About Rainbow Deckies

Our Story

Rainbow Deckies was founded in 2025 with a simple mission: to shine a spotlight on indie games that deserve attention, with a particular focus on celebrating LGBTQ+ representation and inclusive storytelling in gaming.

As passionate gamers ourselves, we noticed that many incredible indie titles were getting lost in the noise of mainstream releases. We wanted to create a space where indie developers could receive thoughtful, in-depth reviews that truly capture what makes their games special.

Our Rainbow Rating System

We believe traditional 5-star or 10-point rating systems don't adequately capture the nuance of game experiences. That's why we developed our unique 7-point Rainbow Rating system, utilising 4 heart pieces to represent each possible point:

7/7 - Masterpiece. Innovative, impactful, and transformative.

6/7 - Exceptional. Outstanding quality with minor imperfections.

5/7 - Excellent. Highly recommended with distinctive qualities.

4/7 - Good. Solid experience with meaningful strengths.

3/7 - Decent. Has promise but held back by notable issues.

2/7 - Flawed. Some redeeming qualities but significant problems.

1/7 - Poor. Major issues throughout with few redeeming qualities.

Our Review Categories

Each heart color represents a specific aspect of our comprehensive game reviews:

Red: Gameplay - Assesses game mechanics, controls, responsiveness, and overall player experience.
Orange: Story - Evaluates narrative depth, character development, dialogue, and storytelling quality.
Yellow: Aesthetic & Art - Reviews visual style, graphics quality, art direction, and overall aesthetic coherence.
Green: Music & Sound - Analyzes soundtrack quality, sound effects, voice acting, and audio design.
Blue: Level Design - Examines world building, environment design, progression, and spatial storytelling.
Purple: Innovation & Creativity - Rates originality, creative risks, unique mechanics, and fresh ideas.
White: Representation - Evaluates the quality, authenticity, and integration of diverse and intersectional representation.

LGBTQ+ Representation Focus

In addition to our standard reviews, we include a special section assessing LGBTQ+ representation in games that feature such content. We believe in celebrating games that handle representation with authenticity, sensitivity, and creativity.

Our representation assessment looks at:

  • Character development and authenticity
  • Integration of LGBTQIA+ themes into gameplay and narrative
  • Avoiding harmful stereotypes
  • Innovation in portraying diverse experiences

Our Review Process

Each game is played to completion when possible, or for at least 10 hours for larger titles. Reviews focus on:

  • Gameplay mechanics and innovation
  • Narrative and character development
  • Visual and audio design
  • Technical performance
  • Value proposition and replayability

We pride ourselves on transparent, honest reviews that highlight both strengths and weaknesses.

Join Our Community

Rainbow Deckies is more than just a review site – we're building a community of indie game enthusiasts and developers. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and join our Discord to become part of the conversation!