How To Write A Video Game Review

Here’s a relatively random post: how to write a video game review. That’s not clickbait per se, and considering that more and more people are flocking to video reviews, is it still worth putting in the time to do a write-up on a video game?

That big old elusive answer: it depends.

If you want to make money, no. If you want a career in writing about games, no. If you aimlessly look at a blank screen trying to think of what to write, no. Oh, and because video content is the way forward, no.

But also, yes.

I write because I like to exercise my word count, get some thoughts out of my head, and because it’s genuinely nice to have something tangible. All those games I’ve played that I can’t remember? Just look at the Review Index (that link wasn’t in the plan, but it’s free flow, so let’s keep it in), and it’ll remind me of all those memories that particular title brought.

A Contradictive Heading

You can make money from writing about video games, but not much. Before I ballsed up the analytics and some of the javascript on this site, the monthly reviews were surprisingly high, and, with Google Ads applied, there was a steady flow of pennies to spend on sweets, more games, and hosting. 

Nobody likes ads, though, and as this site isn’t about making money, I removed them and all sources of income. Silly, innit? YouTube is much more viable, yet I can’t be arsed to make videos, and the content I’d produce wouldn’t compare to the style that dominates the views.

Getting a career in writing is also possible. Like all roles, you might start at the bottom and work up. Without naming any sites, there are those that hire frequently. They don’t pay well, and depending on who you work for, they can be incredibly demanding—expecting articles with a high turnaround and about topics that might not appeal to you—some clickbait, some trending, and so on.

I’ve worked for a few gaming sites, paid and unpaid, but all my professional writing is completed elsewhere, be it digital or printed. Even then, it’s not great, and AI wielders make the job harder. It wasn’t the lack of money that persuaded me to start this site five years ago, but the attitude of some writers who just wanted free games and didn’t deliver on their reviews or ‘editors’ being too demanding of their voluntary staff.

So What Can You Do?

Write for yourself. 

Many years ago, I completed an online course via social media that promoted a 500-word-a-day habit for a month. The goal was exactly that: write 500 words a day about any subject, every day. 

At first, it was tough, but then it got easier. Writing 500 words was a doddle, and I was soon writing 1500 words. That’s when editing comes into effect and becomes your key tool. Sometimes, fleshing out an idea means trimming down the fat and getting rid of two-thirds of what you’ve written. 

For one site, I was writing 1500-word reviews. Search engines like lots of words, but gamers don’t like to read so much, and one comment of ‘TLDR’ gave me a wobble, so most reviews got to about 800 words—something I tend to stick to these days.

Structure

Again, write for yourself. Those seeking an audience will need to follow some conventions. Most will be looking for a school approach of introduction, main content, and conclusion, with images, galleries, and/or accompanying videos.

Others want a score or head straight to the summary. Website owners will soon hate the term bouncerate. 

I don’t have an editor or anyone to answer to other than myself, so go with the flow. Write down some key pointers, such as what it’s about, the genre, what you liked, and what you didn’t. 

Go for the positive sandwich or the shit sandwich. In other words, start positively, counter any constructive criticism, and finish with a positive. Or, go full-out and complain that the characters look dated, the story makes no sense, and the FPS sucked. We all have our styles, and mine is not the latter. 

Get Writing

Now, this article would be clickbait if there wasn’t some point to it all (besides an excuse to write—yes, really!). In email marketing, they call it funnelling—getting you to the end and selling you something. I’m not selling; I’m offering.

Before you splash out on hosting, spend hours on a domain name, or think creating a logo is much more important than writing a review, consider this: I’ll post your review if I haven’t already got it on my site.

Why? Well, as I’ve explicitly said above, there’s no financial gain, and I’ve established my own sketchy voice so readers know whether it’s me writing or not. I’m not looking for additional content but helping others interested in writing video game reviews rather than making a video.

It’s refreshing to hear that not everyone wants to show their face or speak over a video, so writing sometimes offers that voice.

Are there any catches? Not a catch. All you have to do is write an article and send it to me, and I’ll update it on the site. You’ll have full credit; I’m happy to link to your socials to give you a boost, and if that helps you with a career (not being pessimistic, but the writing game is tough) – great! Should you write anything decent, I’ll get a boost in traffic and maybe undo the mess I made with the behind-the-scenes stuff.

What Should You Do Now?

Drop me a message on the contact form with any proposals before you send over articles, as there are a few things to note:

• This isn’t a job offer.
• There is no money involved.
• There are no guarantees this will give you the exposure you need.
• You don’t need writing experience or to adhere to house styles, but you should use a spellchecker.
• Constructive criticism, please.
• Marketers – this isn’t guest post opportunities to sell your dick pills.
• There’s no word count, but remember what I mentioned about long-form content (gamers will only read it if it’s a guide).
• Do it because you enjoy it. Writing can be like retail or hospitality – it’s a thankless task, so you need to be resilient and have fun in what you do – even if that means cleaning toilets.

That’ll do, Donkey.