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A Tutorial on Self-Destruction Come on in guys! Don’t mind the fresh dirt, the castaway voted out this week just finished digging their own grave. Yes, this week featured a self-inflicted blowup that was oh so easily avoidable. But alas,…
Not Just a Fucking Stick Come on in guys! Hopefully you all have good gag reflexes because a classic Survivor challenge has returned. But, we’ll get to that in a bit. First we need to adjust to life without The Noble One.…
Get Those Wallets Ready for September Another month, another fantasy update. If January saw some massive releases and February some unfortunate delays, then March made up for its lack of quality games with sheer numbers. Six important fantasy picks have…
The Noble One Come on in guys! Congratulations on making it all the way to the Survivor: Ghost Island merge episode; this is a huge milestone in reading these recaps. We are now in the individual portion of the game, and…
Atlanta Takes a Breather With an Insane Journey to Get a Fresh Cut Season 2 of Atlanta has quickly been gaining steam. After some initial pacing issues from “Alligator Man” and “Sportin’ Waves,” Robbin’ Season delivered some truly great television…
Just Deserts Come on in guys! The Survivor merge is breathing down our necks, the individual phase of the game oh so close. But first, this episode. Well it starts off in a hurry as Michael immediately goes idol hunting. The rest of…
Tempo Storm’s CEO Brings Pro Design Insight to New Deck-Builder Game Professional Hearthstone player and Twitch streamer Andrey “Reynad” Yanyuk has announced that he’s developing his own digital card game, titled The Bazaar. Reynad made the announcement yesterday via YouTube alongside the launch…
If Rare’s Latest Adventure Were Named Cartoon Pirate Simulator, Would People Feel Differently About It? In hour three of a five-hour session of Sea of Thieves recently, I found myself standing at the bow of my galleon with my two crewmates…
The Punished Podcast
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In this podcast episode, we discuss the history of open-world video games: the good, the bad, and everything in between. (Also, GTA VI!)
In this Fantasy Gaming-centric episode, we recap the first half of 2026 before delving into our first waiver wire of the year.
In this episode of The Punished Podcast, we discuss the rise and fall of E3, game trailers, authenticity, and the big bucks.
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.
Punished Notes
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In the latest Punished Notes, Sam talks about Splatoon Raiders, Kingdom Hearts, Denshattack!, and…baking?
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.
Punished Chat
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Super Mario Sunshine is probably the beloved plumber’s most polarizing adventure. Punished Backlog editors Sam and David discuss why that is.
After all playing Disco Elysium, several writers weigh in on the good, the bad, and the very ugly of the cult classic.
Mina the Hollower released last month to rave reviews. How do the writers at The Punished Backlog feel about it?
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.
Punished Favorites
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In our list of the Best Video Game Dogs, we highlight the old and the new, the lithe and the chonky, the magical and the normal. They are all good dogs!
Anime is often known for its flashy visuals, but just as important is the music. Here are 11 of our top anime character theme songs ever.
From big AAAs to indie gems, this year’s shaping up to be a delight. Here are the 19 best video games of 2026 we’ve played to date.
From the bird and the bear to the earliest console shooters, here are The Punished Backlog’s top 16 Nintendo 64 games of all time!
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?