How The Pop Score is Calculated
The Pop Score is a comprehensive, nuanced rating from 0 to 100 designed to rewardquality, verifiable opinions. It has two main parts: the Review Score (0-100 from one review) and the Weighted Average (the game's overall score).
Part 1: The Individual Review Score (0-100)
This score is calculated per review using a weighted model that rewards completeness and clarity. The total score is capped at 100 points, derived from four main components:
Overall Rating (1-10)
Approx. 45% Weight
The most significant contributor is the standard 1-10 numerical rating. This captures the reviewer's immediate, holistic sentiment towards the game.
Specific Ratings
Approx. 30% Weight
Sub-ratings (Gameplay, Story, Graphics, Performance) provide detail. The average of these 1-5 ratings is calculated and weighted, allowing nuanced praise (or criticism) of specific aspects to influence the final score.
Recommendation Binary
Approx. 15% Weight
The simple "Recommended" (Yes/No) choice acts as a foundational commitment. A "Recommended" choice contributes more heavily to the final score, reinforcing the core positive sentiment.
Content & Tags
Approx. 10% Weight
A minor bonus is given for writing thoughtful reviews. This component measures:
- The combined length of Pros, Cons, and the Detailed Review text (up to a small cap).
- The balance of positive vs. negative tags chosen by the reviewer.
Part 2: The Overall Game Score (The Weighted Average)
The score shown on a game's page is not a simple average of all Review Scores. It is a Weighted Average that ensures the most trustworthy, well-informed opinions have the greatest impact. This weighting system relies on a Review Weight Multiplier (from 0.2x up to 2.0x).
Reviewer Playtime Factor (PoP)
Approx. Up to 1.25x Weight
The base weight of a review is determined by the reviewer's verifiable playtime. Reviews posted with low playtime (Proof of Play) receive a reduced weight, protecting against early opinions and uninformed posts. As playtime increases, the weight grows, ensuring the review holds maximum play-time influence.
Reviewer Influence & Reputation
Approx. Up to 0.5x Weight
A reviewer's reputation score (total helpful votes received) and follower count contribute a bonus to their review weight. This means reviews written by established, well-regarded members of the community naturally carry more influence on the overall game score. This bonus is capped to prevent extreme skewing.
Content Completeness Bonus
Approx. Up to 0.25x Weight
Reviews that utilize most of the optional fields—Pros, Cons, Detailed Text, and all four Specific Ratings—receive a small content completeness bonus to their overall review weight. This subtly favors reviews that are thorough and thoughtful.
The Final Calculation
Approx. Maximum 2.0x Weight
Each review's Individual Review Score is multiplied by its Review Weight Multiplier to get its Weighted Score. The Overall Game Score is then calculated by summing all Weighted Scores and dividing by the sum of all Review Weights. This system ensures that high-quality, verified, and detailed reviews posted by reputable users are the true drivers of a game's final Pop Score.