top of page




REVIEW: The Crush House shows the cracks in reality (TV)
REALITY GONE WILD (GONE SEXUAL) (GONE CHORBY) (ALL FUN)

Nate Hermanson
Aug 9, 202410 min read


REVIEW: This game slaps - Thank Goodness You're Here
The laughs come easily in this 2-3 hour "slapformer" where British humor reigns supreme.

Nate Hermanson
Jul 31, 20247 min read


REVIEW: Tile and error - Find belonging in Arranger's slide puzzle world
The tile-shifting puzzle game Arranger and its heroine on a journey to belong give "sliding into home" a new meaning.

Nate Hermanson
Jul 22, 20248 min read


REVIEW: Clickolding is one of the most interesting 40-minute games I've ever played
If there's one thing I can count on in a Strange Scaffold game... everything just clicks.

Nate Hermanson
Jul 18, 20246 min read


REVIEW: After playing Dungeons of Hinterberg, I really need one of those life-changing vacations
Burnt out? That's okay. You still slay. Away to the mountains with you. The dungeons await.

Nate Hermanson
Jul 18, 20249 min read


REVIEW: Find community through cooking in the surprising Metroidvania, Magical Delicacy
Magical Delicacy's world is like a comforting bowl of soup, although some of its systems seemed at odds with its laid-back, cozy nature.

Nate Hermanson
Jul 16, 20248 min read


REVIEW: Rediscover childhood joy and imagination in your shadows with SCHiM
SCHiM is a delightful single-sitting summer game that cloaks you in the comforting shadow of reclaimed childhood joy.

Nate Hermanson
Jul 15, 20247 min read


REVIEW: Until Then's beautiful recreation of the Philippines is only matched by its emotional metaphysical journey
One of the most genuine representations of Filipino culture in gaming, Until Then is an emotionally resonant story about human connection.

Nate Hermanson
Jun 25, 20249 min read


REVIEW: #BLUD's got bite - A sharp-witted nostalgic take on dungeon crawlers and '90s cartoons
#BLUD is a zany and nostalgic wish-fulfillment game for '90s and '00s cartoon fans, not to mention a display of animation wizardry.

Nate Hermanson
Jun 22, 20246 min read


REVIEW: Penny's Big Breakaway is 2024's best Dreamcast game
Sonic's speed. Mario's precision. Penny's sentient yo-yo. Evening Star's retro-inspired platformer has a recipe for success.

Nate Hermanson
May 23, 20247 min read


REVIEW: Lucas Pope's silly community center work sim Mars After Midnight demands to be let into your Playdate library
Lucas Pope's 'Papers, Please-lite' for Playdate is all alien community-building charm.

Nate Hermanson
Apr 27, 20247 min read


REVIEW: Life Eater is Strange Scaffold's most twisted game yet (and they made a black market organ trading sim)
Being a weird little freak behind my computer screen because god told me to.

Nate Hermanson
Apr 16, 20248 min read


REVIEW: Harold Halibut is a grand artistic achievement and a humbly quiet adventure
A story about feeling different than the people around you and struggling to find purpose in a world that tells you what your purpose is.

Nate Hermanson
Apr 15, 20248 min read


REVIEW: Botany Manor is an accessibly cozy and surprisingly defiant escape room puzzler
Botany Manor: Gently compelling and seeded with cleverness.

Nate Hermanson
Apr 10, 20247 min read


REVIEW: Death Trick: Double Blind has more twists and turns than a high-flying acrobat
A slow burn of a mystery — full of surprising warmth, misdirection, tension, and surprise.

Nate Hermanson
Apr 4, 20247 min read


REVIEW: Pepper Grinder is a drillin' platformer that's smooth as butter
Thrilling drilling and buttery smooth platforming. If this Pepper Grinder asked me to "say when" I simply wouldn't.

Nate Hermanson
Mar 28, 20248 min read


REVIEW: Capitalism's a drag in the work-work balance simulator CorpoNation: The Sorting Process
CorpoNation's gameplay bravely toes a line between fun and total drudgery (on purpose) in this dystopian corporate world.

Nate Hermanson
Mar 25, 20247 min read


REVIEW: Gambling's addictive?! Balatro's poker-based roguelite style showcases exactly that
By blending the inherently addictive nature of the roguelike with the go-big-or-go-home nature of poker, LocalThunk has ruined me.

Nate Hermanson
Feb 25, 20247 min read


REVIEW: Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth honors its past and sets up a brilliant future
I don't even think I ever want to go back to Like a Dragon after spending 85 hours in Infinite Wealth.

Nate Hermanson
Feb 18, 202412 min read


REVIEW: Chronique des Silencieux's detective gameplay sacrifices playability for intrigue
Chronique des Silencieux is an interesting historical fiction approach to mystery, but beware of hiccups in translation and logic.

Nate Hermanson
Feb 3, 20246 min read
bottom of page