I’m in a spring cleaning mindset even though it’s the beginning of winter. I recently dug through my closet and donated two big bags of clothes that I wasn’t wearing. I found myself staring at my board game shelf along with two boxes of unpacked video games in our spare bedroom. It got me thinking about how when I write board game or video game reviews, I never rate what I play. I write reviews on what I read, but that doesn’t translate to gaming. Going forward, I will be rating board games and video games that I play which I hope will help organize my gaming collection in the future.

Before I dive into my review scale, I wanted to share some backstory. I’m a collector. Being a collector, I tend to hold on to things if they provide any sentimental value. When I pick up that board game or a video game, I find that it prompts memories of where I was when I first discovered that game or where I was in my life when I was playing through the game. It’s more difficult for me to donate a board game than it is to donate clothing. I think part of the reason I feel this way is that gaming is a hobby that has stuck with me for a long time. It’s a hobby that’s gotten me through the toughest of times along with making me feel happy and content. I know for a fact that gaming will be a hobby that will stick around in the years to come.

With that said, I wanted to share how I will rate board games and video games in future posts. I will follow a five-point scale to help keep things consistent. If I rate a board game or a video game 5 out of 5, it means that it’s the best thing ever and I’m obsessed. For board games, I will want to bring it to every family or friend’s board game night. If it’s a video game, I know that I will replay the game again. If I rate something 4 out of 5, it means that I really liked it. It’s a board game that I’m glad that I own so I can play it whenever. For a video game, it means that it was great, but I probably don’t have to replay it until a significant amount of time has passed. If I rate something a 3 out of 5, it means I liked it, but I may have to be in the mood to play it. I think this applies to both board games and video games. If I rate something 2 or less, it means that I didn’t like it, it’s not for me, or I don’t see a reason to own it.

The first half of this post was more personal than I originally anticipated this post to be. I’m looking forward to my future gaming reviews and being more organized in writing gaming-related content. I have a board game review sitting in my drafts which will be the perfect way to kick off the new rating scale.