Game Rating
Why We Rate Games
As one education researcher put it: "It's almost impossible to tell from just reading the description of a video game if it has any educational value."
We created a transparent rating system so you know exactly what you're learning and how deeply a game engages your mind.
Our Rating System
Every game on PlayMesa is rated across four dimensions:
Educational Depth
How deeply is learning woven into the gameplay? From games where education IS the core experience, to games with incidental learning opportunities.
Cognitive Depth
★ to ★★★★★How much thinking does the game require? Based on established learning frameworks, from basic recall to complex problem-solving and creative thinking.
Player Rating
★ to ★★★★★How good is the game overall? This is your voice—pure player voting on quality and enjoyment.
Time to Complete
From quick 15-minute experiences to week-long adventures. Plan your learning journey.
What Rating Means
Educational Integration
This describes how deeply learning is woven into the game itself.
Incidental Learning
Learning occurs as an unintended byproduct of entertainment-first design. Any educational value emerges accidentally from gameplay mechanics or subject matter.
Examples: Tetris (spatial reasoning), Guitar Hero (rhythm), Racing games (physics intuition), Angry Birds (projectile trajectories)
Intentional Learning
Educational content is part of the entertainment-first game. Developers made conscious choices to include accurate information or learning opportunities—but the core gameplay loop would function without them.
Examples: Civilization (historical facts), Assassin's Creed (historical settings), Oregon Trail (historical journey), Plague Inc. (epidemiology concepts)
Authentic Education
The game accurately models real-world systems, and learning emerges inherently from interacting with those systems. You cannot play without learning because the game world follows real rules.
Examples: Kerbal Space Program (orbital mechanics), Cities: Skylines (urban systems), Factorio (logistics/optimization), Democracy (political systems)
Core Education
The primary purpose of the game is education. Gameplay serves pedagogy—mechanics are designed specifically to teach target concepts. Success in the game equals success in learning.
Examples: Duolingo (language), DragonBox Algebra (math), CodeCombat (programming), Foldit (protein folding)
Cognitive Depth
This measures how much thinking the game requires, based on established learning frameworks.
Complex Thinking
Judge between competing solutions with no clear "right answer," design novel approaches, optimize under tight constraints.
Examples: Kerbal Space Program (analyze orbital mechanics), Factorio (design factory layouts), Opus Magnum (create molecular machines), Dwarven Fortress (design complex systems)
Strategize
Break down complex interconnected systems, identify non-obvious relationships, plan multiple steps ahead, manage competing priorities.
Examples: Oxygen Not Included (manage heat transfer, flows), Democracy 4 (analyze policy interactions), Slay the Spire (plan deck synergies), SpaceChem (design chemical reactions)
Adapt
Apply learned principles to new situations, adapt when conditions change, choose between multiple valid approaches.
Examples: Portal (apply physics principles), Plague Inc. (apply disease spread knowledge), Civilization VI (balance multiple systems), Banished (manage resources)
Follow
Comprehend how things work, follow procedures, predict straightforward outcomes. You understand cause and effect but don't need to invent solutions.
Examples: Memory / Concentration (remember card positions, sequences), Oregon Trail (understand resource depletion), Plants vs. Zombies (understand plant abilities)
React
Remember information, respond quickly to prompts. Gameplay is reactive, not analytical.
Examples: Arcade Racing (basic acceleration), Match-3 Puzzlers, Trivia Games
Who Does the Rating
Our curator team reviews each game and assigns ratings based on actual gameplay. We look at how the game teaches, what it teaches, and how deeply it engages your thinking.
Ratings aren't just our opinion—we use established educational frameworks and learning science to evaluate each dimension consistently.