Review Policy
Last updated: July 23, 2025
Silver Gamers publishes reviews of games and gaming hardware with a focus on the mature gaming audience. Our reviews appear on our website and in our newsletter, written by and for gamers who value quality, accessibility, and respect for limited gaming time.
Our Review Philosophy
Our reviews serve mature gamers who approach gaming differently than younger audiences. We prioritize practical information about accessibility, time investment, family-friendliness, and value for money alongside traditional game criticism. Every review considers whether a game respects the reader's time and fits into an adult lifestyle.
Reviews are subjective opinions based on the writer's experience and expertise. While content may be discussed with our editorial team, the final judgment remains with the reviewer.
What We Review
Game Selection: We choose games based on their relevance to mature gamers, quality, and interest to our audience. This includes:
- New releases that appeal to adult sensibilities
- Older games gaining renewed relevance
- Family-friendly titles for gaming with children
- Accessible games suitable for varying physical abilities
- Games with strong narrative content
Hardware Focus: We review gaming hardware with adult needs in mind, considering factors like ergonomics, ease of setup, and long-term comfort.
Review Sources and Timing
Current Practices: As a growing publication, we primarily review games purchased at retail or provided through established platforms like Steam, Game Pass, or PlayStation Plus. We may receive occasional review copies from smaller developers or through emerging industry relationships.
Building Industry Relationships: We're actively working to establish professional relationships with publishers and developers. As these develop, we'll expand our early access review coverage while maintaining our editorial independence.
Timing: We aim to publish reviews when they're most useful to our audience, whether that's at launch, during sales, or when games become particularly relevant to mature gamers. We're not in the day-one review race—we're in the "should you spend your limited gaming time on this?" business.
Our Review Process
Reviewer Selection: Reviews are assigned based on the writer's familiarity with the genre and their ability to assess the game from a mature gamer perspective.
Time Investment: Reviewers spend sufficient time to form a comprehensive opinion. For our audience, this often means experiencing the game's opening hours (crucial for busy adults) and enough of the full experience to assess long-term value.
Version Standards: We review retail versions or review builds identical to what consumers receive, including day-one patches when available.
What Makes Our Reviews Different
Adult-Focused Criteria: Every review addresses:
- Time Respect: Can you make meaningful progress in short sessions?
- Accessibility: Is text readable? Are controls comfortable for mature hands?
- Family Considerations: Is this suitable for gaming with kids or around family?
- Value Assessment: Is this worth your limited gaming budget and time?
- Pause-Friendly: Can you stop playing when life interrupts?
Difficulty Disclosure: We always note what difficulty setting we played on and recommend appropriate settings for different player needs.
Physical Comfort: Hardware reviews specifically address ergonomics, setup complexity, and long-term comfort.
Editorial Independence
No Advertiser Influence: Our reviews are never influenced by advertising relationships. There's a strict separation between editorial content and any promotional partnerships.
Honest Assessment: We believe mature gamers appreciate straightforward, honest criticism. If a game doesn't respect your time or money, we'll say so clearly.
Community Input: While maintaining editorial independence, we value feedback from our mature gaming community and may revisit assessments when reader experiences significantly differ from our review.
Special Coverage Types
"Silver Gamer Approved": Occasional designation for games that exceptionally serve the mature gaming audience—titles that understand adult gaming needs and deliver accordingly.
Family Gaming Focus: Dedicated coverage for games suitable for playing with children or grandchildren, with specific attention to accessibility and appropriateness.
Revisited Reviews: We may re-examine games after major updates, when they gain new relevance, or when community feedback suggests our initial assessment missed something important.
Transparency Notes
Review Source: We note at the end of each review whether the game was purchased, provided by the developer/publisher, or accessed through a subscription service.
Potential Conflicts: Any personal or professional relationships that might influence a review are disclosed upfront.
Update Policy: If a game changes significantly post-review through updates or patches, we may append updates to the original review or publish follow-up coverage.
Building Professional Relationships
As Silver Gamers grows, we're committed to developing professional relationships with developers and publishers while maintaining editorial integrity. We welcome review copy submissions from developers who understand our focus on mature gaming audiences.
For Developers/Publishers: We're particularly interested in games that:
- Respect player time with meaningful progression systems
- Include robust accessibility options
- Offer engaging content for mature audiences
- Provide family-friendly gaming experiences
Silver Gamers is committed to serving the mature gaming community with honest, practical, and relevant game coverage. Our review policy reflects our dedication to editorial independence and our understanding of what adult gamers actually need from game critique.
Contact: For review copy submissions or questions about our review process, contact us through our website.