Happy (almost) New Year! To get the festivities started, here are my favorite games of 2019 (including a few standouts from years past).

For those of us who love, play, and appreciate video games, the end of the year is especially exciting because everyone gets to give us their Game of the Year lists. But why do we do these lists? Why do we care? Why should anyone? For this edition of Punished Chat, I spoke with this very site’s David Silbert about how we approach making our own lists, what we value, and why they exist at all.

From a game design perspective, God of War (2018) knocks it out of the park. Yet while the elements that make up its story are touching, the way the emotional story beats hit the player largely contradicts the actual gameplay of the experience. The end result? The whole game feels worse than the sum of its parts.

RedBlue Games’ Sparklite offers an intriguing mashup of Zelda and traditional roguelikes. But is it worth a purchase? Read on for my full review.

This December, classic BioWare RPG Neverwinter Nights launches for the very first time on consoles. Get ready for the release with our news round-up.

In our Tangle Tower review, learn why this beautifully acted point-and-click adventure is let down by its breakneck pace.

I have some strident political views; they’re always evolving, but they’re never muted. In Obsidian’s The Outer Worlds, I’ve been challenged to re-evaluate some of those views, and in interesting ways.

Blizzcon may be over, but the political protests rage on. On Blitzchung, Hearthstone, and the importance of hearing and supporting Hong Kong.