The Four Pillars
Our four scores separate excellence from cost, audience fit from mass appeal, and a strong opinion from the evidence supporting it.
01
1–10How well is it made?
The craft and execution of the thing itself. Quality asks whether it succeeds on its own terms and how it stands beside serious peers.
A beautiful, expertly made product can score high here even if it is too expensive to recommend.
02
1–10Is it worth what it asks from you?
Price matters, but so do time, effort, attention, and inconvenience. Value measures the real trade—not merely the sticker price.
A messy two-hour movie can still be terrific value; a flawless one can ask for too much time or money.
03
1–10Who is it for—and how deeply will it land?
Niche measures audience fit. A specialized experience should not be punished for lacking universal appeal if it delivers brilliantly for its people.
A demanding strategy game may be a poor general recommendation and a near-perfect match for its intended audience.
04
1–10How much weight should this take carry?
Confidence describes the strength of the signal behind the judgment: depth of experience for human reviewers, and current, consistent evidence for Bot-Takes.
Confidence never means ‘good.’ It means the reviewer has enough signal to stand firmly behind the take.
The compass
That is the question underneath every score. The numbers organize the judgment; the recommendation makes it useful.
