Flinn's Game Taxonomy Charts

When I talk about games, I sometimes find it helpful to break them down into parts. Instead of breaking it into "bits I liked" and "bits I didn't like," I've tried to standardize some criteria that can be broadly applied to games of many different genres.

Flinn's Star Points Chart

To be honest, I'm not a huge fan of the five-star rating scale. So, to push back against it, I've made a single-star rating scale that has five arms. Y'know. Like a star.

Technically speaking, the Star Points chart is a radar chart that scores games on five subjective criteria. The scores on these charts are completely subject to my whims and personal preferences. The goal is to give you a clear look at how I thought the game handled, included, or featured each one.

Each arm is scored out of 10, which translate into length for each of the star's arms.

Narrative: This is a measure of how enjoyable I found the game's narrative. As someone who enjoys narrative-heavy games, this is something I always pay attention to and like discussing. On a basic level: Is there a story at all? On a higher level: Is the story engaging? Is it fun? Is it well-written and proofread?

Gameplay: This is a measure of how enjoyable I found the game's mechanics and interactivity. On a basic level: Does it run? On a higher level: do the gameplay mechanics feel good? Do they add to the experience, or do they pose an obstacle to enjoying the game?

Innovation: This is a measure of how much I think the game is innovating in its genre. This isn't an inherently good or bad thing--some brilliantly fun games run entirely on genre tropes, while others innovate poorly and make terrible experiences. On a basic level: Does the game do anything new or different in its genre? On a higher level: Does the innovation add to the experience, or are these new things added for the sake of newness? Where is it taking cues from? Does it have a traceable heritage of other games that came before it, or is it blazing its own trail?

Style: This is a measure of how I feel about the game's flair. This is a broad criteria that can apply to visual language, artistic style, musical experience, character depictions, and more. On a basic level: Does the game have a style? On a higher level: Does the game have its own style? Is it coherent enough to be fun and enjoyable? Is it distracting from the game as a whole?

Satisfaction: This is a measure of how satisfied I felt by the game experience as a whole. Being satisfied with a game doesn't necessarily mean it was fun--I'm a known enjoyer of feels-bad games that have provided massively satisfying experiences. On a basic level: Did I leave the game feeling like I got what I came for? On a higher level: Does the game deliver on its promises? Is it worth the asking price? Would I play it again?

The Tetris-Higurashi Rating Scale

This is a scale that measures a game on a spectrum from "all gameplay" to "all story." I've cheekily named it the "Tetris-Higurashi" scale in deference to games I think characterize both sides of the scale, which functions like a number line. A perfectly balanced game in dead center would score a 0.

The further left a game is on the Tetris-Higurashi scale, the more its experience is derived from gameplay. There is no story or narrative to enjoy. These games feature gameplay only.

Games like Tetris, Pong, Minesweeper, or Solitaire would score a -10 on the Tetris-Higurashi scale. A game like Super Mario Bros for the NES would score a -9: there's a framing device to give context for the game's setting and characters, but all that takes a significant backseat to the draw of the gameplay.

The further right a game is on the Tetris-Higurashi scale, the more the experience is derived from its story. Think of classic visual or kinetic novels that feature no player choices or inputs beyond clicking to advance the text. Games at this end of the scale could be successfully "played" at least 90% of the way through by one of those drinking bird toys positioned over a mouse or keyboard. Enjoying the experience of this game means enjoying the narrative.

A game like Higurashi: When They Cry would score a +10 on the Tetris-Higurashi scale. Visual novels that feature some player choices, but not a lot else, will probably score in the +9 range.

Most games will live somewhere between these two extremes. With the Tetris-Higurashi scale, it's my hope that I can give you a solid look at what you're in for experientially with any game I review.

Put it all together

At the bottom of my game reviews, I'll be putting both of these charts as well as notes about how I scored each criteria. I hope you find the info useful!