Everyone likes making lists of their favorite games, so we at The Punished Backlog figured we’d do the same! Here are our top 50 video games of all time.
Allison McDaniel
Allison McDaniel
Allison has been playing all sorts of games since the late ‘90s. She particularly enjoys life sims, casual games, tactical RPGs, and anything Mario. Her dream jobs are to be a Stardew Valley speed runner and a Mary Tyler Moore historian. As a recent MBA graduate, Allison hopes to use her extra time tackling her backlog and the never-ending list of 2023 releases.
A tale of empathy told through the lens of Southern folklore, South of Midnight is one of this year’s best video game stories, with incredible art direction and music to boot.
In the latest episode, we go through the best (and worst) video games of 2025 so far, and provide a Fantasy Gaming league update!
In our Destino Indomable review, find out whether this telenovela-inspired visual novel is must-see television or an easy skip.
In our Good Coffee, Great Coffee review, learn if developer TapBlaze’s successor to its pizza indie hit satisfies.
The first Steam Next Fest of 2025 is underway, and we have games to recommend! From collectathons to cozy games, horror roguelikes to open worlds, don’t miss these Steam Next Fest demos.
In honor of Valentine’s Day, we discussed romance in games. Learn our favorite romance mechanics, characters, subplots, and more.
In The Punished Podcast Episode 14, we crown our Fantasy Gaming 2024 winner and host our 2025 draft—with a new dynasty format!
It’s the month of love, and that means it’s time for an in-depth ranking of all Stardew Valley romances.
Indie games are labors of love, and this year, it looks like there will be a lot to love! These are our most anticipated indie games of 2025.