in the UK, the sixth highest-rated broadcast on BBC One for the week. The episode received an Audience Appreciation Index score of 81. "The Long Game" was released on DVD in Region 2 alongside the following episodes "Father's Day", "The Empty Child", and "The Doctor Dances" on 1 August 2005. It was then re-released as part of the first series boxset on 21 November 2005. The episode received generally mixed reviews. SFX described it as an "okay" episode that was reminiscent of the earlier episode "The End of the World." Despite praising Pegg, the theme of "media control," and the Jagrafess, they criticised it for "[failing] to capture the imagination" because there was "no real palpable sense of threat" and that human culture looked identical to modern day. Rupert Smith of The Guardian wrote, "Anything that satirises the profession of journalism is all right with me, but this did it with style." Arnold T Blumburg of Now Playing gave "The Long Game" a grade of B−, describing it as "entertaining" and a welcome throwback to the classic series. However, he questioned the developing tradition of the Doctor not being the hero of the episode and noted that there were some dangling threads. Reviewing the episode in 2013, Patrick Mulkern of Radio Times was more positive, writing that it "acts brilliantly as a satire of the media." He also praised the guest cast and characters and Adam's departure. In 2011, Den of Geek's Mark Harrison wrote that "In retrospect, 'The Long Game' is an underrated and perfectly enjoyable mid-series episode," praising Adam's departure. Reviewing "The Long Game" for The A.V. Club in 2013, Alasdair Wilkins gave it a grade of "B−". He found it "inessential" and commented that it was not very clear on the motives of the Editor and Jagrafess, but Pegg's performance was almost enough to make up for it. Overall he felt that the story "presents a few too many simple ideas, with the cumulative effect that this is a story that feels slight at best, underdeveloped at worst. The episode is hardly a failure, but it could have been so much more." In Who Is the Doctor, a guide to the revived series, Graeme Burk described the episode as "entertaining, if unspectacular." He called Pegg the best guest star so far, and stated that Langley did a "superb job" at conveying Adam, but he felt that the