About
“How long is this game?”
It is a question as old as gaming forums. It is almost zen-like in its simplicity. Yet somehow that number is directly related to the amount of money you spent on the game.
This website is dedicated to answering that question by relying on a special system of graphs and hourly-ratings.
How does it work?
I play a game and evaluate how much I am enjoying each hour. That score is then plotted against time to produce a chart that gives you, with just a glance, an idea of how long the game is, where the good parts are, and whether it is worth your time to keep playing.
What is the rating scale?
The rating, from 0 to 10, is based on how much I am enjoying the game. It is not a rating of the game’s merit or how well it is designed, it is purely an enjoyment score. A score of 5 is neutral. Neither enjoying the game nor hating it. A score higher than a five means I am having fun. Less than a 5 and I having an increasingly negative experience. Here is the full breakdown:
- a 0 means I am throwing the controller and/or rage quitting.
- a 1 is teeth gritting frustration, typically accompanied by “this is so stupid!” or yelling personal insults at the enemies or the game’s design team. Think the Psychonauts Meat Circus
- a 3 or a 2 is an increasing displeasure in the tedious hoops the game is making me jump through. Extended fetch quests and escorting a mentally handicapped AI typically fall under this rating.
- a 4 means that I am bored and slightly annoyed - think the Library in Halo 1.
- A 5 does not mean I hate it; just that the game is not doing anything. Most of the time we spend in a game is just filler. The question is whether this filler worth tolerating.
- A 6-8 means that I am genuinely enjoying myself and the game.
- A 9 means I am physically smiling while I am playing.
- A 10 means that I will show friends this level, write a blog post proclaiming its mastery of game design.
What are the descriptions?
When you click the graph’s vectors, the right side of the chart lists the name of the game’s level (in dark text) and a brief blurb about why I gave it the score I did.
Why does your graph start at zero?
The score at the zero-hour is my level of excitement going into the game based on previews, screen shots, and general buzz. The zero-hour might also be a rating of the opening cut scene because I am not, technically, playing the game yet.
What is the quit line?
This number is a suggestion of when you should quit if you are not enjoying the game. It doesn’t mean that I don’t like the rest of the game, it just means that the game doesn’t get any better than this. So, if you aren’t having fun by the time you get to the quit line, stop playing this game and play one you do like. Not all games get a quit line, but if it does, it is indicated by a vertical red line.
Is the graph based on the game-clock or the real-world clock.
The graph time is based off of the in-game clock, if it exists. Otherwise, it is based off my own time. Keep in mind that for some games, dying and restarting a level does not increase the game clock so you might spend more time playing the game than game-clock indicates.
Are side quests counted into the graphs?
No. I try to play through the main quest-line without any detours. I don’t spend much time going for achievements, armor upgrades, or optional magical hats.
A warning about spoilers.
The graphs are spoiler-free unless you don’t want them to be. The descriptions that you get when you click on the vectors might contain plot information, boss descriptions, or plot twists. For that reason, the text only appears when you click the circle icon. If you are scared of spoilers, just hover your mouse over the vector and you will get only the hour and the score. No spoilers.
How not to interpret this graph:
Do not try to find the integral of this graph to calculate the sum of the game’s worth. Otherwise, a short, wonderful game like Portal would loose out to a low-scoring but really long RPG. Also, don’t compare the graphs of two games against each other. They are self contained and you should only look to see when a game goes bad or whether you should stick with it to see the ending.
Who writes this?
Me. Just one guy recording my special feelings as I play through them. I have a huge backlog of games that I would love to play but don’t have a whole lot of time. So, I want to get the best out of each of them and then move on to the next game. While I am doing this I thought I should share it so that other people in a similar situation can get the most out of what they play.
I also write for the walkthrough-centered website gameintestine. You should go to it right after looking at this site.
I also have a twitter account and you should follow me: gameintestine
Why don’t you have a graph for game X?
Because I haven’t played it yet. BUT, if you are going to play that game, tell me. I would love for you to do a graph because I am curious how other people interpret games too. If you are interested in doing a graph please contact me at zukalous@gameintestine.com and I will show you how, it is wildly easy to create.
Now go read them.
