Myownself's All Around Reviewing Guide

[myownself]

Pretty much none of this is my own stuff.  I'm just merging threads to get rid of clutter.  I will mention all credit at the end.

THIS IS JUST A BASIC TEMPLATE (which Brocky made) TO HELP YOU GET STARTED

------Template------

Game:
Maker:
Type:
Pre Thoughts:
Paragraph 1:
Paragraph 2:
Paragraph 3:
Paragraph 4:
Paragraph 5:
Positives:
Negatives
Scoring:
Conclusion:

------Template------

Simply copy and paste that when your making your review and use it as a guideline.

You don't have to use this as you can use your own format and if you want, you can take bits out or add to it.

Remember we are looking for a decent sized reviews as well. 900-1100 word's is a great amount to use, so keep that in mind as well.

I personally recommend using something my unique.  Maybe review by gameplay, aesthetics, puzzles, scenery, difficulty etc.

Or you could get even more creative, but that's not for me to ruin.


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DO YOU HAVE BAD GRAMMAR?

Now, I understand that some people aren't very good at speaking or typing English, either because it's your second language, or you're young, but otherwise can become good reviewers. It would be a bit unfair to deny applications simply because you're not fluent, and that's not your fault. On the other hand, though, not having good grammar or spelling makes your review look unprofessional. So, I thought it would be fair to remind anyone who is not good at English to follow this helpful hint:

Before you submit your review, copy and paste it into Microsoft Word. The spell checker (those red and green wiggly things under the words) will identify and fix almost all of your mistakes, but most of the time, it will fix all of them. So, before you submit your review, if you're not good at English, I highly suggest copying and pasting it into Microsoft Word, fix any mistakes that show up, and then submitting the fixed review as your application. That way, you solve the problem of not being good at English, and we can see if you're skilled enough to become a reviewer.

[myownself]

WHAT NOT TO REVIEW

This is one of the most important things in your review application and any reviews a reviewer will make; what game to review. I've been noticing an increasing amount of people reviewing Sceptile's and other's "art" games for their application. This is not a good practice, and there's a 100% chance you will be denied if you don't choose a good game to review. Here is a small list of what NOT to review:
-Games that focus around just art
-Games that have no challenge
-Games with very little to no effort put in them (Something that looked like it was made in 5 minutes)

And pretty much every game in the Contest. If you look at such games, you'll notice that they all either have barely any challenge to them or barely any effort to them. They all focus only around art, and that is only a minor fraction of what gives a game its quality.

Good games to review will have these qualities:
-Has obvious signs of effort
-Looks aesthetic
-Is a challenge to beat

Good examples can be found in featured games and games in the Epic Game Library. You do not have to review featured or EGL game for your application, but doing so will guarantee a proper game to review.

EXAMPLES OF BAD REVIEWS


Below are 3 examples of HOW TO NOT WRITE A REVIEW. Recently everyone has been thinking that reviews like the following will make the cut. I assure you, the following examples and anything of the sort DO NOT MAKE THE CUT.



Game: Crystal Dash
Maker: Me (Mrdragon)
Type: Minigame
Pre Thoughts: Dash for those crystals that I worked so hard [email protected][email protected]
Paragraph 1: I present this game as my very finest game.
Paragraph 2: During this game,you collect crystals.
Paragraph 3: In the beginning, you collect crystals.
Paragraph 4: After that, you collect more crystals.
Paragraph 5: In the end, you have collected crystals.
Positives: Has crystals!
Negatives: No negatives, pure epicsauce.
Scoring: CRYSTALS.
Conclusion: I conclude that this is one of my best games in my gaming history.

___________________________________________________________

Hello, Sploderians! Today i will review Hang Castle, created by de epic weegee of de super 77s! I choose that game because gameplay is really good, but we will later about it. This is my first review, so don't be angry, i know it will be so epic i will get accepted right away.

Game is as it self unique. All that placement, dark blocks, hidden switches... all that makes that game unique. Full game is of Ice blocks, so it is slippery. I have to say that hot block and enemy placement is great and superb because... they are at right places where they have to be. But, one negative. Game is BORING, BORING, BORING. NEEDS MORE CRYSTALSSSSSS. OK, weapons are creating situation to shoot better, but there is small amount of health. Game has a very good story. Game topic perfectly suits with the game. Game is very good and perfect. Let's now move to final thoughts.

