Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is so good, starting as early as hour one. How do they pull off such good storytelling?
Amanda Tien
Amanda Tien
Amanda Tien (she/her or they) loves video games where she can pet dogs, punch bad guys, make friends, and have a good cry. She started writing for the site in 2020, and became an editor in 2022. She enjoys writing about mystery games, indies, and strong femme protagonists. Her work has also been published in Unwinnable Monthly (click here to read her cover feature on Nancy Drew games), Salt Hill Journal, Poets.org, Litro Magazine, Public Books, and more. She was the Co-Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Columbia University's Culinarian Magazine, and served for two years as the Managing Editor of Aster(ix) Literary Journal. She recently graduated with a MFA (Master of Fine Arts) in Creative Writing from the University of Pittsburgh. Her writing, art, graphic design, and marketing work can be viewed at www.amandatien.com. She does not post a lot on social, but you can find her on X and on Instagram.
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.
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 Promise Mascot Agency Review, learn if you’ll enjoy this management-sim Japanese driving adventure as much as our editor did.
Let’s see how The Punished Backlog’s excellent writers feel about that explosive Nintendo Switch 2 reveal!
Read our live blog for a recap of all the biggest updates and game announcements from April 2025’s Nintendo Switch 2 Direct.
In The Punished Podcast Episode 16, we discuss the best old school games, what retro even means, preservation, and much more.
Having trouble tracking down specific heart events? Use our Stardew Valley heart events guide to learn when and where to find them.
In our Expelled! review, learn whether indie developer inkle Studios’ newest story-driven game stacks up to its other titles.
In our Carmen Sandiego (2025) review, learn if Gameloft’s newest title lives up to the nostalgic hype. (Spoiler: It doesn’t.)