You're playing a new map and things are going great. You love the layout; everything is well-lit and easy to find; antlines make sense. It's a tricky puzzle, but you solve it and feel pretty good about yourself. As the elevator doors close, the rating menu appears. Thumbs up! Moving on to the next one in the queue...

This one is not so good. The lighting is weird and antlines are crisscrossing everywhere, or there's so much signage you are confused. Or, even worse, connections aren't visible at all and you don't know what goes where. Because it's dark and cramped, you can't find that little alcove where the cube is hidden. You're angry, because this map is poorly made and the fun is gone. You hit ESC, select Evaluate This Test, and click the down thumb. You quickly move on to the next test, hoping for something better.

If these scenarios seem familiar to you, you might have overlooked something we authors would like to see more: comments. We all love it when people rate our maps up--we're thrilled we gave you a good experience. We all hate it when people rate down--we feel the player didn't understand the map, or we didn't do something well enough, or maybe the map just wasn't the kind of puzzle you enjoy. Whatever the reason, you were disappointed. Although both thumbs-up and thumbs-down are valid ratings, the author has no context. He or she has no way to know WHY you clicked that button because you skipped over the most valuable part of player feedback.

It is my hope that this guide will give you pause to consider adding a comment when you click that button. The guide is simple and straightforward, and uses only a few basic rules of thumb (see what I did there?). If you follow these rules, I guarantee the authors whose maps you play will appreciate it. It will also help other players who are looking for maps and choosing based on comments they read. It's a win-win situation!

It's such a gut reaction to click that thumb, most of us don't think about it all that critically. If you liked the map, thumbs up! If you hated it, thumbs down! Either way, there are a lot of little decisions and observations you made while playing the map that informed your rating. Let's break down what they are.

When a map is well-made, things are easy to find. Of course, the mapmaker may decide to hide some things but, in general, you can see and find elements and areas without difficulty. If a map includes a platform that looks out across a goo pond to other areas, nothing impedes your view or ability to figure out what you are supposed to accomplish. Visibility is critical to a good map.

It's hard to have good visibility if the lighting is poor. Well-lit maps are much more accessible to the player, and are more likely to get up-ratings than maps that are dark.

Is that even a word? Regardless, the ability to enter a chamber and deduce the necessary steps to solve it is the whole point of the game. If things don't work as intended because of misalignments, poor placement, or flat-out mistakes, the game becomes a chore rather than a challenge. The tests that appeal to the most players, no matter what type, are the ones that play well and work the way they're supposed to.

There are many types of puzzles. There are logic-based maps, portal trick maps, aerial maps, ninja maps, maps with turrets, maps with lasers, maps with gels, maps with funnels, maps with timers, maps that have no time limit, etc. Single-player, co-op, Hammer-made, custom soundscapes--each player has his or her preference. Each author has made a map of a certain type or combination of types. These preferences and creations won't always align nicely, and a player may be inclined to rate a map down simply because it wasn't his cup of tea.

I feel this is the most unfair of reasons to give a thumbs-down rating because the author built a chamber that she thought was creative, interesting, or fun, and you had no say in the process. I would compare it to ordering a new dish at your favorite restaurant: you tried it and, even though it was prepared well, you didn't care for it. That's not the fault of the chef, though. That's just life. You won't order that dish again, but it doesn't mean you're never going to eat at that restaurant anymore. The same should be true of rating these maps; don't rate it down just because it wasn't your preferred kind of test. Leave it and try another.

I don't know if this happens, but I suppose some players will rate maps up or down simply because of who the author is. That seems weird to me. It's okay to have a favorite author. It's okay to have one you despise (hey, I don't know your life). I think ratings should be based on the work, though, and not on some personal feeling about the creator. Otherwise, you look like a suck-up or a jerk.

Unlike playability, which in my opinion should be something every author strives for, maps can range drastically in difficulty, even within the same author's workshop. Maps that assume knowledge of some obscure trick of the game are frustrating for most players, especially novices. On the other hand, maps that provide too little challenge are considered childish or ridiculous by more advanced players. Solving a chamber and enjoying the puzzle depends on your own abilities as a player. If a map is too difficult for you, you might be inclined to click that thumb down, but this situation is similar to type preference. It is not the fault of the author that the map is too difficult for you; it just means you haven't matured enough as a player to appreciate it. Conversely, experienced players should recognize that not all authors can create maps at their level.

I think this category causes the most rage-quits. You know what I mean--a map is just too difficult for you to solve, and you feel frustrated or angry or stupid for not being able to figure it out, so you bail out of the map and want to exact some sort of revenge. I've been there. Rather than rate it down, though, consider two other courses of action: leave a comment asking for a hint (sometimes a single hint cracks the whole puzzle open), or just leave the map unrated. There are plenty of other maps to play.

To sum up, a rating should be based on the overall look, feel, and play of a map. Personal issues such as preference and level of difficulty are not good bases for a rating, because they are so subjective.

For some users, there's a glitch in the Portal 2 game that prevents clicking the thumb. After the elevator doors close, the standard screen pops up with the Thumbs Up and Down icons, and three buttons below.