Game was hard, but half of game that i played was great. Perfect. Enemies are great placed. Author's hard work created awesome game that is really perfect. Items are not so well placed, but puzzles and hidden sand blocks and cinder blocks are on the top. When i first played that game, i didn't know what i have to do etc. Now i know. GREAT GAME.

Challenge: 109/5
Enemy placement: 1.3334535435345435/5
Item placement 4.57/5
Creativity OUT OF THE CHARTS
Puzzles 5/5

Overall: excludin creatvty, 10.90345354353454/25

Comment this, i want to know that i am a good reviewer!!


___________________________________________________________

A review by Mrdragon. I hope you like my first review!

Hello people of sploder today I'll be reviewing "Die bleeper" by james1123000000.

type: 3d Algorhitmmm

Today i'm gonna do the scoring [email protected]!

placing: 10/10
epicness: 10/10
how fun it is: 9 and a 1/2
future worthy: already is but if it wasn't OF COURCE!
game play: really empressive
spookyness 0/10
rating (out of all games on sploder): no.5

1.At first i really enjoyed this game and i hope you do to!

2.this game is really enjoyable and is good for all ages.

3. i like going in a straight line along the rollar coster but going up and down is a experince i need to learn from.

4. i find going up and down also but prefere to go straight

5.this game is fun because you are on gears and they're basicly throwing you to one side.


Thanks for reading !!! hope you enjoyed it !!!

[myownself]

JUST A LITTLE SOMETHING ABOUT LENGTH

There is no specific word count that we look for when judging a review, but when you think about it, a review NEEDS to be a certain length to get enough info into the review.  While we still look for quality of quanity, you still need to have some length to your review.

[myownself]

CREDIT TO SUPERLUIGI, MR DRAGON, CASPER, 10000TRUTHS. AND BROCKY

[Rubber Ducky]

Nice. Close request. :3

[myownself]

Nice. Close request. :3

Na, I'll let people give feedback and see if there's stuff I should add.

[GFz Ponies]

Good guide. One thing I think you should add is a lengthened definition of a review like, "A review is describing the detials of the game rather than going through the game itself, ect.). Thats really it.

[casper11]

CREDIT TO SUPERLUIGI, MR DRAGON, CASPER, 10000TRUTHS. AND BROCKY

It wasn't me, it was the sausage rolls.

[Mechanism G]

Put this in big bold letters... WORD COUNT DOES NOT MATTER. DO NOT TELL US HOW MANY WORDS YOUR REVIEW HAS.

[swallowthesun]

NO. GET RID OF THAT STUPID TEMPLATE ONCE AND FOR ALL. IT SHOULD NEVER HAVE BEEN MADE. IT DESTROYS THE VERY ESSENCE OF CREATIVE WRITING.

[patelio03]

useful

[Wind]

If I were you, I would get rid of the template. Mr. Swallow seem's like he's ganna decline anyone with the template.

[Benjamin Reichwald]

http://forums.sploder.com/comments.php?DiscussionID=272732&page=1#Item_6

Maybe you could try something like this?

[Superluigi77]

And just what hand did I have in creating this? Why am I getting any credit for this?

[myownself]

And just what hand did I have in creating this? Why am I getting any credit for this?

Took stuff from your threads.

[Superluigi77]

And just what hand did I have in creating this? Why am I getting any credit for this?

Took stuff from your threads.

I had one thread (My long guide) and you took nothing from it. While I'm thinking of it, I also think you include with each section who wrote it like brocky did with his guide.

[JJS]

[Brocky]

NO. GET RID OF THAT STUPID TEMPLATE ONCE AND FOR ALL. IT SHOULD NEVER HAVE BEEN MADE. IT DESTROYS THE VERY ESSENCE OF CREATIVE WRITING.

I didn't realise that creative writing was a required thing for reviews -_- Let them do whatever they want to do with there reviews. If you noticed, it doesn't say you MUST use it.

[Queen Probe]

Add Frequently asked questions on there, because if you look in the main thread, people spam questions.

[swallowthesun]

NO. GET RID OF THAT STUPID TEMPLATE ONCE AND FOR ALL. IT SHOULD NEVER HAVE BEEN MADE. IT DESTROYS THE VERY ESSENCE OF CREATIVE WRITING.

