GameStoryLog v0.4.8: Introducing Weighted Ratings!
Added 2025-08-29 18:17:00 +0000 UTCHey everyone! 👋
Major improvement to how game rankings work in GameStoryLog - now using Bayesian Weighted Ratings!
🚨 What I've Fixed
The old system had a problem: I was using a minimum 20 ratings condition to prevent new games from dominating rankings, but this created an all-or-nothing situation. Games either needed 20+ reviews to appear in "Highest Rated"/"Top Rated" at all, or they were completely excluded. This meant promising new games were invisible until they hit that threshold, while established games could maintain top spots even with declining quality.
⚖️ How It Works Now
We now use two ratings for each game:
🌟 Average Rating (what you see) - The honest average of all reviews
⚖️ Weighted Rating (what determines rankings) - Accounts for review count and site trends
Using Bayesian Ranking - here's the formula:
Weighted Rating = (Average Rating × Review Count + Site Average × Weight) / (Review Count + Weight)
The smart part: Games with fewer reviews get balanced against our site average (3.7★) to prevent extreme rankings from small samples.
All ranking and filtering systems (e.g., library sorting, custom lists, browse filters) now use weighted ratings for more accurate ordering.
💡Examples
Game1 with 3 Reviews:
Shows: 5.0★ average (what players actually gave it)
Calculation: (5.0×3 + 3.7×20) / (3 + 20) = 89/23 = 3.87★
Ranks by: ~3.9★ weighted (balanced for fair positioning)
Result: You see the perfect score, but it ranks appropriately until it proves itself
Game2 with 100 Reviews:
Shows: 4.5★ average
Calculation: (4.5×100 + 3.7×20) / (100 + 20) = 524/120 = 4.37★
Ranks by: ~4.4★ weighted
Result: Maintains its deserved top position
✨ Where to See Both Ratings
Game Cards: Still show average rating as always. Hover over any game rating on game cards to see both values!
Game Sidebar: Shows both ratings with explanations
🎮 What This Means
✅ Better Discovery - "Highest Rated" now shows consistently great games
✅ Fair Rankings - Quality games earn their spots over time
✅ Same Experience - You still see the familiar ratings you expect
✅ More Trust - Rankings reflect genuine community consensus
💜 Support GameStoryLog If you're enjoying the site and want to see more features like this, consider supporting on Patreon - every bit helps keep the servers running and lets me spend more time building cool stuff!
🤝 Join the Community:
Looking for Mods! Interested in helping moderate or contribute to GameStoryLog? Please reach out - would love to have you on the team!
Questions? Drop them below - I'd love to hear your thoughts!
