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REVIEW: Planet of Lana's simplicity lets its heartwarming cinematic adventure shine
An equally simple and stunning experience, all aspects of Planet of Lana click into place for a whole that's greater than the parts.

Nate Hermanson
Jan 5, 20248 min read


REVIEW: Jackbox Party Pack 10 celebrates a milestone with one of the best pack games yet
Jackbox 10 delivers some of the highest highs with a milestone pack. TimeJinx and Dodo Re Mi will be a hit for holiday parties everywhere.

Nate Hermanson
Dec 11, 202310 min read


ANNOUNCING: The Video Games Are Good 2023 GOTY Nominees
In a year marked by incredible quality for video games, we had to up our list from the usual nine to 10 Game of the Year nominees.

Nate and Julie
Nov 20, 20238 min read


REVIEW: Wizard with a Gun shoots, loops, and crafts a satisfying solo and co-op experience
We played Wizard with a Gun in two-player co-op. Its gameplay loop and sandbox allow for fun experimentation across the board.

Nate Hermanson
Oct 30, 20238 min read


Mirthwood looks to level up life sims with RPG elements - PAX West 2023 hands-on/interview
Mirthwood brought its first-ever playable demo to PAX West and solidified its place as a life and farming sim game worth watching.

Nate Hermanson
Oct 23, 20239 min read


World of Horror developed "low and slow" heads to 1.0 release - PAX West 2023 hands-on/interview
Palms sweaty, pulse racing. The typical PAX West experience? Or the result of playing the demo for World of Horror?

Nate Hermanson
Oct 16, 20238 min read


REVIEW: Bilkins' Folly combines professorial puzzles with Monkey Island shenanigans beautifully
X marks the spot, and Bilkins' Folly HITS the spot with its delightful treasure-hunting and puzzles.

Nate Hermanson
Oct 8, 20238 min read


Fight Crab 2's physics-based action delivers a welcoming chaos - PAX West 2023 hands-on/interview
Two crabs enter the arena... but only one can leave victorious. We talked with PLAYISM at PAX West about the absurd brawler Fight Crab 2.

Nate Hermanson
Oct 1, 20237 min read


Demonschool delivers a more active tactics RPG experience - PAX West 2023 hands-on/interview
Necrosoft Games Founder and Director Brandon Sheffield schooled us in all things Demonschool at PAX West 2023.

Nate Hermanson
Sep 28, 20238 min read


REVIEW: Dino farm sim Paleo Pines is creative, cute, and clunky
There's nothing prehistoric about Paleo Pines' fresh ideas, but the execution isn't always dino-mite.

Nate Hermanson
Sep 27, 20238 min read


REVIEW: El Paso, Elsewhere is nostalgic, fresh, and Strange Scaffold's best
Meet me in the liminal space of one reality-shifting El Paso motel.

Nate Hermanson
Sep 26, 202310 min read


REVIEW: Stray Gods: The Roleplaying Musical hits the high notes but forgets to sweat the small stuff
When the game reaches its climax, and the emotional impact is at its peak, Stray Gods soars.

Nate Hermanson
Sep 20, 20238 min read


REVIEW: Chants of Sennaar is a masterful puzzle-and-click for linguists and puzzle fans alike
Chants of Sennaar tasks you with puzzling out the intricacies of the human experience through languages learned from scratch.

Nate Hermanson
Sep 17, 20238 min read


Physics meets crafting in silly survival game Dropkick Navvy - PAX West 2023 hands-on/interview
Dropkick Navvy shows what survival actually entails: A lot of stumbling, talking to trees, and getting bonked on the head.

Nate Hermanson
Sep 16, 20237 min read


REVIEW: Gunbrella soars with its quality and lands gently as one of the year's best releases
The Gunbrella is the Best Weapon of 2023, THERE I SAID IT.

Nate Hermanson
Sep 13, 20237 min read


REVIEW: Eternights shrinks the Persona experience down to a tight action-romance package
Eternights is visually striking, features stirring character arcs, and shows great talent. Even if in the end, I recommend it conditionally.

Nate Hermanson
Sep 11, 20238 min read


Peril in the parlor with multiplayer Hyde's Haunt and Seek - PAX West 2023 hands-on/interview
David Turpin of Smol Games, developing Hyde's Haunt and Seek, talked with us at PAX about the ghostly multiplayer game.

Julie Cooper
Sep 8, 20238 min read


Bitsummit 2023: Fishbowl is an emotional odyssey of self-discovery and connection
The fishbowl is deep. The emotions are deeper. In Fishbowl, explore a coming-of-age story about staying connected and dealing with grief.

Rincs
Sep 3, 20235 min read


Bitsummit 2023: Unboxing the 3D puzzle-fighting game Monstabox
WHAT'S IN THE BOX? Peek inside for a look at Monstabox, which debuted publicly for the first time at Bitsummit 2023.
Green
Aug 31, 20236 min read


REVIEW: Amarantus legitimately is about the friends (and lovers) we made along the way
Amarantus: Released. The visual novel genre: Forever changed.

Nate Hermanson
Jun 27, 20237 min read
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