Review Policy

For anyone who is interested in what my thought process for reviewing games is, what my review ethics are, or what genres I tend to review, this page is for you. Whether you are a reader trying to get a better feel for whether our personalities and tastes click, or someone from a company considering whether Story Mode Gamer would be a good match for a review opportunity or some other form of promotion, I hope this information is helpful.

Review Policies:

My Opinions Are My Own: I’m not someone who is going to say nice things about something if I don’t mean them. I value my time and by extension I value the time of my readers. If there is enough wrong with your game that it ends up in my 6 / 10 ‘That’s enough of that!’ category I will explain to my readers what I liked and didn’t like about your game, and I will not hold back.

Me Trying Your Game Does NOT Guarantee I’ll Review It: If I agree to review something, there is a 9 / 10 chance that you WILL get a review. But there are those rare occasions when either something is not what I thought it was going to be, or—since were talking games and I have disabilities—there may be some element of your game that I cannot physically complete. Either way, if these things happen you probably don’t WANT me reviewing your game. But it only seems honest and fair that I point this out here. If this happens, though, I will contact you and let you know.

Requesting That I Review Your Game Does NOT Obligate Me To Do So: It’s bonkers that I have to spell this out for people, but I was a book blogger for three years in the 2010s and on rare occasion I would get people who would be under this presumption, which was wild!

A Final Note About Contacting Me:

If you contact me with a request to review a game or take part in any other type of collaboration or promotion, please address the request to Kat or Katallina. Not blogger, not youtuber, not you, not to whom it may concern. This isn’t to be a jerk. It’s to increase the odds that you read my FAQ and are aware of my review policies.

I Do NOT Review 18+ / Adult Material:

I’m pretty sure that this one speaks for itself. I’ve got no issue with mature games. I’ve got no issues if a game has ‘sexy’ female characters—this isn’t about the ‘male gaze’ or any of that garbage. (For instance, I think Stellar Blade is gorgeous and the only reason I wouldn’t be a good candidate to review that is the game genre, not the art style.)

It’s the same as when I’m reviewing anime and my policy states I don’t cover Hentai, but I’m fine with watching eechi if I like the premise and characters. It’s not my thing, I’m not your target audience, and it’s best if we don’t go down that road.

What Types of Games Do You Play?

JRPGs: These were my gaming gateway drug, and I still adore them to this day. Turn based combat, big worlds to explore, interesting casts, over the top villains, systems to craft items, select and advance skills… Bring it on.

Examples: Final Fantasy, Octopath Traveler, Trails in the Sky, Dragon Quest

Action RPG: Whether we are talking about JRPGs with a bit more physicality to the combat, or western RPGs, bring on the skill systems, player choices, character customization and needing to think just a little bit more on my feet.

Examples: The Elder Scrolls, Dragon Age II, Tales of Vesperia, Fable III, Scarlet Nexus, Trials of Mana

Strategy RPGs: Trading combat stand-offs for a battle grid where you go and then your opponent does. Dramatic situations, political intrigue, large casts, building up supports and bonds between characters. Yes please to all of it.

Examples: Fire Emblem: Fates, Dark Deity, Triangle Strategy, Wargroove, Valkyria Chronicles

Gachas: These tend to fall under other genres I like, but since they generally have their own unique leveling and progression systems, and since they come with a diffewrent set of expectations, I’m making them their own category.

Examples: Genshin Impact, Cookie Run Kingdom, Reverse 1999, AFK Journey, Honkai Star Rail, Wuthering Waves

Survival / Crafting Games: Keep full and hydrated, build that house, beware the creatures, craft new materials and see where your adventure takes you.

Examples: Palworld, Grounded, Terraria, Core Keeper, Astroneer, Satisfactory, No Man’s Sky.

Please note: I tend to play these with Jay, not solo. So its entirely understandable if we’re not a good match for reviewing these. But I figure I may as well list our interest since crafting and survival are two of our favorite genres.

Farming / Crafting Cozy Games: For me, cuteness can make many games better. For Jay, if a game is good cuteness is not going to stop him from playing it. What separates these games from the ones above, for me, is that they are more chill and less ‘dangerous’.

Examples: Story of Seasons: Pioneers of Olive Town, Fae Farm, Farm Together 2, Garden Paws, Roots of Pacha, Sun Haven, My Time At Portia.

Creativity, Customization, and Non-Farming Cozy Games: These are cute and creative experiences that either let you really personalize something, or that let you relax and unwind in a cute or quirky way. I’m kinda using this as a catch-all space for some of the smaller, cuter experiences I enjoy.

Examples: Animal Crossing, Hello Kitty Island Adventure, The Sims 4, House Flipper, Power Wash Simulator, Potion Permit, Ooblets, Spirit Farer, Logic Town, Dogs Organized Neatly, Shop Titans.

Visual Novels: A great tale, memorable characters, choices that effect the ending, branching paths, sometimes other gameplay elements mixed in.

Examples: Danganronpa, 999, Ghost Trick, Phoenix Wright, The Letter, Hush Hush, Gnosia, Katawa Shoujo, MUV LUV (Steam version, to avoid any confusion), PARANORMASIGHT, Olympia Soiree, Code Realize: Guardian of Rebirth.

How Does Your Rating System Work?

I rate games on a scale of 6 – 10: If a game is lower than my ‘6’ it’s already been sent back to Steam. For a more detailed look at how my ratings system works, please click on the Ratings page under the FAQ tab.