In his latest Punished Notes, Sam gets into some New Year’s Gaming Resolutions, as well as a few predictions (and hopes) for some big gaming anniversaries coming up. Also: Wuthering Heights?
Sam Martinelli
Sam Martinelli
Sam has been playing video games since his earliest years and has been writing about them since 2016. He’s a big fan of Nintendo games and complaining about The Last of Us Part II. You either agree wholeheartedly with his opinions or despise them. There is no in between.
A lifelong New Yorker, Sam views gaming as far more than a silly little pastime, and hopes though critical analysis and in-depth reviews to better understand the medium's artistic merit.
Twitter: @sam_martinelli.
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Presenting the most anticipated video games of 2026, but in a stylish package: our annual Fantasy Gaming league. New year, new season.
As part of our Game of the Year coverage, here are some DIFFERENT awards for the year’s best games!
All of the games Punished Backlog editor Sam Martinelli played in 2025, ranked in tiers. But what’s at the very top?
In the latest Punished Notes, Sam covers Doritos and Mountain Dew games, Kirby Air Riders, and… the blues?
What are the games that still hold a special place in our heart, even if we think they’re bad games? Why do they have a hold on us?
2017’s Yooka-Laylee was a somewhat fun but largely uneven experience. Yooka-Replaylee, on the other hand, is a nice do-over that rectifies many of the original’s errors.
Ghost of Yōtei is a great “checklist” open world game. Maybe, though, we’ve had enough of these for now.
Video game adaptations are everywhere — shows, movies, books, board games, music, and more. But what makes them work? Let’s discuss.
Hollow Knight: Silksong is one of this year’s biggest new releases. What do the writers at The Punished Backlog think of it so far?