How we review
Every review on Idle Harbour follows the same routine. Here it is in full, so you can judge our work by it.
1. Start at the official source
We find the game's official page: the developer's own site, or the page it links to as the place to play. That is where we open the game and where every "official site" button points. Store pages run by the developer or publisher, and official wikis, are used to confirm details such as release dates and platforms. Unofficial mirrors and re-uploads are never used or linked.
2. Confirm it is alive and playable in a browser
We load the game and check that it actually runs. If it only works with a download, has been shut down, or the official page no longer loads, we do not review it. Each review ends with a short log of what we checked and when.
3. Play the opening, read the rest at the source
We play the opening ourselves, because that is where an idle game shows its rhythm. Long games can run for months, so for the later stages we rely on what the game's own interface shows and on how the developer describes it, and we avoid spoilers where surprise is the point. When a detail comes from a store page or an official wiki rather than from play, the review says so.
4. Describe the money side plainly
We record how the game is funded using only what we can see: ads on the page, a shop, a paid full version, donations, separate paid releases. Where a developer describes its own model, we quote or paraphrase it. Where we could not check a version, such as a mobile app, we say so rather than guess.
5. Write for fit, not for points
We do not give scores. Instead, each review answers practical questions: how much attention the game asks, who it suits, who might prefer something else, and a short list of strengths and weaknesses. Our comparison table shows the same information side by side.
6. Keep it current
Browser games change. When we update a review we repeat the checks above, and the date on the page reflects the last check. If you spot something out of date, please tell us at [email protected].
What we never do
- Publish invented numbers, quotes, user reviews or awards.
- Accept payment or free gifts in exchange for coverage.
- Add tracking or affiliate codes to links.
- Review games that are not playable in a browser.