The browser profile
Tests use the Playwright-bundled Chromium browser. The exact browser version is recorded with each session. This is a throttled browser profile that approximates a low-end Chromebook, not a physical Chromebook.
- CPU
- 4× slowdown
- Network
- 10 Mbps down · 3 Mbps up
- Latency
- 400 ms round trip
- Memory
- 1 GB container limit
- Graphics
- GPU acceleration disabled
- Viewports
- 375 × 812 and 1280 × 800
What happens in a session
A standard session allows five minutes at the mobile viewport and four minutes at the desktop viewport. We record screenshots at 30 seconds, two minutes and the end of each phase. Loading and evidence preparation bring the total budget to no more than twelve minutes per game.
We inspect the engine, measured core download, first drawing, ability to start, controls and visible progression. Tests also look for login or download requirements, stalls, clipping and other problems that could stop play. A moving loading screen or a change in pixels alone is not proof that a control worked.
Automated sessions block advertising requests. If a game cannot progress without an advertising gate, that limitation must be reviewed; the test does not load a real ad to get past it.
What Chromebook-friendly means
The normal technical rule requires a recognized non-Unity engine, a measured core download of no more than 15 MB, and keyboard or mouse support. A published entry must also clear its playtest, rights and editorial checks.
When the core size cannot be measured reliably, an editor may approve an explicitly documented exception supported by playtest evidence. We do not invent an MB figure for that case. Officially licensed titles have a separate authorization and eligibility route; “official” does not automatically mean lightweight.
Core download is a test measurement, not a promise about the total data a game may use over a long session. Later levels, updates and publisher services can change that amount.
From evidence to a write-up
Our testing tools run games in Chromium with CPU and network throttling to approximate a low-end Chromebook. They record loading, download size, controls and screenshots. An editor reviews those records and the write-up before publication. Write-ups are drafted with AI assistance from the test records.
We keep factual observations separate from unverified guesses. Known minor issues belong on the game page. Incomplete evidence, unresolved blocking problems or missing rights checks prevent publication.
Limits and retesting
Short automated sessions cannot judge every level, long-term stability or every accessibility need. Real hardware, browser versions, background apps and school policies affect the result. We do not promise that a game works on every school laptop.
Our review policy calls for retesting after six months or when a problem is reported. A game’s displayed test date is the date of its recorded assessment, not a statement that it was tested today. Tell us about a problem with the page address and the steps that led to it.