While I have never had a problem on my PC, I haven't been able to click a thumb on my Mac for years. I don't know why this is, but I understand other users have this problem, too. Whatever the reason for this glitch, there is a workaround.

Click the "View In Workshop" button to see the actual web page for the map. Under the map picture or the scrolling screenshots, there are smaller Thumbs Up and Thumbs Down icons. These function in exactly the same way as the play menu, but will work on any system. You don't even have to be in-game to do this--you could visit the map page from the Steam client or from a web browser, though you must be logged in to rate. This is particularly helpful if you forget to rate and comment while playing, or you want to change your rating.

True, it takes an extra click and a few extra seconds, so we authors thank you in advance for taking the time.

You've clicked the thumb of your choosing, but that is not the end of the story. It's just the beginning. You have an opportunity--maybe even a duty--to let the author know what you thought of this map. It takes only a few seconds, but it is the most helpful thing you can do after playing his creation. Here's some food for thought when you click the "View In Workshop" button to leave your comment:

The author is a human being. Unlike GLaDOS, we mapmakers care what you think about our tests. Thumbs up ratings are nice, but we'd really like to hear from you. What did you like about the map, or not? What was your favorite part? What had you stumped, that you managed to figure out after 20 painful minutes? Was this map similar to some other map you played along the way? Did you like it better or worse than another of ours? These questions, and many more, often go through my mind when I see a greater rating count than a comment count. I am always looking to improve my creations and make them fun for you, and I can't do that unless I know what you think of them. A rating tells me very little. A comment can tell me everything.

"But, GB, I don't have time to write a novel. I only have 10 more minutes and I really want to get to those next two maps in my queue!"

Yeah, I hear you. I'm not asking you to write something for the ages here. Just leave a little note about your experience, especially if you are rating a map down. Nothing is more infuriating to an author than a bad rating and no reason why. You could write a comment in under a minute, and it will have a lasting impact. Take the time, please.

Be polite in your comment. Just because you haven't met this person doesn't give you the right to be mean, nasty, rude, or disrespectful. It also does not mean you have to sugar-coat your feedback. Be honest, but be polite. It helps to be constructive in your criticism, positive or negative, because the author will take you more seriously.

You're prepared to leave a comment, but you don't know where to begin. There was a lot going on in that puzzle! Choose one or two things that stood out and talk about them.

Here are two made-up comments that don't really say anything:

"Cool map! Thumbs up!"

"This map sucked. I hated it."

On the other hand, here are two examples of brief but effective comments about the same fictional maps:

"Thumbs up! I really liked the look of this chamber, and everything was well-lit. I got stuck for awhile behind the fizzler, but then I saw what I had to do. Great job!"

"I tried this map, but I couldn't see very well. You might consider adding more lights or windows to brighten things up. Also, I could not get the laser to hit the catcher in the right place. You should check the alignment. I'm rating it thumbs down for now, but I would try it again once you have updated."

While these are not actual comments from actual maps, they certainly could be. Notice how the second pair gave concrete details that tell the author WHY the player rated them up or down. These are short but helpful comments that took less than 30 seconds to write.

Keep your comments about the map in question. Unless you already have an acquaintanceship with the author, this is not the place for casual chatter. For that, you can send a message via chat (if you are friends) or post something on her profile page.

Advertising is generally discouraged in the comments. This is when you post a link to one your maps in an effort to get more traffic. There are many, many discussion threads in the Community for this purpose. I recommend you post there instead. An advertisement may be acceptable in a comment if three criteria are met: (1) you have actually played this person's map; (2) you have left a genuine and meaningful comment about your experience with the map; and (3) you politely request that the author play your map. If you don't meet all three of these criteria, don't advertise in the comments. You can always request the author play your map by posting on his or her profile page but, again, be polite and respectful.

Most comments I have seen are in English, but not all. If you don't speak or write in a different language, consider using Google Translate or Bing Translator as an intermediary. In that case, use the shortest sentences possible with the most direct language available to you. Flowery descriptions are not effective across the language barrier, nor are most idioms (e.g., "That map was sick!" or "Easy peasy!"). Keep it simple. Check the author's profile to find out the country of origin; that should give you a clue as to his primary language.

If you are describing something that may well give away a critical part of the puzzle, use the [spoiler] and [/spoiler] tags. These will hide your comment from casual readers, and your hidden comment is only visible by hovering over it with your cursor. For example:

This message is [spoiler]partially hidden.[/spoiler]

becomes

This message is partially hidden.

When you are done with a map, take a few moments to let the author know what you thought of his work.

Rate it up if you liked the look, feel, and play of the map. Use care with down ratings--even a bad map took time and effort to make, and the author may be young or inexperienced. If you must rate down, please leave a comment telling the author why.

Avoid rating maps based on your preference for certain map types, and consider whether this map might be out of your league (or not even close to your league). A comment asking for a hint can make all the difference.

Leave a short but helpful comment to the author about what worked and what didn't. Be honest but be polite, and use a translator if you think that will help.

With these few guidelines, you can provide the author a meaningful insight into your experience with his creation. He made it for you to play, and he wants you to enjoy it. Take a moment to let him know if you did or didn't, and you'll help to shape the future of the Workshop.