IDbCG Rating System
The purpose of the IDbCG Rating system is to provide potential game players with detailed information on aspects of the games that may be considered negative by some people. There is no attempt to assign worthiness (or lack thereof) with these ratings. They are intended simply to provide information. For instance, one person may consider extreme violence in a game to be good, while another would recoil from it. In the first case, a high rating is good. In the second case, a high rating is bad. Thus, the numbers should be viewed as "degrees" rather than "acceptability". Acceptabilty is in the eyes of the player. We also do not assign appropriate ages to the various degrees of any aspect.

Here's how the ratings work. Several different aspects of the game are listed. Each of these aspects has a value from 0 through 10. 0 indicates that this aspect of the game has not been rated. 1 always indicates a complete lack of the corresponding aspect. Numbers from 2 through 10 indicate increasing degrees of the aspect. We have tried to assign the increasing degrees in a manner that would make sense to the majority of adults in the United States.

Finally, we do not rate on-line aspects of games. Such experiences vary to the point that any attempted rating would be useless. The ratings also assume the game as it comes "out of the box". Ratings no longer apply once unrated additional content is added to the game.

Violence ratings
0 = Unrated
1 = none or implied violence
2 = reference to mild violence (slapping a face, breaking bricks, etc.)
3 = reference to destruction of objects, destruction of cartoon objects
4 = reference to killing of animals/creatures, killing of cartoon animals/creatures
5 = reference to killing of people
6 = mild violence
7 = destruction of objects
8 = killing animals/creatures
9 = killing people
10 = Physical torture or extreme violence (mass killing of people)

Sexual content ratings
0 = Unrated
1 = none
2 = occasional innuendo
3 = frequent innuendo
4 = references to implied sexual activity
5 = explicit references to sexual activity
6 = Partial nudity
7 = Full frontal nudity
8 = Implied sexual acts
9 = Graphic sexual acts or implied violent sexual acts
10 = Graphic violent sexual acts

Language ratings
0 = unrated
1 = nothing objectionable
2 = occasional double-meanings
3 = frequent double-meanings
4 = occasional use of mild language
5 = frequent use of mild language
6 = occasional use of strong language
7 = frequest use of strong language
8 = occcasional use of most objectionable words
9 = frequent use of most objectionable words
10 = frequent and gratuitous use of most objectionable words

Drug ratings (Narcotics)
0 = unrated
1 = no references
2 = occasional reference
3 = frequent reference
4 = occasional usage shown in bad light
5 = frequent usage shown in bad light
6 = occasional usage
7 = frequent usage
8 = player usage possible but illegal
9 = player usage optional but legal
10 = player usage helpful/required to win game

Alcohol ratings
0 = unrated
1 = no references
2 = occasional reference
3 = frequent reference
4 = occasional usage shown in bad light, such as a drunk person
5 = frequent usage shown in bad light
6 = occasional usage
7 = frequent usage
8 = player usage possible but illegal or discouraged
9 = player usage optional but legal or encouraged
10 = player usage helpful/required to win game

Gambling ratings
0 = unrated
1 = none
2 = implied gambling
4 = betting using points, or something similar
6 = betting using something of value other than money
8 = betting using implied money
10 = betting using money

Authority ratings
0 = unrated
1 = not addressed
2 = Occasional disrepect of authority shown in a positive light
3 = Frequent disrespect of authority shown in a positive light
4 = Complete disrepect of authority shown in a positive light
5 = occasional rebellion against authority shown in a positive light
6 = Frequent rebellion against authority shown in a positive light
7 = Occasional violent opposition to authority shown in a positive light
8 = Frequent violent opposition to authority shown in a positive light
10 = Violent opposition to all forms of authority shown in a positive light

Blood ratings
0 = unrated
1 = no blood
2 = occasional reference to blood
3 = Frequent reference to blood
4 = Occasional cartoon blood
5 = Occasional realistic blood
6 = Frequent cartoon blood
7 = Frequent realistic blood
8 = Excessive cartoon depictions of bleeding, pooling of blood, etc.
9 = Excessive realistic depictions of bleeding, pooling of blood, etc.
10 = Blood everywhere in copious quantities all of the time

Gore ratings
0 = unrated
1 = no gore
2 = occasional reference to gore
3 = Frequent reference to gore
5 = Occasional gore
6 = Frequent gore
7 = Frequent realistic gore
8 = Excessive realistic gore
10 = Game is awash in hyper-realistic gore

Occult ratings
0 = unrated
1 = no occult themes
2 = Implied or occasional reference to traditional spirits, ghosts, demons, Seances, etc.
3 = Frequent reference to traditional spirits, ghosts, demons, Seances, etc.
4 = Occasional appearance of traditional spirits, ghosts, demons, seances, etc.
5 = Frequent appearance of traditional spirits, ghosts, demons, seances, etc.
6 = Player interacts with traditional spirits, ghosts, demons, seances, etc.
7 = Player takes the role of a traditional spirit, ghost, demon, etc.
8 = Occultic activities shown in a positive light
9 = Player optionally takes part in occultic activities, such as seances, spirit summoning, witchcraft, etc.
10 = Player required to take part in occultic activities, such as seances, spirit summoning, witchcraft, etc.