Latest Articles
Latest Articles
Our Industry-Specific Winners (And Loser) of 2017 We kick off our Best of 2017 feature with our Industry Awards. On New Year’s Eve, The Punished Backlog revealed its nominees for the best games of 2017. While the clock has since struck…
What Is a Game Over Hangover? Games are meant to be played. Good games play you, too. But like all mediums of art, the influence of great games doesn’t necessarily stop just because you’re done playing. They stick with you,…
The most jarring scenes in Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus, Bethesda’s latest Nazi-shooting sim, occur not during bloody firefights, brutal executions, or in the midst of a completely obliterated New York City. They occur in moments that appear otherwise ordinary.…
The Best Games We Played This Year 2017 was a year many will associate with FBI probes, Korean missile tests, and women (and men) having the courage to say “me too.” It was a decidedly messy year, but ultimately one…
Unruly Heroes, Chinese Mythology, Rayman, and More One of the most impressive games I saw at Paris Games Week 2017 was Unruly Heroes. In my article of the best games played at PGW 2017, I called it “fluid and expressive,” “a…
We Are Hope Over the weekend at Jump Festa 2018, Bandai Namco released the first ever trailer for One Piece: World Seeker. The game, which was unveiled in the December 11 issue of Weekly Shōnen Jump, stars Monkey D. Luffy in what…
It’ll Do Just Fine. 2017 was the year of Zelda. While the Switch’s continued sales success and Super Mario Odyssey’s rave reviews help further the point that, yes, Nintendo has had a banner year, Breath of the Wild was the title that kicked…
The Epic Journey of One Cat’s Search for a Home and a Purpose Cat Quest is a 2D RPG catventure from the Gentlebros that is presently nominated for GooglePlay’s 2017 Indie Game of the Year award. (You can read our…
The Punished Podcast
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In this episode of The Punished Podcast, we discuss the past, present, and future of games media and journalism.
In this episode of The Punished Podcast, we reflect (and debate) the games that should be prioritized in our backlog in 2026.
In this episode of The Punished Podcast, we discuss the role of review scores in the gaming industry, especially for us as critics.
In this episode of The Punished Podcast, we discuss and listen to the best video game soundtracks, composers, and sound design.
Presenting the most anticipated video games of 2026, but in a stylish package: our annual Fantasy Gaming league. New year, new season.
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?
Punished Notes
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In a Punished Notes dedicated entirely to Resident Evil Requiem, Sam wonders if the post-zombification of the game’s world bears a resemblance to our own post-pandemic one.
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?
In the latest Punished Notes, Sam covers Doritos and Mountain Dew games, Kirby Air Riders, and… the blues?
In this edition of Punished Notes, Sam discusses how the incredible fall game release lineup is kind of killing him, among other thoughts
In the latest edition of Punished Notes, Sam talks about Lumines, visual novel and Roger, and other random thoughts from random games.
In this Punished Notes, Sam dives into how the latest Bethesda shooter harkens back to a simpler time in AAA gaming, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, and more!
Punished Chat
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As part of our Game of the Year coverage, here are some DIFFERENT awards for the year’s best games!
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?
From the classics to new releases, we discuss the “Big Three,” the best anime ever, and what makes these series stand the test of time.
Donkey Kong Bananza is one of the biggest game releases of 2025. Does it work? Does it deserve its score of 91? We share our thoughts.
On the fence about Nintendo’s latest console? Six of our writers sat down to share our initial Nintendo Switch 2 impressions.
After a drama-packed premiere, our writers got together to share our The Last of Us Season 2 impressions so far.
Punished Favorites
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To celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Game Boy Advance, here are The Punished Backlog’s favorite GBA games of all time!
The Punished Backlog writers have already covered their favorite Pokémon games. But what about our actual favorite pocket monsters?
In our list of the best Pokémon Games, find out how the generations stack up in honor of Pokémon’s 30th anniversary.
In our list of the best GameCube Games, see how classics like Metroid Prime, Melee, and Double Dash stack up.
While we here at The Punished Backlog could not be more excited about a new Nintendo console, we also figured it now is the right time to pay tribute to the first Switch and all its best games!
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.