Review Guidelines

[Spike's iconSpike]

Prerequisites: To do this quest you first need to Become a Member of the guild.

To submit a review, go to the Reviews section and click "Post Review." You'll need to select one of the existing categories. If your review doesn't fit any of the categories choose "Other System Reviews" and continue. After selecting the appropriate category, you can begin writing.

Please follow these guidelines:

• Title: The review title must be something interesting, not just the game title.
• It's recommended to use a nice looking image at the top of your article to attract attention, this is the main image of your article and, along with the title, make people click the article or not. Don't use the game cover as first image.
• Review Body: Aim to write at least 500 words. Try to break the text with relevant images when possible.
• Fields:
  • Cover image: This is meant for the game official cover art. It shows up on the sidebar.
  • Game Name, Publisher, Developer, Genres, Year: Self explanatory
  • Pros-Cons: One per line, short sentences of what you liked the most and the least, don't add +- signs, it's done automatically.
  • Feature specific scores: You can give a 1-10 score to various aspects of the game (Optional)
  • Feature specific verdict: You can write a small take away of the same features (Optional)
  • Overall Score and Verdict: Same as above but for the whole game, this is required.

Reviews should meet a certain standard of thought and quality. If a review is considered low-effort, may be moved here for revision or deleted.

Any questions regarding Reviews? Ask here.

 

[BinaryMessiah]

Will there be an option at some point to do console reviews? I wanted to post reviews for more obscure handhelds that I own like the Nokia N-Gage and Bandai Wonderswan for example.

 

[Spike's iconSpike]

I think those would fit under "Retro Hardware" articles: https://retrogametalk.com/articles/retro-hardware.56/
I plan to add a Hardware section under Reviews but for modern devices currently for sale.

 

[Baron]

Will there be an option at some point to do console reviews? I wanted to post reviews for more obscure handhelds that I own like the Nokia N-Gage and Bandai Wonderswan for example.

I'm with BinaryMessiah on this one.

I'm no teenager, as per requested, but have been buying and restoring some classic systems and would be glad to provide a review - even about ODEs and bluetooth adapters, opinion on cables and all that jazz I've been using.

Maybe do a combo - a system and a cool game for it?

 

[Gorse]

Are there any character/word limits you want writers to stick to? I'd be glad to contribute when my schedule allows, but I want to make sure that I'm not submitting something that's way too long and needs to be cut down before it's published.

 

[BinaryMessiah]

Are there any character/word limits you want writers to stick to? I'd be glad to contribute when my schedule allows, but I want to make sure that I'm not submitting something that's way too long and needs to be cut down before it's published.

I was told in my application thread that the minimum is 500 words. My first review that's up is 1,200 if you want an example.

 

[Yuu Suzuki]

Are there any character/word limits you want writers to stick to? I'd be glad to contribute when my schedule allows, but I want to make sure that I'm not submitting something that's way too long and needs to be cut down before it's published.

Don't worry about that, mine was 3200 words and it was accepted!

 

[Spike's iconSpike]

The site won't take anything over 30,000 characters for articles, that includes characters used for embeded images and any BBcodes. There's not even a way to change it.
So if you plan to do something huge, it would have to be split in parts.

 

[Yousef Yousef]

This might be a bit of a silly question but no harm in asking. Is it possible to create rules/guidelines or a general system for publishing non-English articles? (Assuming the preexisting ones we have right now are compatible with non-EN articles). If not, what about the possibility of creating/converting or reposting preexisting articles and translating them into different languages? Doesn’t have to be from different writers, the same writer could convert their own article into a different language and repost it that way if it’s difficult to get permission from other articles’ writers.

Mainly suggesting this since I seen it done elsewhere and can provide examples.
Don’t take any of these suggestions to heart by the way, theyre a bit ambitious so they’re just brainstorming hahahaha. It’s also my own indirect way of saying I can provide those kinds of translations if need be. XD

 

[Spike's iconSpike]

I'd prefer sticking with English so it can reach the most people.
Articles can be initially written in a foreign language but for publishing her they will need to be translated to English.

 

[Piper Halliwell]

Is it alright if I were to submit a Guild Application in the form of a laptop review? There's a 10+ old laptop I own that I'm considering writing a review on.

 

[Waffles's iconWaffles]

Is it alright if I were to submit a Guild Application in the form of a laptop review? There's a 10+ old laptop I own that I'm considering writing a review on.

Hmm... We DO have hardware reviews, but specifically gaming-related (ie clone consoles and devises).

I'd be interested in reading it, though.

 

[Piper Halliwell]

Hmm... We DO have hardware reviews, but specifically gaming-related (ie clone consoles and devises).

I'd be interested in reading it, though.

Sounds good. I appreciate it! Would it help if I included the gaming experience I've had over the years with it?

 

[Waffles's iconWaffles]

Sounds good. I appreciate it! Would it help if I included the gaming experience I've had over the years with it?

Sure! Give it your best shot!

Some of my best articles are like that.

 

[KaiserMk7]

Do game reviews specifically have to be about older games on out-of-production hardware, or is a contemporary love letter to the past or anything with low-poly assets or pixel art an acceptable subject?

 

[LiberoVulpesLiberoVulpes's icon]

Do game reviews specifically have to be about older games on out-of-production hardware, or is a contemporary love letter to the past or anything with low-poly assets or pixel art an acceptable subject?

Any game is fine new or old, for articles, as long as they are gaming related is fine.

It isn't too strict.

 

[Deleted member 797290]

How do I have to write this game article only in my own words or can I also copy something?

 

[Tony Horo]

Its been a while since I don't write a review. I'm already part of the writers guild, should I still post the reviews here and wait for them to be approved to the main page?

 

[LiberoVulpesLiberoVulpes's icon]

should I still post the reviews here and wait for them to be approved to the main page?

The approval is only for people applying to the guild, since you are already part of the Writer's Guild, you can just post it in the reviews section no problem.

 

[Tony Horo]

The approval is only for people applying to the guild, once you are part of the Writer's Guild, you can just post it in the reviews section no problem.

Oh ok, I'm already editing my post there.
I think I'm having an issue with the cover art. Even after uploading it, it doesn't show on the Article Cover Image droplist:

 

[LiberoVulpesLiberoVulpes's icon]

I think I'm having an issue with the cover art. Even after uploading it, it doesn't show on the Article Cover Image droplist:View attachment 149208

That's normal, don't worry, the first image you add to the article body will default as the cover, once its posted you can change it using the article cover dropdown, its just a quirk on how the reviews/articles work.

 

[Tony Horo]

That's normal, don't worry, the first image you add to the article body will default as the cover, once its posted you can change it using the article cover dropdown, its just a quirk on how the reviews/articles work.

Thanks a lot! Post edited and checked.

 

[hormonemaximum]

could i do this and also add information about the staff that developed the game?