Alyssa Payne

Alyssa is a freelance writer and editor who plays all sorts of games, from indie horror to cozy puzzlers. She’s always playing too many at once, and her backlog is (and will always be) endless. Dragon Age: Origins, Final Fantasy IX, and World of Warcraft are just a few of the games she loves. She’s also an avid reader and dreams of writing a video game-based novel one day!

Meet the New Punished Backlog Writers!

By The Punished Backlog and 7 moreApril 5, 2024

We’re a diverse community of gamers who love to write about our favorite hobby! Meet our most recent cohort of writers.

A cover image for a list of the Best Female Video Game Characters as Picked by Female Gamers, featuring on top of a teal and purple background, Jesse Faden from Control, Cassandra from Dragon Age: Inquisition, Midna from The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, D.VA from Overwatch, Lavender from Grimm's Hollow, Bangalore from Apex Legends, Junker Queen from Overwatch 2, Princess Peach from Princess Peach: Showtime!, Melinoe from Hades II, Aloy from Horizon Zero Dawn, Commander Shepard ("FemShep") from Mass Effect, Freya Crescent from Final Fantasy IX, Karlach from Baldur's Gate 3, Alex Chen from Life Is Strange: True Colors,

Features Lists Punished Favorites Punished Hall of Fame

The 14 Best Female Video Game Characters, as Picked By Female Gamers

By The Punished Backlog and 7 moreMarch 25, 20242

Female video game writers reflect on the best female video game characters that inspire, challenge, and kick ass.

Best of the Year Features Lists

Alyssa’s Top 6 Video Game Moments of 2023

By Alyssa PayneDecember 20, 2023

From charming indie debuts to long-awaited sequels and remakes, here are some of writer Alyssa Payne’s favorite video game moments of 2023

Features Op-Eds

BookTok Meets Baldur’s Gate 3: The Crossover That Just Makes Sense

By Alyssa PayneOctober 26, 2023

I love playing Baldur’s Gate 3, but I also love watching it. From the adventures to the companions, BookTok and BG3 are a great fit.