I didn't realise that creative writing was a required thing for reviews -_- Let them do whatever they want to do with there reviews. If you noticed, it doesn't say you MUST use it.

Thankful People:probe5

CREATIVE WRITING IS REQUIRED FOR REVIEWS. IT'S WHAT MAKES THEM INTERESTING. That, and I'm sick of all the reviews looking the same.

[Benjamin Reichwald]

NO. GET RID OF THAT STUPID TEMPLATE ONCE AND FOR ALL. IT SHOULD NEVER HAVE BEEN MADE. IT DESTROYS THE VERY ESSENCE OF CREATIVE WRITING.

I didn't realise that creative writing was a required thing for reviews -_- Let them do whatever they want to do with there reviews. If you noticed, it doesn't say you MUST use it.

Thankful People:probe5

CREATIVE WRITING IS REQUIRED FOR REVIEWS. IT'S WHAT MAKES THEM INTERESTING. That, and I'm sick of all the reviews looking the same.

Well you guys are discarding HKs thread about flame wars. -_-

[JJS]

NO. GET RID OF THAT STUPID TEMPLATE ONCE AND FOR ALL. IT SHOULD NEVER HAVE BEEN MADE. IT DESTROYS THE VERY ESSENCE OF CREATIVE WRITING.

I didn't realise that creative writing was a required thing for reviews -_- Let them do whatever they want to do with there reviews. If you noticed, it doesn't say you MUST use it.

Thankful People:probe5

CREATIVE WRITING IS REQUIRED FOR REVIEWS. IT'S WHAT MAKES THEM INTERESTING. That, and I'm sick of all the reviews looking the same.

Well you guys are discarding HKs thread about flame wars. -_-

This isn't a "flame war".

[Benjamin Reichwald]

NO. GET RID OF THAT STUPID TEMPLATE ONCE AND FOR ALL. IT SHOULD NEVER HAVE BEEN MADE. IT DESTROYS THE VERY ESSENCE OF CREATIVE WRITING.

I didn't realise that creative writing was a required thing for reviews -_- Let them do whatever they want to do with there reviews. If you noticed, it doesn't say you MUST use it.

Thankful People:probe5

CREATIVE WRITING IS REQUIRED FOR REVIEWS. IT'S WHAT MAKES THEM INTERESTING. That, and I'm sick of all the reviews looking the same.

Well you guys are discarding HKs thread about flame wars. -_-

This isn't a "flame war".

Yes but I can feel it coming.

[yuck3]

NO. GET RID OF THAT STUPID TEMPLATE ONCE AND FOR ALL. IT SHOULD NEVER HAVE BEEN MADE. IT DESTROYS THE VERY ESSENCE OF CREATIVE WRITING.

I didn't realise that creative writing was a required thing for reviews -_- Let them do whatever they want to do with there reviews. If you noticed, it doesn't say you MUST use it.

Thankful People:probe5

CREATIVE WRITING IS REQUIRED FOR REVIEWS. IT'S WHAT MAKES THEM INTERESTING. That, and I'm sick of all the reviews looking the same.

Well you guys are discarding HKs thread about flame wars. -_-

This isn't a "flame war".

Yes but I can feel it coming.

Ikr, Apple.

[Halo]

(removed)

[aditya75]

nice

[repty6]

Bump

[JJS]

Bump

It's fused lmao

[Princess Matty]

And pretty much every game in the Contest. If you look at such games, you'll notice that they all either have barely any challenge to them or barely any effort to them. They all focus only around art, and that is only a minor fraction of what gives a game its quality.

YOU HAVE OFFENDED ME AND MY GAME TRAFFIC CONTROL DEEPLY.

*Bursts into tears*

[Superluigi77]

JUST A LITTLE SOMETHING ABOUT LENGTH

There is no specific word count that we look for when judging a review, but when you think about it, a review NEEDS to be a certain length to get enough info into the review.  While we still look for quality of quanity, you still need to have some length to your review.

To solve to this quality over quantity conundrum I offer this bit of advice: Use common sense, your eyes, and your own good judgement. You know that you have included enough information in your review when you reach that point where there is simply nothing left to be said about the game. If you can still think of something to be said about the game then your review is not yet finished.