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VSG was built to help you find your next favorite game

Tired of the endless cycle of indecision? VSG revolutionizes your game selection process by curating insights from a vast array of seasoned critics. Instead of wading through a sea of reviews, VSG delivers a straightforward verdict: Play It or Skip It. This streamlined approach empowers you to make informed decisions swiftly, ensuring that you maximize your gaming hours. Game smarter, not harder.

Our Story

Video games are more than entertainment. They are a force for good, one of the most powerful communication and collaboration resources we have ever seen. Games embody some of humanity’s deepest hopes and desires – a venue for charity, shared community, smiles, and friendship. Over the last few years, we’ve seen this promise fulfilled in many ways.

Prologue

VSG emerged from a personal quest: the challenge of choosing the next gaming adventure. Envisioned by founder Josh Lurie, whose passion for video games ignited early on, VSG became the antidote to an era when unbiased game insights were scarce amidst the burgeoning internet. Recollecting the cherished memories and bonds forged over joystick jousts, Josh envisioned a platform untainted by corporate sway—unwavering in its dedication, invaluable to gamers. VSG wasn’t just built; it was crafted, by a gamer, for the global gaming community.

Chapter One - Launch

So, in 2018, Josh started to bring VSG to life. What was originally conceived as a news outlet quickly transformed into a review aggregator. The MetaMeter was born as a measurement of critic consensus, taking inspiration from a popular film aggregator and producing a Score reflecting the percentage of positive reviews. While others waded through the noise, VSG honed in, spotlighting games that genuinely captivated.

Chapter Two - Transformation


By the close of 2019, VSG faced a pivotal crossroads: an outdated framework that hindered progress. Rather than patching the past, we opted for a bold reset—dismantling and reconstructing both website and databases from the ground up. As the revamped site debuted in fall 2020, it wasn’t merely a cosmetic overhaul. This metamorphosis heralded a strategic shift, infusing VSG with a dynamic essence, primed for sustained evolution and enriched community engagement for years ahead.

Chapter Three - Expansion

VSG is charting an exhilarating course forward, amplifying its reach and resonance across diverse platforms. In 2023, we launched “Early Access,” a Substack newsletter designed to deliver unparalleled gaming insights directly to enthusiasts. Come November 2023, we rejuvenated our YouTube channel, infusing it with fresh content and fervor. As the calendar flipped to 2024, VSG News made its debut, offering a comprehensive lens on industry happenings. Stay tuned, as something transformative stirs on our horizon—prepare to embark on an entirely new journey with us.

Our Metrics

740+

Games covered

47,700+

Reviews aggregated

∞

Love for gamers

Do you want to know more?

View even MORE stats about VSG

Who are the VSG critics?

They come from all over the world. LEARN MORE.

Our Commitments

As gamers, we have a responsibility to explicitly set forth our aspirations for the communities we belong to and create. Vertical Slice Games does so now, and invites all others who support these principles to join with us, and to find new ways to make this vision of the gaming community a reality.

No Ads / Paywalls

VSG is committed to building a presence that isn’t tethered to the collapsing digital ad economy. Our user interface isn’t clogged with pop-up ads, banner ads, video ads, or spammy headlines on purpose. And it never will be.

Inclusivity

VSG is committed to building an inclusive community – where a person’s characteristics and qualities do not determine the quality of their gaming experience.

Civility

VSG is committed to building a gaming community that promotes civil discourse, human dignity, and individual expression – a safe space that prioritizes the safety and well-being of its members.

Transparency

VSG is committed to being radically transparent – catalyzing collaboration where shared knowledge and verifiable facts are elevated above hype and misdirection.

Togetherness

VSG is committed to bringing people together around games, and making Vertical Slice Games representative of the world we want to live in and play in.

About the MetaMeter

Code of Conduct

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