This Ain't a Game

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[1]
Entertainment Weekly	B+[2]

Allmusic editor Jon Azpiri found that the album "is full of macho posturing that is more than a little tedious. The best of the tracks on the album feature production from The Neptunes [...] Since This Ain't a Game has so little to offer, that line is what listeners will remember most about Ray J."[1] In a positive review, Craig Seymour from Entertainment Weekly wrote: "Brandy’s little brother Ray-J matures nicely on this sophomore set, with production by R&B hotshots Rodney Jerkins and The Neptunes. The singing/acting biz kid, who evokes Bobby Brown and Off the Wall-era Jacko, sounds surprisingly credible on the hard-knock-life odes."[2]

In the United States, the album debuted and peaked at number 21 on the Billboard 200 and at number nine on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums, with first week sales of 18,321 copies.[3] This Ain't a Game produced the top 40 hit single "Wait a Minute", featuring rapper Lil' Kim. It peaked at number 30 on the Billboard Hot 100. Second single, "Formal Invite" peaked at number 54 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks.[3]