Do you have a method for sifting through bad games to find the gems?

1.

Just watch a bunch of random reviews, and look at gameplay for games.

2.

Ign %60 percent of time, and metacritic

3. Steem and Amazoon

I google, look at videos, play alternative versions if really unsure(like demos, indies still do them)...

And bundles help me a lot. My wishlist is huuuge with games im unsure(so i don't forget to check them later), and when on of these are in a bundle with another im sure i will like i buy right away. Its win win.

I'm big on watching the gameplay before even thinking about buying the game, or if I'm looking for a new interesting game to play. I always watch FarFromSubtle/VideoGamesAwesome either because I'm too cheap to get it or I'm unsure about it, and I otherwise watch the multitude of channels within the Yogscast for other games. Another method is going to your friends and asking about the games they've played.

I watch gameplay videos, review videos, i read user reviews on steam, and I look at the price to decide if it is worth the risk... in that order.

I have a hard time sifting through things to find gems, particularly because a game that I think is a gem might not be entertaining to someone else. Typically, though, if a game piques my interest, I put it on a watchlist at isthereanydeal.com and grab it if it gets really cheap. Otherwise, I look for developers I like (Stardock, Spiderweb Software, etc.), and if they put out something, I know it's going to be to my liking.

Salesssssss lololol.

Youtube is my hero for that, i look up gameplay footage and a few reviews for every game that i buy.
Saved me from doing a fair bit of silly purchases already.

Watch the gameplay and that is usually enough

If a game manages to catch my interest, I usually watch some gameplay videos and check what people who enjoy that type of game has to say about it.

friends, gaming sites and i also check most of the new released games on steam. then i proceed like AFnord does

I usually examine the game's images, description, and anything else available to me, and as long as I do that, I generally can pick out the bad ones. I get lazy sometimes, and I get burned sometimes...

Just have to know what you like and recognize what is there in the game based on what they tell you, which is surprisingly easy.

I just lurk around. I usually don't know where I find games. Although for some reason, of my 3 favorite games (FTL, Binding of Isaac, Super hexagon), 2 of them I found from RiptidePow, a Twitch streamer. I haven't watched him in forever, though. This was before he was one of the biggest streamers on the site xD

Wear a hype deflector. If the game isn't out yet, and the developers are promising things, don't pay attention to the promises and assume that what you see is what you get until proven otherwise. (e.g. In the original Half-Life, moss did not grow on the walls over time, despite the developers being really excited about that possibility in a pre-release magazine interview).

Trust your allies. Unless you don't trust them, and then, just watch what they do instead of what they say. (Steam friend Activity page and upvotes, recommendations, gametime, etc. I learn about a lot of interesting games from friends' wishlists too, so it's fun to get into a habit of occasionally checking those.)

Do reconnaissance. When you find yourself interested in a game, head to YouTube, but be wary of spoilers. Also, don't forget the hype deflector, and ignore all of the comments. Pretend it's actually you playing though, instead of just watching a video. Don't be fooled by cutscenes -- make sure you watch gameplay and not just trailers. Ask yourself if you think you know the game's controls after watching. Also, I don't do demos very often anymore since PC games are so much cheaper to take a risk on these days (and I'm not 12), but The Stanley Parable's sold me on the game. [edit] Also, SG itself -- with filters and such, it's easy to see interesting things that you don't yet own. [/edit]

If you're going to throw yourself on a grenade, know that you're throwing yourself on a grenade. Never preorder, unless you're 178% certain you'll be completely okay with it if the game sucks harder than a hooker riding an Electrolux into a supermassive black hole.

I buy them knowing I won't like them. Then I try them and I delete them.

I try to do a couple of things. 1- never watch unofficial gameplay before playing the game. (trailers are fine)

2- never trust professional reviews. Stick to stuff on the Steam discussion board or just simple user review sites.

3- get an opinion from friends. Even though I only have one or two PC gamer friends, their word means a lot to me.

4- make sure the game isn't heavily bugged and not going to be fixed. Sadly this didn't stop me from buying Dark Souls and I can't even launch it now due to GFWL.

5- make sure the genre is my style. Many games I've purchased (for example Hammerwatch or Zeno Clash 2) looked fascinating but turned out to be co-op based, and I don't have any friends with the game or willing to buy it!

Sort by Metascore

1. Wait for humble bundle
2. Buy all the games for 1$
3. Try all the games yourself and decide on which suits you better
4. ???
5. PROFIT!

Let's plays, youtube review and my favorite pirating.