menu, download and install time does not count.
• We never estimate playtime after the fact. If we do not know the real number, the review is not ready to publish.

Evidence we keep

For every review we keep a private evidence record before publication. It includes proof of access, a session log or platform playtime record, dated screenshots or captures taken during testing, and notes supporting each strength, weakness and factual claim. It is not published, because it can contain personal or account information.

Before a review is published

At least 24 hours after the draft is finished, the full review is re-read against the evidence record. The disclosure is re-checked, any firsthand claim the evidence does not support is removed, and the date of that final check is recorded in the evidence record.

No numeric scores

GAMENYX reviews do not use numeric scores, star ratings or percentages. Each review gives a written verdict and lists its strengths and weaknesses, so you can see the reasoning rather than a single number.

Access, conflicts of interest and independence

• Every review discloses how we got access to the game or product. If access came through a review copy, loaned hardware, a press trip, or any payment or gift, the review says so.
• Commercial relationships do not determine our editorial verdicts. Where a relevant relationship exists, we disclose it clearly.
• If a review page contains affiliate links, a disclosure appears near the top of the page, before the verdict. See our Affiliate Disclosure.
• Sponsored or paid content is never labeled a review.
• If we have a personal or financial relationship with a developer or publisher, we disclose it, or we do not review that subject.

Updates and corrections

• Factual mistakes are handled under our Corrections Policy.
• A review reflects the version we tested. When a game changes materially, we either re-test and add a dated update note, or label the review as reflecting the earlier version.
• A change to a verdict is never silent. It gets a visible, dated note.