How this site earns your trust
The recommendation comes with its reasoning.
What we know, how we know it, and where our own interests enter the picture.
Research is not the same as a playtest
Our source-checked guides and game notes use developers’ descriptions, official store listings, public repositories, and existing catalog information. They add selection reasoning and practical tradeoffs. They do not imply that we completed every game, measured its offline rate, or personally timed a playthrough.
We will label a future hands-on review with the tested version, platform, date, and actual playtime. Cover art, a store rating, and an automated availability check are not evidence of a playtest.
Three kinds of catalog evidence
- Editor estimates: hand-maintained catalog judgments such as an approximate completion range or active/idle balance. They are not controlled measurements.
- Developer descriptions: facts stated by a developer or authorized maintainer. An omission remains unknown; it is not silently converted to “no.”
- External signals: store reviews, Galaxy ratings, play hours, repository activity, and update dates. These retain their source and are not relabeled as our own review scores.
A source-check date applies to the research note. The catalog’s metadata review date and the last data sync are separate dates. Updating store numbers does not mean an editor has replayed the game.
How shortlists and rankings work
A guide’s shortlist answers different needs: time available, platform, preferred decisions, and tolerance for active play. It is a set of reasoned recommendations, not a universal numerical ranking. Each pick explains why it fits and what to consider before choosing.
Database lists use their stated filters and sort order. The catalog combines Steam and Galaxy feedback with a Bayesian prior, review-volume weighting, and a small boost for hand-maintained records. Similar-game results use shared mechanics, pace, ending, engine, and platform. Featured placement does not move a game ahead in those lists or similarity results.
Ownership and featured placements
IncrementalGames.org is maintained by Maxwell Prehoda, who also develops Mushies!. Mushies!’s homepage feature is a promotional placement by the site’s creator. It is labeled at the point of display and is not an independent review award.
The source-checked guide shortlists exclude the creator’s own game. Its featured flag does not improve its catalog score or similar-game relevance. If we add sponsored placements or affiliate links, we will identify them alongside the relevant recommendation rather than relying only on this policy page.
Unknowns, versions, and purchase claims
Free access does not establish an absence of ads, optional purchases, or paid editions. A recorded offline-progress flag does not establish an unlimited cap. Browser, desktop, and phone releases can behave differently. We link to primary sources so you can check the edition that matters to you.
Corrections and developer claims
Use the correction and claim form with the game, the field, and a supporting primary source. A submitted claim is a request for review, not an automatic verification badge. Creator identity and requested changes need to be checked before publication.
Report incorrect attribution, an unofficial merged link, or artwork concerns through the same form. We favor the developer’s original address and preserve legitimate alternate editions separately.
Research and data limits
Our catalog is a discovery index assembled from selected sources, not a census of every incremental game. Published research snapshots state their capture date, coverage, unknown values, and denominators. Platform counts overlap. A Steam review percentage, a Galaxy rating, and a player rating on this site are different measures.